The Department of Health awards contracts to four nurses from Lleida to carry out research for two years

The Department of Health has awarded four grants to nursing staff in Lleida to carry out research within the framework of the Strategic Plan for research and innovation in health 2022-2027. The three people have received financial aid, known as an intensification contract, which frees them from their healthcare tasks to carry out research for two years.

They are the Primary Care nurse Laia Llubes, who is part of the Health Care Research Group (GReCS), the nurse from the Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital (HUAV), Ferran Padilla from the Health Care Research Group (GReCS), the nurse from the University Hospital of Santa Maria, Sally Santisteve from the Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine group and the nurse from the Lleida Research Support Unit of the Jordi Gol y Gurina Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAPJGol) and the Catalan Health Institute, who works at the CAP Bellpuig, Mercè Pollina.

In the case of Llubes, thanks to the contract, she will design a strategy to promote the self-management of patients with multiple chronic diseases. 'Currently, the greatest care burden is on chronic patients, hence the need to empower them to become active patients who contribute decisively to the management of their disease and adherence to treatment,' explained the nurse. The aim of this project is to identify, design and evaluate an effective nurse-led community empowerment strategy for the self-management of patients with multiple chronic diseases that results in better health management of these patients.

As for Padilla, in these 24 months, he will conduct a trial to analyse the effectiveness of a clamping device in the fixation of catheters in hospitalised adult patients. 'The study will help to improve decision-making related to maintenance and care related to vascular access devices in order to reduce the main associated complications,' said the nurse. The insertion of these devices involves a series of potential associated complications and proper fixation could reduce them.

Santisteve will focus his research on implementing a protocol (International Early Lung Cancer Action program) for lung cancer screening in the consultation of high-risk smokers in Lleida. Lung cancer screening is a strategy that allows the cancer to be diagnosed in its early stages, when it can be treated surgically and the survival rate is higher. Despite being the cancer that causes the highest number of deaths in the world, in Spain, unlike other countries such as the United States or China, there is still no screening programme in place. 'We need to refine individual risk to impact lung cancer-related mortality through the identification of biomarkers,' said Santisteve.

Pollina's research focuses on the evaluation of a community intervention programme on self-esteem, self-concept and positive body image among rural children and adolescents. Unlike other research projects related to self-esteem and body image, which are oriented towards mental and eating disorders, the Bellpuig CAP nurse's research focuses on positivity. The project aims to develop an intervention programme aimed at children and adolescents so that they can improve the skills they already have, develop new ones and avoid losing those that are necessary, as well as offering information, strategies and resources to the people who form part of their environment.