Gary Mitchell

Qualifications

• QUB (BSc) Nursing Sciences (1st Class Honours Degree). 2007-2010.
• QUB (MSc) Nursing (Distinction). 2010-2011.
• QUB (AMInstLM) Institute of Leadership and Management Level-5 Certificate. PENDING JANUARY 2014.

Country of Origin: Northern Ireland (UK)

Research Cluster: Cancer Nursing, Supportive and Palliative Care

Research Title: An ethnography of communication processes involving the management of oral chemotherapeutic agents by patients with a primary diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Description / summary of project

The aim of this study is to illuminate the processes of communication between health professionals, patients and informal carers during oral cancer drug therapy in order to identify factors that promote or inhibit concordance and appropriate medication administration.

The rationale for the study is the paucity of information currently available concerning patient concordance to cancer drug prescriptions, or the factors that promote or inhibit it.

The ethnographic methods of observation and semi-structured interviewing will be used. Observational studies will be carried out on the interactions between pertinent healthcare professionals and patients in the outpatient departments where prescriptions are explained and dispensed, and on follow-up consultations where treatment regimens are monitored and assessed. Semi-structured interviews will be carried out with patients and their carers following outpatient appointments. Focus-group interviews will also be conducted with physicians, pharmacists and nurses involved in prescription, dispensing and administration.

Your experience of studying at QUB

I have been with the School of nursing and midwifery at QUB since 2007 when I first undertook training to become a nurse. In 2009 I was selected by the School to represent the university at the annual Florence Nightingale ceremony, held in London every year. Following conclusion of my BSc in nursing sciences I took up my first nursing post in a dementia care unit in Northern Ireland. In 2010, while continuing to work full-time as a staff nurse, I enrolled in the Masters programme in nursing to further develop my practice. During the MSc programme I took up my 2nd post as a theatre nurse in the Ulster Hospital (SEHSCT).

During my MSc programme I was encouraged by a number of staff to present at conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals. This gave me encouragement to pursue a PhD studentship within the school. Following interview selection I began my full-time PhD scholarship which has enabled me to design and carry out an exciting and novel piece of research. As well as being encouraged to present at conferences and write for peer-reviewed journals, I have been supported to develop a number of other skills. I currently sit on the School Research Ethics Committee and I am part of the School’s SWAN initiative. As well as this I have been given the opportunity to teach undergraduate nursing students and mentor new PhD students in the school. Recently I was supported by the School of Nursing in applying for and winning the Marcie Mackie travel scholarship which will enable me to travel to Melbourne next year to carry out other research activities.

Publications

Mitchell, G. (2013) ‘The rationale for fractionation in radiotherapy’, Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 17, (4), pp. 412-417.

Mitchell, G., McCollum, P. and Monaghan, C. (2013) ‘The personal impact of disclosure of a dementia diagnosis: a thematic review of the literature’, British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 9, (5), pp. 223-228.

Mitchell, G., McCollum, P. and Monaghan, C. (2013) ‘Disclosing a diagnosis of dementia: A background to the phenomenon’, Nursing Older People, 25, (10), pp. 16-21

Mitchell, G. (2013) 'Selecting the best theory to implement planned change', Nursing Management, 20, (1), pp. 32-37.

Mitchell, G. and O'Donnell, H. (2013) 'The therapeutic use of doll therapy in dementia', British Journal of Nursing, 22, (6), pp. 329-334.

Mitchell, G. (2013) 'Applying pharmacology to practice: The case of dementia', Nurse Prescribing, 11, (4), pp. 185-190

All publications can be viewed at either: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gary_Mitchell2/ 

Conference Oral Presentations

Mitchell, G. (2013) ‘The therapeutic use of doll therapy for people with dementia: ethical considerations’, 23rd Alzheimer Europe Conference, St. Julians, Malta. October 2013.

Mitchell, G., McCollum, P. and Monaghan, C. (2012) 'The Person With Dementia: The Personal Impact of Diagnosis Disclosure', 13th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference, Dublin, Ireland. November 2012.

Mitchell, G., McCollum, P. and Monaghan, C. (2012) 'The Person With Dementia: The Personal Impact of Diagnosis Disclosure', 22nd Alzheimer Europe Conference, Vienna, Austria. October 2012.

Conference Poster Presentations

Mitchell, G. (2013) ‘The therapeutic use of doll therapy for people with dementia: A systematic review of the literature’, 23rd Alzheimer Europe Conference, St. Julians, Malta. October 2013.

Mitchell, G., McCollum, P. and Monaghan, C. (2012) 'The Person With Dementia: The Personal Impact of Diagnosis Disclosure: Poster Presentation', 7th UK Dementia Congress, Brighton, England. November 2012.