Rebecca's PhD journey
Dr Rebecca Jedwab is a Nurse Research Consultant and her PhD research at Deakin focused on nurses’ wellbeing and how implementing new technology in a healthcare setting affects nurses and their work.
Why did you decide to do a PhD?
As I continued my clinical nursing experience, my passion for research, supporting nursing work with evidence-based practice, and mentorship grew. I successfully obtained an Emerging Researcher Fellowship within my healthcare organisation which supported me to develop my research aspirations, including a larger research project and mentorship with a nurse researcher. I was interested in researching how to support nurses in their work and nurses’ wellbeing. The healthcare organisation’s electronic medical record implementation in 2019 was the perfect opportunity to do a pre- and post-implementation study. I was a previous Deakin student, when I completed my Critical Care Masters degree, and I knew Deakin had the expertise I needed.
Why is health and medical research important?
Health and medical research, specifically nurse-led research, is vital for helping to minimise the large gaps in time between when research is conducted and how it is used or applied in healthcare settings.
What support did Deakin and your supervisor provide during your PhD?
I was fortunate to be a recipient of a Deakin University Institute for Health Transformation PhD Scholarship which allowed me to undertake my PhD studies full time. Deakin also provided professional development opportunities (webinars, courses, and conferences), specific events at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Institute of Health Transformation, and University levels, and specific guidance and support when my PhD was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I was fortunate to have four supervisors, including an external advisor, who were kind, reassuring and always available throughout my PhD. They provided guidance, mentorship and support, and encouraged me to find opportunities to publish and present my PhD work throughout my journey.
Nurse-led research is vital for helping to minimise the large gaps in time between when research is conducted and how it is used or applied in healthcare settings.
Rebecca Jedwab
What impact will your research work have on the world?
My PhD has contributed to the gap in knowledge about Australian nurses’ motivation, work engagement, work satisfaction, wellbeing and experiences associated with an electronic medical record (EMR) implementation. We now know that motivation is the key behavioural driver for nurses to use the EMR, both pre and post-implementation, and nurses’ knowledge about, understanding of the rationale for, and skills related to using a new technology provides a pre-implementation context expected to moderate nurses’ motivation and work engagement, and support their adoption of a new technology.
What’s next? Where do you hope your PhD will take you?
I enjoy working as a Nurse Research Consultant and Nursing and Midwifery Informatics Officer and using my PhD findings to support nurses across my healthcare organisation with their work and making nursing care more visible. Long-term I hope to continue researching and supporting nurses and midwives in their work by continuously evaluating and improving practices.
Join the Deakin research community
Study a research degree and solve today’s biggest challenges alongside our world class researchers.