Research Assistant- School of Nursing and Midwifery

• 1x part-time (0.5 FTE) fixed term for 3 years.

• Exciting opportunity for a Research Assistant to join the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute and Sydney Nursing School of the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney.

• Base Salary $80,037 to $84,568 (pro rata 0.50 FTE)+ 17% superannuation.

About the opportunity

We have exciting opportunities for Research Assistant to work with us in the development new evidence, guidance and standards for infection prevention and control programs and practice in residential aged care.

While considerable efforts for improving infection prevention and control (IPC) in residential aged care homes (RACHs) were made during the public health emergency of COVID-19, these efforts were largely reactive and

drawn from evidence developed in acute healthcare settings. Unlike hospitals, RACHs have lacked context-specific national and jurisdictional standards and guidelines for IPC, and this has led to considerable variation in its practice and evaluation. Currently, there is a dearth of evidence-based understanding of the specialized skills and practices required of the qualified IPC professional for the aged care setting.

Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, our 4-year research program meets this need. A  collaborative initiative of aged care providers and consumers (Southern Cross Care, Hardi Aged Care, United Protestant Association of NSW Ltd, Aged & Community Care Providers Association – ACCPA, COTA), the peak national professional college for IPC (Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control – ACIPC), peak government bodies (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care – ACSQHC, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, ACQSC) and our team of multidisciplinary clinician researchers with expertise in aged cared, nursing, education and infection prevention and control. Our project will establish the governance requirements for, and elements of, infection prevention and control programs in residential aged care homes in Australia, and the minimum practice and competency standards for infection control professionals in residential aged care homes in Australia that lead them.

As a member of our award-winning team, you will for providing technical and operational support to the Chief Investigator and Postdoctoral Research Officer. You will work closely with aged care partners, infection prevention and control professionals, and a diverse team of researchers and key stakeholders to complete a range of activities, such as survey development, data collection, interviews, qualitative data analysis and manuscript preparation.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• Work closely with a team of researchers to develop new, evidence-based standards for infection prevention and control in the residential aged care sector.

• Provide operational and technical support for the research being undertaken, including assisting with activities such as literature reviews, survey development, participant recruitment, data collection, interviewing experts, and data cleaning and analysis.

• Establish positive and long-term relationships with the aged care partners, infection control professionals and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate the successful completion of the research design.

• Complete ad-hoc research activities, including reporting, preparation of manuscripts, ethics requirements, documentation and other administrative duties.

About you

• Hold tertiary qualifications in a relevant field. Individuals with bachelor's in psychology (Hons) or similar will be highly regarded but not mandatory.

• Have experience in research methodologies, particularly qualitative research methodologies such as surveys, interviews and focus groups.

• Have experience or an interest in aged care services and/or infection control, and an ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, professionals and experts.

• Demonstrate highly developed verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.

• Demonstrate an understanding of data collection and management for research, as well as basic knowledge of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis principles.

• Demonstrate high levels of computer literacy, including proficiency in learning new programs and skills.

To keep our community safe, please be aware of our COVID safety precautions which form our conditions of entry for all sta