The University of Technology’s Professor Debra Jackson AO FACN has been rated as the leading nurse researcher in The Australian newspaper’s special research supplement for 2020.
The honour recognises the researcher who has the highest number of citations from papers published in the last five years in the 20 top journals in their field.
Griffith University were named as the leading institution for nursing researcher whilst Professor Caroline Homer AO was named leading researcher in the midwifery field.
Professor Jackson is an esteemed leader of the nursing profession and is currently the Editor in Chief of the prestigious Journal of Clinical Nursing. Her research primarily examines two inter-related areas – patient safety (with a particular emphasis on pressure injuries) and health equity in heath care.
“Patient safety and health equity are the two main research interests which inspire me,” she says.
“I focus on how we can reduce preventable harm to patients by examining why it happened and developing ideas and strategies for reducing and eradicating it.”
“I am also concerned with equality and health care, particularly for indigenous Australians and other minority groups. As a profession, we need to do a lot more research to help understand the issues faced by people from non-Caucasian backgrounds.”
On a personal level, Professor Jackson expressed her delight at receiving the award, particularly as Australia has produced many world-leading nurse researchers.
“Australian nurses punch above our weight when it comes to research,” she says.
“It is an honour to be recognised in this way because it is an extremely competitive field. It also shows that the profession is finding my work useful and that it is contributing to the knowledge system that nursing is based on.”
She also thanked all the people whose efforts have made it possible for her to receive such a high honour.
“I have worked with many wonderful colleagues and mentors over the years and any achievement like this is always an achievement which involves so many people,” she says.
“I thank my research collaborators and research participants because without their generosity and willingness to participate in our research we wouldn’t have the research knowledge that we have in nursing.”
“I would like to acknowledge all my inspiration comes from patients. If I had to dedicate this honour to anybody it would be to them.”
Congratulations Professor Jackson on your well-deserved achievement, we are privileged to have you as a Fellow of our Tribe!
For an in-depth understanding into Debra’s Background in the nursing profession, check out her interview on The ACN Podcast with Ben Jenkins MACN.
