Our team aims to inspire others, support nursing and clinical staff, and undertake quality research that progresses our research priorities.

Meet the Director of the NRPDC, research staff and research students.

Our research staff


photo of Paul Fulbrook

Nursing Director - Professor Paul Fulbrook RN; PhD, MSc, PGDipEduc, BSc (Hons)

Professor Paul Fulbrook is Professor of Nursing in the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, and Honorary Professor (Faculty of Health Sciences) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein. Paul commenced his current post in November 2004 and is based at the Prince Charles Hospital as Director of the Nursing Research and Practice Development Centre (NRPDC), in Brisbane, Queensland. He is an Honorary WFFCN Ambassador, an Honorary Fellow EFCCNA, and an Honorary Fellow BACCN. In 2020 Professor Fulbrook was awarded the Metro North Nursing Research Excellence Award.

Professor Fulbrook has an extensive background in nursing specialising in intensive care nursing, working as a Clinical Teacher and then Senior Lecturer in critical care. Paul is well known nationally and internationally for his critical care nursing work and has spoken at many national and international conferences. He has been involved in a wide variety of international and national developments in critical care nursing including publication of internationally endorsed position statements and national guidelines.

His community engagement activities are extensive and include positions such as Chair positions, Executive Board positions, International Honorary Fellowships, Editorial Board membership, and committee participation: Queensland State-wide Pressure Injury Prevention Collaborative, Hospital Research Council, Hospital Research Ethics Committee, University Higher Degrees Committee.

At the NRPDC, Paul is engaged in a range of research projects with health services, university staff, and supervision of research students. Paul leads the research program of the NRPDC which aims to contribute to improved clinical outcomes. The work Professor Fulbrook leads at the NRPDC has contributed to reducing the impact of pressure injuries and improving patient and hospital outcomes, related to; significant harm, pain, decreased quality of life, increased hospital stay and treatment times and associated personal and financial costs.

Orcid ID: 0000-0002-6547-1861


photo of Adam Burston

Research Fellow - Associate Professor Adam Burston RN; PhD, M HealthServMgmt, Grad Cert (Nurs), GCHE, BN

Associate Professor Adam Burston is a Research Fellow at the Nursing Research and Practice Development Centre (NRPDC) The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH), and Head of Discipline (Nursing), School of Nursing, Midwifery, & Paramedicine, Australian Catholic University. Adam completed his PhD at The University of Queensland in 2018 exploring the incidence of moral distress in the aged care workforce, receiving the inaugural University of Queensland School of Nursing & Midwifery PReST scholarship during his PhD candidature. Adam has published research on topics such as moral distress in nursing, and nurse-surgeon training.

Associate Professor Burston has an extensive and varied background in healthcare, including aged care and several acute surgical nursing specialties. He has co-authored book chapters on ethical practice, peri-operative nursing, respiratory nursing, and nursing management of pain. As an academic he has particular interest in undergraduate nursing education, specifically transition to university (commencing students), healthcare ethics, and inter-professional practice, and is recognised for this work as a Senior Fellow of Advance Higher Education (AHE).

Adams' focus at the NRPDC is multi-faceted, including consumer experiences of pressure injury, assessment of mucosal pressure injury, and nursing students transition to clinical practice through the TPCH clinical school.

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1135-3413


photo of Saroeun Ven

Research Assistant - Ms Saroeun Ven RN, BN(Hons)

Saroeun Ven is a registered nurse at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH), and a Research Assistant/Nurse here at the Nursing Research and Practice Development Centre, in Brisbane, Queensland. Saroeun is an experienced Palliative Care nurse with TPCH, with a strong interest in improving pressure injury nursing care for palliative care patients. Saroeun recently completed a Bachelor of Nursing Honours research program, comparing the differences in outcomes of pressure injury risk assessment (risk status, preventative intervention prescription) when using a standardised risk assessment tool versus clinical judgement in an acute hospital setting. In 2021, Saroeun was awarded a First-Class Bachelor of Nursing Honours by Australian Catholic University (ACU). During this program, Saroeun co-authored a publication reporting a systematic review which examined these differences between risk assessment methods. As a Research Assistant/Nurse, Saroeun is currently involved with projects focusing on pressure injury prevention. Building on her previous research work and clinical background, Saroeun is currently undertaking PhD studies exploring pressure injury prevention in palliative care patients in a hospital setting.

2023 Metro North Research Report - Improving pressure injury management in palliative care patients

Orcid ID: 0000-0002-6903-8926


photo of Jacob Butterworth

Research Assistant - Mr Jacob Butterworth RN, BN (Hons), Grad Cert (EmergNurs)

Jacob Butterworth is a Registered Nurse within the Emergency Department at Redcliffe Hospital and a Research Assistant/Nurse within the Nursing Research and Practice Development Centre at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH), Brisbane.

Jacob is currently completing the Bachelor of Nursing Honours research program, his thesis for this program is titled 'A descriptive, exploratory study of mucosal pressure injury 5-year reported incidence and characteristics using a retrospective quality audit'. Jacob's thesis consists in part of a systematic review, which is investigating reported mucosal membrane pressure injury incidence in hospitalised adults.

Jacob has a strong interest in emergency care nursing and clinical practice improvement. As a Research Assistant/Nurse, Jacob is currently involved with projects focusing on the incidence and characteristics of medical device related pressure injuries within adults admitted within the intensive care setting.

Visiting Research Fellow - Dr Sandra Miles RN, RM, CCYPN; PhD, MN (Child and Adol), BN

Visiting Research Fellow - Dr Josephine Lovegrove RN; BN (Hons), PhD

Visiting Research Fellow - Dr Roger Lord PhD, BAppSc, Assoc Dip App Sc, ARCPA

Visiting Research Fellow - Dr Michael Steele PhD, BSc(Hons), BSc

Visiting Research Fellow - Dr Peter Le Rossignol

Year Degree Student Title Stage NRPDC supervisor/s

2023

Doctor of Philosophy

Saroeun Ven

Exploring pressure injury risk assessment tools for acute palliative care patients in acute hospitals

In progress

Fulbrook, P., Burston, A.

Steele, M., Miles, S.

Lovegrove, J., Prince, S.

2023

Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Aldiana Mehicic

Psychometric properties of the Braden scale to assess pressure injury risk in intensive care: A systematic review

Completed First class Honours

Fulbrook, P.

Burston, A.

2021

Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Jacob Butterworth

Mucosal pressure injury five-year prevalence in an acute care setting

In progress

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

Lovegrove, J.

2021

Master of Clinical Nursing

Wu, Y.

Nurses' knowledge of falls prevention in a neuroscience unit

Completed

Distinction

Miles, S.

2021

Master of Clinical Education

Kurup, C.

Understanding the perspectives of internationally qualified nurses on how a bridging/transition course assisted them to adapt to Australian nursing practice

Completed High Distinction

Miles, S.

Burston, A.

2020

Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Saroeun Ven

Pressure injury risk level for assessment of hospitalised patients: a comparison of nurses' clinical judgement with and without use of a standardised pressure injury risk assessment tool

Completed

First class Honours

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

Lovegrove, J.

2019

Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours)

Angus, K.

Parents seeking breastfeeding support through smartphone applications: an exploratory, descriptive study

Completed

Miles, S.

2019

Doctor of Philosophy

Lovegrove, J.

Matching preventative interventions to risk level to reduce pressure injury in critically ill patients: an international Delphi study and cluster randomised crossover trial

In progress

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2019

Doctor of Philosophy

Peeler, A.

Evaluation of a paediatric emergency department

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2019

Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Wang, Y.

A descriptive, exploratory study of the validity of staging/ categorisation of pressure injuries reported by hospital staff using a retrospective quality audit

In progress

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

Lovegrove, J.

2019

Doctor of Philosophy

Mbuzi, V.

Perspectives on Indigenous patients' experiences of hospitalisation and acute care

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2019

Doctor of Philosophy

Brasier, C.

The Stroke and Carer Optimal Health Program (SCOHP) for psychosocial health: a randomised controlled trial

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2019

Master of Health Administration

McCann, B.

Fast screening of patients that present to the emergency department following a fall: a feasibility and prevalence study

Completed

High Distinction

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2018

Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Lovegrove, J.

Nurses' prescription of pressure injury preventative interventions relative to assessed risk level: a systematic review and descriptive, exploratory study

Completed

First Class Honours

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2018

Master of Health Administration

Isaqi, B.

A systematic review of the prevalence, incidence and characteristics of mucosal pressure injuries of hospitalised adults

Completed

High Distinction

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2018

Master of Health Administration

Oghana, S.

A retrospective descriptive exploratory study of the prevalence and characteristics of mucosal pressure injuries during one year at The Prince Charles Hospital

Completed

High Distinction

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

2018

Master of Health Administration

Mair, P.

Using a selected evaluation tool for a cohort of undergraduate clinical school student nurses to evaluate their clinical placement

Completed

Credit

Miles, S.

2018

Master of Health Administration

McKirkle, J.

Procedural restraint in children: a systematic review

Completed

Credit

Miles, S.

2018

Doctor of Philosophy

Miles, S.

Sensory and motor interventions for very early school-age children: a cluster pragmatic randomised controlled trial examining effect on development, behaviour and academic learning outcomes

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

2018

Master of Philosophy

Gettens, S.

The impact of sustaining an in-patient fall: a mixed methods study

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

2018

Doctor of Philosophy

Liu, X.

Exploring health education delivered to patients with acute coronary syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted to a Shanghai hospital

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

2017

Doctor of Philosophy

Phonpruk, K.

An investigation into the provision and parents' understanding of discharge information to assist in managing their child following discharge from the emergency department of an Australian hospital: a mixed methods study

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

2017

Doctor of Philosophy

Lawrence, P.

Pilot study to determine the feasibility of early interventions for emergency department attendees who present with moderate and high levels of psychological distress

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

2017

Master of Nursing (Research)

Saxon, C.

Experiences of patients who have undergone bronchoscopy with 'cautious' sedation and analgesia

Completed

Fulbrook, P.

2017

Master of Health Administration

Wang, Y.

Seven-year prevalence of skin tears in an acute general hospital: a descriptive study

Completed Distinction

Fulbrook, P.

Miles, S.

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