FACES OF CRITICAL CARE
Roz Elliott
ICU Translational Research Manager, Editor of Australian Critical Care Journal, Clinical Associate Professor and Adjunct Associate Professor
“The people who are almost without exception never content with anything less than perfection and are endlessly compassionate.”
You’ve built a career across ICU, research and leadership – how did your journey evolve to where you are now?
I always wanted to work in ICU and was fortunate to complete an elective in ICU at Southampton Hospital (UK) during my undergraduate education. I never thought I would work in research (the topic wasn’t at all inspiring for me as an undergraduate but I completed a honours project regardless). After relocating to Australia I was keen to pursue a clinical teaching career pathway. In our collaborations with universities I soon made the acquaintance of nurse researchers like Sharon McKinley and Jane Stein-Parbury. These mentors encouraged me to pursue Master by Research and subsequently a PhD. After a short stint working as a lecturer I combined the conduct of research with clinical practice and more recently I have been working as an ICU research manager in the health sector.
How does your experience in ICU shape the way you approach translational research and improving patient care?
I have worked with people with a high evidence based practice acumen. This has lead me to be cognizant of using the highest evidence which is relevant and workable in the context together with patient preference.
What has kept you connected to critical care throughout your career?
The people who are almost without exception never content with anything less than perfection and are endlessly compassionate.
Can you share a moment from your ICU career that has stayed with you?
A former patient who was treated in the ICU for a brain abscess returned to visit us when he was well. After talking to us for some time he was able to remember the content of our conversations near his bedside even when he was unconscious and even asked my colleague how her dog was (by name). None of the content of our conversations was sensitive and he stated that he’d found it reassuring to hear about the outside World. However it was a timely reminder of how and what to communicate when at the bedside
What advice would you give to nurses interested in getting involved in research or advancing their careers?
Start by conducting an evidence synthesis with experienced researchers. This is a great way to begin because it provides an excellent overview of how to find relevant published studies, the research process (through critique and synthesis) and the publication process.