Adjunct professor
Enhancing Research and Development in Excellent nursing care
Professor Kathleen Galvin has been appointed as an adjunct professor at the Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, and Lillebælt Hospital.
Kathleen Galvin is set to contribute significantly to the development and research of Excellent nursing care at Lillebælt Hospital. The interconnection between Excellent nursing care and the existential foundation of human life, though closely linked, has not been sufficiently explored from a research perspective. Excellent nursing care prioritises the patient's experience of well-being, often navigating the phenomena of suffering and dignity within the life circumstances created by illness, symptoms, and challenges.
Definition: Excellent nursing care
Excellent nursing care is defined as the skilled, wise, and appropriate healthcare action determined by the specific situation and conducted in a mutual trust-based relationship between patient and nurse. In the practice of Excellent nursing care, the nurse is attentive to the patient's needs and life. The nurse exhibits authenticity, sensitive attention, and courageously does exactly what the patient needs to experience well-being.
In essence, Excellent nursing care occurs in the encounter with the patient, aiming for the patient to experience well-being. The nursing care is guided by the patient's individual experience of well-being, involving the nurse being present, highly skilled, acting in a person-centred and ethical manner, and maintaining a trust-based relationship with the patient.
Source: Lillebælt Hospital – Excellent sygepleje/ Excellent nursing care
Together with the Executive Board of Excellent nursing care at Lillebælt Hospital, Professor Galvin will play a crucial role in establishing a research programme rooted in the values fundamental to the hospital's mission. Additionally, she will engage in projects closely aligned with clinical practice, planning alongside clinical nursing specialists active within the Excellent nursing care Board.
-Professor Galvin brings a unique research-based understanding of the changes individuals undergo physically, mentally, emotionally, and thus existentially, in a manner that aligns with the values we aim to promote at Lillebælt Hospital, explains Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt, professor at the Department of Regional Health Research and Lillebælt Hospital.
Since 2006, Professor Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt has closely collaborated with Kathleen Galvin, most recently through the EU-funded project INNOVATEDIGNITY, spanning 2019-2023. This project involved 15 PhD students from nine universities across five countries. Furthermore, Kathleen Galvin, along with Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt, has been involved in establishing the European Academy of Caring Science.
For Lillebælt Hospital, Professor Galvin's appointment is a significant addition, enhancing the collaboration on research and development of Excellent nursing care for the benefit of patients and relatives in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is of paramount importance that the care and treatment citizens receive contribute to their ability to resume, as far as possible, their previous life or a life filled with well-being and dignity.
Since January, Kathleen Galvin has participated in research meetings with the Excellent nursing care Management Board and will be at Kolding Hospital in week 18, where she will deliver several presentations and engage in further research planning.
Meet the researcher
Kathleen Galvin is Professor of Nursing Practice at the School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton. She joins as an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Regional Health Research, SDU, and Lillebælt Hospital.
Contact
For further inquiries regarding Kathleen Galvin's appointment, please contact Professor Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt.