The focus of this research area is on research and practice development projects to improve the quality and safety of care in inpatient and outpatient settings as well as in family-based informal care. Quality and safety of care are supported and promoted through the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based concepts, complex interventions, and support services.

Another focus area is the research on structural and process factors such as the quality of the working environment and available nursing resources with effects on outcomes for patients, residents, and carers, on the one hand, and the quality and safety of care, on the other.

Projects in this focus area explore models and solutions of inpatient and outpatient care for patients of all ages, as well as the care process, including the associated interfaces and transitions. The focus is also on new, innovative professional and interprofessional care and support services to improve the lives of chronically ill people of all ages and their families at home and to support them in leading a worthwhile life on a daily basis, for example, by improving their health skills or implementing family-centred concepts.

Further research is aimed at developing, implementing, and testing care and support services for people in palliative care or end-of-life care situations. This also includes the use of digital technologies and supportive devices such as apps, sensors, wireless systems, social robots, and care robots to support patients, family members, and caregivers.

Research projects in this focus area examine the professional and intercultural development of advanced nursing skills in study programmes and professional life. Further research topics are the development of the nursing profession, professional identity, new professional roles in integrated care, and the public discourse on nursing.

Other projects focus on the implementation of new educational technologies such as simulations, e-learning, and the evaluation of their benefits in terms of competence acquisition.

We develop solutions tailored to the needs and problems of our practice partners and clients. For this purpose, we use a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research methods and other tools.

We offer modern infrastructure and a wide range of skills. In addition, we are able to draw on an interdisciplinary network within ZHAW as well as our close ties with international experts in various subject areas.

In interdisciplinary projects, we collaborate with the School of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy, Nursing Sciences, Physiotherapy, and Public Health research units.