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Professor Elizabeth McInnes

Deputy Director

Professor Elizabeth McInnes (BA Hons; Grad Dip App Sci; MPH; PhD) is Professor of Nursing at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne and Deputy Director of the Nursing Research Institute (NRI). Professor McInnes works closely with hospital partners to develop research collaborations that address national health priorities and standards. Professor McInnes has experience in conducting trials, qualitative and mixed-methods research designs, as well as quantitative and qualitative systematic reviews. Her research areas are evidence translation, clinician behaviour change and patient safety with a focus on pressure injury prevention and other hospital acquired complications. She has been successful in obtaining funding as either a principal or co-investigator on competitive grants totalling over $15.6M ($7.95M - Category 1 and $7.65M Category 2-3). Her widely cited Cochrane reviews on the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries using support surfaces have informed national and international guidelines and health service purchasing decisions. Professor McInnes is currently an investigator with the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) in Wiser Wound Care focusing on de-implementation of low value wound care.

Select publications

• McInnes E, Harvey G, Hiller J, Phillips R, Page T, Wiechula R. Factors affecting procurement of wound care products: A qualitative study of hospital managers and clinicians' views. Australian Health Review 2021;45(1):66-73 org/10.1071/AH19250.

• McInnes E, Dale S, Craig LS, Phillips R, Fasugba O, Schadewaldt V, Cheung NW, Cadilhac DA Grimshaw JM, Levi C, Considine J, McElduff P, Gerraty R, Fitzgerald M, Ward J, D'Este C, Middleton S. Process evaluation of an implementation trial to improve the triage, treatment and transfer of stroke patients in emergency departments (T3 Trial). Implementation Science 2020 15, 99 org/10.1186/s13012-020-01057-0

• Coyer F, Chaboyer W, Lin F, Doubrovsky A, Barakat-Johnson M, Brown W, Lakshmanan R, Leslie G, Jones SL, Pearse I, Martin K, McInnes E, Mitchell M et al. Pressure Injury Prevalence in Australian intensive care units: A secondary analysis. Australian Critical Care 2021 Nov 27;S1036-7314(21)00167-3. doi.org/1016/j.aucc.2021.10.009.

• Gillespie BM, Walker RM, McInnes E, Moore Z, Eskes AM, O'Connor T, Harbeck E, White C, Scott IA, Vermeulen H, & Chaboyer W. Preoperative and postoperative recommendations to surgical wound care interventions: A systematic meta-review of Cochrane reviews. Journal of Perioperative Nursing 2020: 34 (4) org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103486

• Shi C, Dumville JC, Cullum N, Rhodes S, Jammali-Blasi A, McInnes Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces for preventing pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, Issue 5. Art. No.: CD013620. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013620.pub2

• Shi C, Dumville JC, Cullum N, Rhodes S, McInnes Foam surfaces for preventing pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, Issue 5. Art. No.: CD013621. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013621.pub2

• Shi C, Dumville JC, Cullum N, Rhodes S, Leung V, McInnes Reactive air surfaces for preventing pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, Issue 5. Art. No.: CD013622. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013622.pub2

• Shi C, Dumville JC, Cullum N, Rhodes S, McInnes Alternative reactive support surfaces (non-foam and non-air-filled) for preventing pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, Issue 5. Art. No.: CD013623. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013623.pub2.

• Shi C, Dumville JC, Cullum N, Rhodes S, Jammali-Blasi A, Ramsden V, McInnes Beds, overlays and mattresses for treating pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, Issue 5. Art. No.: CD013624. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013624.pub2.

• Shi C, Dumville JC, Cullum N, Rhodes S, McInnes E, Goh E, Norman G. Beds, overlays and mattresses for preventing and treating pressure ulcers: an overview of Cochrane Reviews and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, Issue 8. Art. No.: CD013761. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013761

See all Professor McInnes's publications

Selected grants and projects

• Chaboyer W, Gillespie BM, McInnes E, Rickard C, Scuffham P, Glasziou P, Princess IS, Ullman A, Thalib L, Chopra V. NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Wiser Wound Care. 2021 Total funds awarded: $2,500,000. (Application ID: APP1196436).

• Perry L, Center J, Harris I, Clifton-Bligh R, Hassett G, Nguyen T, McInnes E, White C, Frost S. Translation of best practice osteoporosis refracture prevention: stopping fragility fractures to keep Australians out of hospital. NHMRC Medical Research Future Fund. 2020: $. Total funds awarded: $897,729.90. (Project ID: APP1176600).

• Douglas C, Middleton S, Gardner G, Kelly P, Morton R, McInnes E, Windsor C. Transforming nursing assessment in acute hospitals: cluster randomised controlled trial of an EvideNce-based CORE assessment protocol (the ENCORE study). ID:1145859 NHRMC Partnership Grant. 2018 Total funds awarded: $1,069,267.

• Riddell K and McInnes E (Co-Chief Investigators). Transforming nursing assessment in acute care. Nurses Board Victoria Legacy Limited. 2020 Research Fund. Total funds awarded: $198,000

• Thornton A, Middleton S, Taylor J, McInnes E, Douglas C. Transforming nursing assessment in acute hospitals. Nurse/Midwife Strategy Reserve, NSW Ministry of Health. 2020 Total funds awarded: $492,182.

View NRI projects

Accolades and awards

• Winner, Professor Elizabeth McInnes, St Vincent's Health Network Sydney International Year of the Nurse Hall of Fame Award. May 2024
• Winner, NHMRC CRE Wiser Wound Care Publication of the Year prize for the following publication: Wan CS, Cheng H, Musgrave-Takeda M, Liu MG, Tobiano G, McMahon J, McInnes E. (2023). Barriers and facilitators to implementing pressure injury prevention and management guidelines in acute care: a mixed-methods systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2024; 145:104557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104557 0020-7489/. Funds awarded: $2,000. March 2024.
• Australian Catholic University's Vice-Chancellor's Staff Excellence Award, Excellence in Research and Research Partnerships for the Quality in Acute Stroke Care (QASC) Program, 16 October 2019.

Appointments and affiliations

• Member, Nursing Research Institute Steering and Management Committees
• Co-Chair, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Education and Research Committee
• Member, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Professional Nursing Council
• Chair, Centre for Research Excellence in Wiser Wound Care, Research Training Committee
• Member, SPHERE Nursing and Midwifery Implementation Science Academy
• Member, Australian Catholic University, Faculty of Health Sciences Research and Research Training Committee
• Member, ACU SONMP Research & Research Training Committee