Conducting research on the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) poses unique challenges; the environment is one that sees a diverse range of patient groups and pathologies and holds the potential for easy patient recruitment to research studies, however is geared towards a specific set of triage and discharge goals. We conducted a study into Stress Hyperglycaemia (SH) on a busy AMU, which involved profiling glycaemic changes using specialist equipment and interventions in patients with unscheduled medical admissions, and experienced a number of challenges. This article discusses these challenges and proposes potential solutions. Conducting research on a busy AMU was complicated by factors including rapid patient and staff turnover, the differing goals of the AMU system and suboptimal staff engagement in labour intensive research. We endeavored to follow patients up in further visits after discharge but found they lacked engagement after the resolution of the acute illness requiring initial admission. In this article, we discuss these issues in more detail and suggest approaches for future AMU researchers.

[download-attachments container="div" style="list" display_icon="1" display_count="1" display__size="0"]

References

1. Bell, D., Dinsen, L. & Poots, A., 2015. Research opportunities in Acute Medicine. www.adjacentgovernment.co.uk. Available at: http://
   www.adjacentgovernment.co.uk/lg-edition-008/profile-researchopportunities-acute-medicine/22320/ [Accessed September 25,2016].
2. Society of Acute Medicine, 2014. SAM Research. Available at: http://www.acutemedicine.org.uk/what-we-do/research-update/[Accessed September 25, 2016].
3. Bircher, T. & Warriner, D., 2009. A career in acute medicine. BMJ Careers. Available at: http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/A_career_in_acute_medicine [Accessed September 25, 2016].
4. Jacobson, A.F. et al., 2008. Factors influencing nurses’ participation in clinical research. Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, 31(3), pp.198–208.
5. Roxburgh, M., 2006. An exploration of factors which constrain nurses from research participation. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15(5), pp.535–545.
6. Fink, R., Thompson, C.J. & Bonnes, D., 2005. Overcoming barriers and promoting the use of research in practice. Journal of Nursing Administration, 35(3), pp.121–129.