Research Profile

Claire C. Hayes

BIOGRAPHY

RGN, RM, RCN, BSc, MSc

Research Interests

Children, Cystic Fibrosis, Fathers of children with Chronic Illness

I have worked in nursing since 1988 as a general nurse, midwife and children’s nurse. This valuable experience has helped inform my thinking. Before joining the School of Nursing and Midwifery in 2005, I had worked most recently as a Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Nurse Specialist for children and adults for five years. During this period I was aware of spending more time with mothers than fathers in helping them manage their children’s chronic progressive disease. This lead me to question the service provided for fathers and whether their needs were being addressed. In my masters by research I identified fathers involvement in their children’s day to day care; their search for information which for many was not being met by health care professionals; the emotional impact of caring for fathers and the toll that caring for their children’s with CF had on their personal relationships.

 

These findings have been disseminated locally, nationally and internationally in oral and poster format to nurses and other health care professionals within the multidisciplinary team. I have also published these findings in an attempt to reach a greater audience. I have collaborated with another children’s nurse lecturer in Dublin who also researched fathers of children with chronic illness (epilepsy) to write a paper on the similarities that both groups experienced. Few studies have explored fathers’ perspectives, particularly in an Irish context, which highlight the importance of our findings to date and the need to develop this research area further. I am currently reading around interventions with a view to researching what fathers could access to support their care giving even when they are unable to be physically present during clinic visits.

 

I am employed in the School of Nursing and Midwifery as a Lecturer Practitioner which gives me great potential to collaborate with my clinical colleagues. I have written two papers with another Childrens Nurse Lecturer and the Immunisation CNMII on the current changes that have been made to the Primary Immunisation Schedule since last July. We are exploring further research on perceptions and information needs of Irish parents as a consequence of these changes.

 

The appointment of Lecturer Practitioners has been a new departure from the traditional lecturer role, in that, I work with students on the ward and receive a patient case load. We sought to evaluate our role last summer from student and staff perspectives in an attempt to identify our effectiveness. We were portrayed as being very effective in teaching students and were perceived as being a valuable member of the nursing team. These findings have been presented throughout 2008 at both national and international conferences.  We also, have two articles being considered for publication by education journals Nurse Education Today and the International Journal of Nursing Scholarship. We hope that our evaluation will encourage further posts to be created to enhance student learning; to bridge the theory practice gap and to inform our teaching

 

To date, existing knowledge on how parents manage the care of their children with CF is predominately based on research from mothers’ perspectives. Studies suggest that mothers are the principal caregivers. Mothers have reported that the unequal sharing of responsibility for caregiving between them and their partners is stressful and isolating. Much of what is known about fathers is based on proxy accounts from mothers. Few studies have consulted fathers or included them in equal numbers to mothers. Using a descriptive qualitative design I interviewed eight fathers in their own homes for approximately one hour. Fathers described their participation in caregiving; particularly performing chest physiotherapy; checking medication stocks and ordering from pharmacy; and attending out patient clinics. However, fathers identified that when they were unable to attend clinics because of work they found it difficult to stay abreast of changes made to their children’s medication and physiotherapy routines. This highlights the need to include fathers in identifying methods in which health care professionals can improve communication between fathers and the multidisciplinary team. Fathers spoke about searching the internet for information and the depressing negative information they found. Information can support coping strategies. Health care professionals could help fathers by offering information that is specific to their childrens stage of disease progression and could assist in interpreting the significance of research available on the internet. Fathers also explained that they tried to be strong for their wives but caring for their children with CF was emotionally stressful and isolating. Again fathers need to be consulted to identify what supportive strategies could be put in place to promote their emotional wellbeing. In disseminating these findings I identified another children’s nurse lecturer in Dublin who also researched fathers of children with chronic illness (epilepsy). We have collaborated to write a paper on the similarities that both groups experienced, namely fathers level of involvement and the impact that caring for their children with chronic illness can have on their relationships with others.

 

In the summer of 2007 questionnaires containing Likert type rating scales and open ended questions on the impact of the Lecturer Practitioner (LP) in clinical practice were distributed to student nurses (n=211) with a response rate of 36.6% (n=78) and registered nurses (n=134), of whom 66%  (n=88) responded. Seven LPs also took part in a focus group. The results identified that LPs were very effective in teaching students in clinical areas. In particular students commented that LP’s knew what to expect from them and their level of education; had more time on the wards to teach them and to link practice to theory and were a familiar face. LPs indicated that clinical practice is essential in staying abreast with current practices; informs their teaching in that subject areas that students have trouble understanding are identified. The demands of staying research active; teaching and working in clinical practice was reported as challenging and in keeping with international studies, LPs were concerned about the possibility of role burnout in the future.   

 

Using the teaching for understanding framework, students were encouraged to put their knowledge of children’s growth and development into practice. They read widely about a particular age group, formulated questions to ask parents and their case study to illustrate the stage of development; practiced performing age appropriate development tests and reflected why knowledge of each stage of development was relevant to children’s nursing and how they could apply this knowledge to reduce the impact of hospitalisation for children. This form of assessment offers many advantages over the formal exam question. In a focus group with students held at the end of this module, one student commented that this form of assessment would help her remember what she had learned; another student stated that she could use her assessment as a point of reference to be able to assess children in other age groups. Using a case study approach students can actively engage in their learning, develop questioning and development assessment skills and gain confidence presenting in a supportive environment.

 

 

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

 YearPublication
(2009)'The Effectiveness of The Lecturer Practitioner Role In Clinical Practice: An Irish Perspective'
Noonan, BJ, Hughes, M, Hayes, CC, Hartigan, I, O'Connell, L, Cummins, A, Fehin, P; (2009) 'The Effectiveness of The Lecturer Practitioner Role In Clinical Practice: An Irish Perspective' [DOI] [Details]
(2009)'An Evaluation of Lecturer Practitioners In Ireland'
Hartigan, I, Cummins, A, O'Connell, E, Hughes, M, Hayes, CC, Noonan, B, Fehin, P; (2009) 'An Evaluation of Lecturer Practitioners In Ireland' [DOI] [Details]
(2008)'Changes to the Irish Primary Immunisation Schedule 2008'
Hayes,C., Mulcair,S & O'Shea,M ; (2008) 'Changes to the Irish Primary Immunisation Schedule 2008' [Details]
(2008)'Fathers' perspectives on the emotional impact of managing the care of their children with cystic fibrosis'
Hayes,C. & Savage,E.; (2008) 'Fathers' perspectives on the emotional impact of managing the care of their children with cystic fibrosis' [Details]
(2007)'Information Seeking Experiences of Fathers of Children with Cystic Fibrosis'
Hayes,C.; (2007) 'Information Seeking Experiences of Fathers of Children with Cystic Fibrosis' [Details]
(2005)'Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis'
Hayes, C.; (2005) 'Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis' [Details]
(2005)'Learning Together: Education and Research in Primary Care - In preparation'
McCarthy, G., Hayes, C.; (2005) 'Learning Together: Education and Research in Primary Care - In preparation' [Details]

Conference Publications

 YearPublication
(2008)7th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference Cork
O'Connell E., Hartigan I., Cummins A., Hughes M., Hayes C., Noonan B.,Fehin P.; (2008) An Evaluation of the Role Lecturer Practitioner role 7th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference Cork Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, [Details]
(2008)27th International Nursing & Midwifery Research Conference, Royal College of Surgeons
O'Connell, E., Hartigan, I. Hughes, M. Hayes, C. Cummins, A. Noonan, B. & Fehin P.; (2008) An Evaluation of the Lecturer Practitioner Role 27th International Nursing & Midwifery Research Conference, Royal College of Surgeons RCSI: Dublin, , 01-JAN-08 [Details]
(2008)Royal College of Nursing International Nursing Research Conference Liverpool
Hartigan, I. O'Connell, E. Hughes, M. Hayes, C. Cummins, A. Noonan, B. Fehin, P.; (2008) An Evaluation of the Lecturer Practitioner Role Royal College of Nursing International Nursing Research Conference Liverpool RCN: Liverpool, , 01-JAN-08 [Details]
(2008)2nd UCC / Cork University Teaching Hospitals Health Research Day
Hartigan, I. O'Connell, E. Hughes, M. Hayes, C. Cummins, A. Noonan, B. & Fehin, P; (2008) An Evaluation of the Lecturer Practitioner Role 2nd UCC / Cork University Teaching Hospitals Health Research Day UCC: Cork, , 01-JAN-08 [Details]
(2008)9th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference Trinity College Dublin
O'Connell, L. Hartigan, I. Cummins, A. Noonan, B. Hayes,C. & Fehin,P.; (2008) An Evaluation of the Lecturer Practitioner Role 9th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference Trinity College Dublin TCD: Dublin, , 01-JAN-08 [Details]
(2007)International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Hayes,C. ; (2007) Understanding Teaching for Understanding as a Curriculum Design Tool International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education NAIRTL: Cork, , 01-JAN-07 [Details]
(2007)26th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Conference, Royal College of Surgeons
Hayes,C. ; (2007) Fathers' Experiences of Seeking Information on Cystic Fibrosis 26th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Conference, Royal College of Surgeons RCSI: Dublin, , 01-JAN-07 [Details]
(2006)2nd Interdisciplinary Conference College of Medicine and Health, From Molecules to Man: Achieving Outcomes in Healthcare Research
Hayes,C.; (2006) Fathers' Experiences of Seeking Information on Cystic Fibrosis 2nd Interdisciplinary Conference College of Medicine and Health, From Molecules to Man: Achieving Outcomes in Healthcare Research UCC: Cork, , 01-JAN-06 [Details]
(2006)6th Annual Conference, National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery
Hayes,C.; (2006) Fathers' Experiences of Seeking Information on Cystic Fibrosis 6th Annual Conference, National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery NCPDNM : Dublin, , 01-JAN-06 [Details]
(2006)29th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference
Hayes,C.; (2006) Fathers' Experiences of the Emotional Impact of Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis 29th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference ECFSoc : Copenhagen, , 01-JAN-06 [Details]
(2006)Royal College of Nursing Conference for Nurses working with Children and Young People
Hayes,C. ; (2006) Fathers' Perspectives on the Emotional Impact of Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis Royal College of Nursing Conference for Nurses working with Children and Young People RCN: Bristol, , 01-JAN-06 [Details]

Conference Contributions

 YearPublication
(2008)7th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference,
O'Connell E., Hartigan I., Cummins A., Hughes M., Hayes C., Noonan B.,Fehin P.; (2008) An Evaluation of the Role Lecturer Practitioner role. [Oral Presentation], 7th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference, Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork , 01-JAN-08 - 01-JAN-08
(2008)Child and Family Nursing Day,
Hayes,C.; (2008) Organising Committee Member. [Conference Organising Committee Member], Child and Family Nursing Day, Cork University Hospital , 24-APR-08 - 24-APR-08
(2007)Research Seminar Series,
Hayes,C.; (2007) Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis. [Oral Presentation], Research Seminar Series, Dublin City University , 07-MAR-07 - 07-MAR-07
(2005)13th Annual Medical Faculty Research Day,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Experiences of Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis. [Oral Presentation], 13th Annual Medical Faculty Research Day, Cork University Hospital, Cork , 22-JUN-05 - 22-JUN-05
(2005)2nd Annual Conference,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis, an Ethnographic Study. [Poster Presentation], 2nd Annual Conference, Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit, Cork , 05-OCT-05 - 05-OCT-05
(2005)National Cystic Fibrosis Conference,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis, an Ethnographic Study. [Poster Presentation], National Cystic Fibrosis Conference, Killarney, Co. Kerry , 04-FEB-05 - 04-FEB-05
(2005)Irish Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Nurse Specialist Group Meeting,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Experiences of Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis. [Oral Presentation], Irish Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Nurse Specialist Group Meeting, Cork , 20-SEP-05 - 20-SEP-05
(2005)Irish Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Nurse Specialist Group Meeting,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Experiences of Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis. [Oral Presentation], Irish Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Nurse Specialist Group Meeting, Cork University Hospital , 20-SEP-05 - 20-SEP-05
(2005)24th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Conference,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis, an Ethnographic Study. [Poster Presentation], 24th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Conference, Royal College of Surgeons. Dublin , 24-FEB-05 - 24-FEB-05
(2005)28th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis, an Ethnographic Study. [Poster Presentation], 28th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference, Crete, Greece, , 22-JUN-05 - 25-JUN-05
(2005)6th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Perspectives on the Emotional Impact of Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis. [Oral Presentation], 6th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference, Trinity College, Dublin , 03-NOV-05 - 03-NOV-05
(2005)5th Annual Research Conference,
Hayes,C.; (2005) Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis, an Ethnographic Study. [Poster Presentation], 5th Annual Research Conference, Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, UCC, Cork, , 17-SEP-05 - 17-SEP-05

Presentation

 YearPublication
(2008)Poster Presentation - Royal College of Nursing Research Conference.
O'Connell E., Hartigan I., Cummins A., Hughes M., Hayes C., Noonan B.,Fehin P.; (2008) Poster Presentation - Royal College of Nursing Research Conference. Presentation [Details]

Non Published Reports

 YearPublication
(2005)Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis: an Ethnographic Study.
Hayes, C. ; (2005) Fathers' Perspectives on Managing the Care of their Children with Cystic Fibrosis: an Ethnographic Study. Unpublished Reports [Details]

Professional Activities

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
1994Milupa Education & Research Award
1997Mary Aikenhead Gold Medal
2006Runner Up Prize Poster Competition National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery
2003Clinical Research Fellowship in Nursing Health Research Board

Committees

 CommitteeFunctionFrom / To
An Bord Altranais-Registered General Nurse 1988 /
Irish Nurses Organisation 1988 /

Employment

 EmployerPositionFrom / To
University College Cork/Cork University Hospital Research Assistant/Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Nurse Specialist01-JAN-05 / 30-NOV-05
University College Cork/HRB Research Fellow01-OCT-03 / 01-OCT-04
Cork University Hospital (CUH) Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Nurse Specialist/Registered Childrens Nurse01-MAY-01 / 31-JAN-05
University College Cork Lecturer Practitioner30-NOV-05 /

Education

 YearInstituionQualificationSubject
2008University College Cork Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Ed.teaching and Learning
2002University College Cork BSc (Nursing)Nursing
2004University College Cork MSc (Nursing)Nursing
2002Thames Valley University CertificateCertificate in the Management of Children & Adults in Cystic Fibrosis

Contact details

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School of Nursing and Midwifery

Scoil an Altranais agus an Chnáimhseachais

Brookfield Health Sciences Complex College Road Cork, Ireland , T12 AK54

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