Dr Kerrie Curtis is leading a multisite, binational point-prevalence study to quantify Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) in day therapy and ambulatory cancer units across Australia and New Zealand. We are increasingly hearing from patients that repeated IV attempts are not just uncomfortable, they can be distressing and even traumatising, yet we do not have a clear local snapshot of how widespread DIVA is in cancer care.
By identifying and quantifying how many patients are affected, Kerrie’s study will provide the evidence needed to support health services investing in nurse-led ultrasound-guided PIVC insertion and other evidence-based vascular access approaches. The aim is practical and human: fewer failed attempts, less patient distress, and more efficient care delivery in units already under pressure.
I am both honoured and humbled to receive the 2026 CNSA Research Grant. For a long time, I saw it as something unattainable — as though you had to lead a complex, randomised controlled trial to be worthy. What I’ve come to realise is that the scope and impact of research are as diverse as cancer nursing itself. I’m a cancer nurse with a vision to improve care — and that is enough to start.
Ashlee Stirling, PhD Candidate, is focused on equity and access in cancer care, with a cost analysis of a nurse-led teleoncology service supporting the delivery of systemic anti-cancer therapies to rural and remote patients in their local hospital. Her project will compare health system costs before and after implementation of the teleoncology model across Darling Downs and Southwest Hospital and Health Services, strengthening the economic evidence needed to support sustainable funding and scalability of this model of care.
This work matters because distance does more than create inconvenience. Travel can bring financial strain, time away from family and work, and in some cases can influence treatment choices. Nurse-led teleoncology models can keep care closer to home while building local capability, but to scale them we need robust economic evidence to secure funding and inform service design.
Receiving support from CNSA as an early career researcher gives me confidence that this research will address a meaningful gap in cancer care. Having access to a research grant allows us to conduct this study promptly, so that the findings are made available sooner to inform practice, funding decisions, and service design.
CNSA is proud to support early career researchers through these grants, and we are looking forward to sharing updates and outcomes with members as the research evolves, including what the findings mean for practice, patient experience, and the future of cancer nursing in Australia.
