Biography
I am Dr Elizabeth Annabel O'Donnell PhD, a Research Fellow at Trinity Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation (TCPHI). I have a PhD in Mental Health. My current research project involves evaluation of the implementation of National Clinical Guideline No. 21 `Appropriate prescribing of psychotropic drugs for the non-cognitive symptoms of dementia'. A mixed-methods study. I have extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods. I also lecture on the MSc Dissertation Module for example in quantitative and qualitative methods, systematic reviews and also meta-analysis workshops in REVMAN and JBI SUMARI. In addition, I am a College Tutor for undergraduate nursing students in Trinity College Dublin School of Nursing & Midwifery. I previously worked as a Research Officer in the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).The research informed the development of HIQA guidance documents to promote a human-rights and person-centred approach to delivery of health and social care services. I have been awarded a PhD from the Division of Health Research, Lancaster University. My doctoral research study explored how care home staff in Ireland support residents with responsive behaviours, such as agitation and aggression, in order to facilitate a non-pharmacological approach to residents care. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) with collaborators from the Irish Dementia Working Group informed the research design to ensure that the findings would be impactful in improving care for people with dementia. The research findings identified the barriers and facilitators to reducing inappropriate prescribing of psychotropic drugs to manage responsive behaviours in people with dementia. The findings will help to develop recommendations to assist the development of dementia guidelines and practice, to promote taking a non-pharmacological approach to support care home residents, for instance National Clinical Guideline No. 21. I have been the recipient of funding awards and I have published my research in high impact peer review journals. I have presented my research at many national and international conferences including the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC, 2021) and Alzheimer Europe Conference (2021) and the European Geriatric Medicine Society International Congress (EuGMS, 2020 and 2021). In 2021, I was awarded the Sterling Prize Award at the British Society of Gerontology 50th Annual Conference (BSG). I am a member of HSE Research Ethics Committee. I also a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (RAMI), and the Dementia Research Network Ireland (DRNI). Publications O'Donnell, E., Holland, C., & Swarbrick, C. (2022). Strategies used by care home staff to manage behaviour that challenges in dementia: A systematic review of qualitative studies. International journal of nursing studies, 133, 104260. Morrissey, D., O'Donnell, E. A., Behan, L., McMahon, M., & Keyes, L. M. (2023). Definitions of serious injury in long-term residential care: a systematic review protocol. HRB Open Research, 6, 66. O'Donnell. E. (2022) National and International Review to Inform Guidance of the Assessment of Centres for Older People (DCOP) and Persons with Disabilities (DCD) 2022. Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA). Dublin. PUBLISHED. O'Donnell, E. A. (2021). Managing responsive behaviours of care home residents with dementia during the COVID"19 pandemic. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 17, e057843. O'Donnell, E., Holland, C., & Swarbrick, C. (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to implementing non-pharmacological Strategies to Manage Responsive Behaviours of Nursing Home Residents with Dementia. Age and Ageing, 50(Supplement_3), i1-i8. O'Donnell, E. A. (2022). Exploring how care home staff manage responsive behaviours, associated with dementia, in care homes in Ireland, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lancaster University (United Kingdom).
Publications and Further Research Outputs
- Elizabeth Annabel O'Donnell , O'Donnell, E. A. (2022). Exploring How Care Home Staff Manage Responsive Behaviours, Associated with Dementia, in Care Homes in Ireland, During the Covid-19 Pandemic (Order No. 30216774). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I; ProQuest One Academic. (2778642778). https://may.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/exploring-how-care-home-staff-manage-responsive/docview/2778642778/se-2, Lancaster University, 2022Thesis, 2022
- Elizabeth Annabel O'Donnell, Strategies used by care home staff to manage behaviour that challenges in dementia: A systematic review of qualitative studies, Inernational Journal of Nursing StudiesJournal Article
- Elizabeth Annabel O'Donnell, Managing responsive behaviours of care home residents with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic, Managing responsive behaviours of care home residents with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemicConference Paper
Research Expertise
Publications O'Donnell, E. (2021) Care home staff experiences of managing responsive behaviours in dementia, during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). Abstracts of the 17th Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society Live from Athens and Online, 11-13 October 2021. European Geriatric Medicine, 12(SUPPL 1), 1-387. O'Donnell, E. (2020) Exploring how nursing home staff in Ireland manage responsive behaviours in residents with dementia, during the Covid-19 pandemic Abstracts of the 16th International E-Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society : 7-9 October 2020. (2020). European geriatric medicine, 11(Suppl 1), 1"309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-020-00428-6. O'Donnell, E. (2016). Nilvadipine: a novel treatment for Alzheimer's disease 5th Annual Meeting Frontiers in Neurology At: Trinity College Dublin. Irish Journal of Medical Science, 185( Suppl 4), 169-85. O'Donnell, E. (2024) Implementing A National Dementia Clinical Guideline into Practice. Centre for Ageing Research (C4AR) Seminar Series 2024. Lancaster University, UK. 31st May, 2024, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED. O'Donnell, E. (2023) Improving appropriate prescribing of psychotropic medications to care home residents with dementia at Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference (THEconf2023) `Back to normal or forward to better? New horizons in healthcare, Trinity College Dublin. March, 2023, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED. O'Donnell, E. (2022) Collaboration between care home nurses and care assistants: how does it impact on managing residents" responsive behaviour? British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Annual Conference 2022, Bristol, UK. Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED. O'Donnell, E. (2021). Supporting care home residents with responsive behaviours 13th International Dementia Conference. "Opportunity out of Adversity" 2021. Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED. O'Donnell, E. (2021) Supporting Staff to Care for the Older Adult. Emerging Researchers in Ageing, British Society of Gerontology Pre-Conference (2021). Oral Presentation, Published. O'Donnell, E. (2021) `Reducing inappropriate prescribing for people with dementia." Centre for Ageing Research seminar series, Lancaster University (2021). Oral Presentation, Published. O'Donnell, E. (2023) Reducing Inappropriate Prescribing of Psychotropic Drugs in Dementia: A Human-Rights Based Approach to Dementia Care. Oxford Global Health and Bioethics International Conference (2023). Oxford University. Poster Presentation, Published. O'Donnell, E. (2021) Care home staff experiences of managing responsive behaviour associated with dementia during the COVID " 19 Pandemic. British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Annual Conference 2021, Online. Winning Poster Presentation, PUBLISHED. O'Donnell. E. (2021) Strategies used by Care Home Staff in Ireland to Manage Responsive Behaviours, Associated with Dementia, during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery 40th Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research & Education Conference 2021: 'Meeting the Needs of Modern Healthcare'. Winning Poster Presentation (in category). PUBLISHED. O'Donnell. E. (2021). Exploring care home staff experiences of dementia care during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference (THEconf 2021): 'Transforming healthcare in a changing world: new ways of thinking and working. Trinity College Dublin. Poster Presentation, PUBLISHED. O'Donnell. E. (2020). Exploring strategies used by care home staff to manage behaviour that challenges, associated with dementia: a systematic review of qualitative studies. 12th International Dementia Conference (2020). Online. Poster Presentation. PUBLISHED.
Recognition
- Robert Beevers Award
- British Society Gerontology (BGS) Bursary Award
- Sterling Prize Award
- Crowther Funds Award
- HSE Research Ethics Committee Member
- Royal Academy of Medicine Ireland (RAMI)
- Irish Gerontological Society
- Dementia Research Network Ireland (DRNI)