Dr Mary Wyer
Dr Mary Wyer is the newly appointed Associate Professor of Practice (Biocontainment) at the Sydney Nursing School. The School has partnered with the Western Sydney Local Health District to jointly support this clinical academic position, created to develop models of biocontainment through education, research capacity building and collaborative clinical research.
- High-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs)
- Outbreaks, disease control and prevention
- Infection prevention and control
- Qualtitative Research
- Video-reflexive Ethnography
- Participatory research
Biocontainment practices
High consequence infectious diseases
Infection prevention and control
Strengthening bio-preparedness in managing patients with suspected high consequence infectious disease (HCID) using simulation and video-reflexive methods
This research is continually being undertaken at the NSW Biocontainment Centre (NBC), Sydney; a new state-wide facility for the care of patients with high consequence infectious diseases (HCID). Researchers collaborate with NBC staff and other stakeholders to adapt current local health district HCID procedures, for the care of patients with HCID.
HCID exercises are designed on paper, by NBC clinicians, drawing on local policy as well as international biocontainment centre procedures. Exercises focus on procedures within quarantine rooms including: mobile x-rays; preparation of blood samples for transfer to the PC4 laboratory; removal of a deceased person; and healthcare worker collapse. Simulations of these exercises are video-recorded. After each exercise, the clinicians involved, and colleagues, collaboratively review and analyse the recordings, in researcher-facilitated reflexive discussions. The aim is to identify how optimal infection prevention and biocontainment can be maintained while performing complex procedures. Suggestions for practice optimisation are then tested in subsequent video-recorded simulations and repeated until consensus on optimal practice is achieved.
Assessing the operational readiness of a biocontainment centre using a 24hr in situ simulation and video-reflexivity
The NSW Biocontainment Centre (NBC) at Westmead has developed guidelines to ensure preparedness to receive patients with HCID. A 24-hour simulation of patient care, based on these guidelines, will be conducted, to investigate the robustness of the systems, identify potential problems and modify guidelines, if necessary, before any HCID patients present.
Ethics approval has been obtained to recruit an inpatient from the infectious disease ward to be cared for in an NBC quarantine room for 24-hours, by staff wearing HCID personal protective equipment. Potential patients will be identified and recruited by the head consultant for infectious diseases. Processes and procedures during the 24-hr simulation will be video-recorded. The clinicians involved, will then collaboratively review and analyse the recordings for latent hazards, equipment or procedural flaws, or communication issues, and design solutions as required. Patient feedback will also be sought and used to improve patient-centred care.
Grant Opportunity: 2023 TCR Improving Infection Prevention and Control in Residential Aged Care Homes
Successful Application Title: Partnering with residents, families and carers for person-centred infection prevention and control in residential aged care: developing strategies that are compassionate, appropriate and safe. $991,077.60
I am CIC on this project lead by University of Technology Sydney researcher, Dr Su-yin Hor. The research will involve partnering with people in care, their families and carers, residential aged care providers and infection control experts to investigate how residents, staff, and the community can be kept safe from infectious diseases without compromising the rights, health and wellbeing needs of older people in care.
Establishing Minimum Elements for Infection Prevention and Control Programs, and Practice and Competency Standards for Infection Control Professionals in Australian Hospitals(Peer Review Cycle 3):2024 NHMRC Partnership Project.$1,307,702.00.
Shaban RZ, Macbeth D, Considine J, O’Sullivan M, Collignon P, Viengkham C, Mitchell BG, Waters D, Curtis K, Russo PL, Dempsey K, Henderson B, Friedman ND, Wells A, Albrey Y, Gee C, Nicolaou L, Sheehan F,Wyer M& Butenko S.
Australian Clinical Biocontainment Units Community of Practice - BioCOP
I initiated this group in early 2024 to provide an opportunity for sharing of ideas, strategies, solutions and concerns with respect to High Consequence Infectious Diseases (HCIDs), and the units responsible for HCIDs, across Australia.
The BioCOP is multidisciplinary and s representation from all jurisdictions. It strives to enable clinicians to develop expert advice and guidance to support their health systems. We have met three times this year to date.
• Nurses and Midwifery board of Australia, NMW0001281140
• Australian College for Infection Prevention and Control, #122219
• International Association of Video-Reflexive Ethnographers (founding member & secretary) https://videoreflexiveethnography.wordpress.com/
2019 Best Poster Award, Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control Conference
2015 2-month visiting researcher residency, Foundation Brocher, Geneva
2017 4th place winner at the Innovation Academy held at the 4th International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control Conference, CICG, Geneva
2012 Winner of University of Technology, faculty (FASS) 2012 heat of 3 Minute Thesis (3MT)
2012 Runner up, University of Technology final 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) 3MT competition
1998 First class honours (BA), Western Sydney University
Publications
Books
- Iedema, R., Carroll, K., Collier, A., Hor, S., Mesman, J., Wyer, M. (2019). Video-Reflexive Ethnography in Health Research and Healthcare Improvement. Boca Raton: Taylor and Francis. [More Information]
Journals
- Wyer, M., Hor, S., Barratt, R., Garrahy, P., Moore, C., Williams Veazey, L., Degeling, C., Gilbert, G. (2024). Exploring the safety and quality of mobile X-ray imaging in a new infectious disease biocontainment unit: an in situ simulation and video-reflexive study. BMJ Open, 14(2). [More Information]
- Hor, S., Wyer, M., Barratt, R., Turnbull, M., Rogers, K., Murphy, M., Urwin, R., Jorm, C., Gilbert, G. (2024). Risk assessment and the use of personal protective equipment in an emergency department: Differing perspectives of emergency and infection control clinicians. A video-vignette survey (In Press). American Journal of Infection Control. [More Information]
- Wyer, M., Hor, S., Ferguson, P., Morath, A., Barratt, R., Priestley, C., Polak, A., Gilbert, G. (2024). Using Video-Reflexive Methods to Develop a Provider Down Protocol for the New South Wales Biocontainment Center. Health Security, 22, S34-S44. [More Information]
2024
- Wyer, M., Hor, S., Barratt, R., Garrahy, P., Moore, C., Williams Veazey, L., Degeling, C., Gilbert, G. (2024). Exploring the safety and quality of mobile X-ray imaging in a new infectious disease biocontainment unit: an in situ simulation and video-reflexive study. BMJ Open, 14(2). [More Information]
- Hor, S., Wyer, M., Barratt, R., Turnbull, M., Rogers, K., Murphy, M., Urwin, R., Jorm, C., Gilbert, G. (2024). Risk assessment and the use of personal protective equipment in an emergency department: Differing perspectives of emergency and infection control clinicians. A video-vignette survey (In Press). American Journal of Infection Control. [More Information]
- Wyer, M., Hor, S., Ferguson, P., Morath, A., Barratt, R., Priestley, C., Polak, A., Gilbert, G. (2024). Using Video-Reflexive Methods to Develop a Provider Down Protocol for the New South Wales Biocontainment Center. Health Security, 22, S34-S44. [More Information]
2023
- Mckay, K., Li, C., Sotomayor Castillo, C., Ferguson, P., Wyer, M., Shaban, R. (2023). Health care workers’ experiences of video-based monitoring of hand hygiene behaviors: a qualitative study. American Journal of Infection Control, 51(1), 83-88. [More Information]
- Hor, S., Dadich, A., Gionfriddo, M., Noble, C., Wyer, M., Mesman, J. (2023). Research as care: practice-based knowledge translation as transformative learning through video-reflexive ethnography. Health Sociology Review. [More Information]
2022
- Hor, S., Burns, P., Yong, F., Barratt, R., Degeling, C., Williams Veazey, L., Wyer, M., Gilbert, G. (2022). 'Like building a plane and flying it all in one go': an interview study of infection prevention and control in Australian general practice during the first 2 years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. BMJ Open, 12(9). [More Information]
- Broom, J., Williams Veazey, L., Broom, A., Hor, S., Degeling, C., Burns, P., Wyer, M., Gilbert, G. (2022). Experiences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic amongst Australian healthcare workers: from stressors to protective factors. Journal of Hospital Infection, 121, 75-81. [More Information]
- Wyer, M., Barratt, R., Hor, S., Ferguson, P., Gilbert, G. (2022). Exploring healthcare workers’ perspectives of video feedback for training in the use of powered air purifying respirators (PAPR) at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Medical Education, 22(1). [More Information]
2021
- Williams Veazey, L., Broom, A., Kenny, K., Degeling, C., Hor, S., Broom, J., Wyer, M., Burns, P., Gilbert, G. (2021). Entanglements of affect, space, and evidence in pandemic healthcare An analysis of Australian healthcare workers experiences of COVID-19. Health and Place, 72(102693), 1-9. [More Information]
- Wyer, M., Hor, S., Barratt, R., Gilbert, G. (2021). Testing the efficacy and acceptability of video-reflexive methods in personal protective equipment training for medical interns: A mixed methods study. BMJ Open, 11(10), 1-10. [More Information]
2020
- Barratt, R., Gilbert, G., Shaban, R., Wyer, M., Hor, S. (2020). Enablers of, and barriers to, optimal glove and mask use for routine care in the emergency department: an ethnographic study of Australian clinicians. Australasian Emergency Care, 23(2), 105-113. [More Information]
- Barratt, R., Wyer, M., Hor, S., Gilbert, G. (2020). Medical interns' reflections on their training in use of personal protective equipment. BMC Medical Education, 20(1), 328. [More Information]
- Gilbert, G., Hor, S., Wyer, M., Sadsad, R., Badcock, C., Iedema, R. (2020). Sustained fall in inpatient MRSA prevalence after a video-reflexive ethnography project; an observational study. Infection, Disease and Health, 25(3), 140-150. [More Information]
2019
- Iedema, R., Carroll, K., Collier, A., Hor, S., Mesman, J., Wyer, M. (2019). Video-Reflexive Ethnography in Health Research and Healthcare Improvement. Boca Raton: Taylor and Francis. [More Information]
2018
- Dadich, A., Wyer, M. (2018). Patient Involvement in Healthcare-Associated Infection Research: A Lexical Review. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 39(6), 710-717. [More Information]
2017
- Hor, S., Hooker, L., Iedema, R., Wyer, M., Gilbert, G., Jorm, C., O'Sullivan, M. (2017). Beyond hand hygiene: a qualitative study of the everyday work of preventing cross-contamination on hospital wards. BMJ Quality and Safety, 26(7), 552-558. [More Information]
- Wyer, M., Iedema, R., Hor, S., Jorm, C., Hooker, L., Gilbert, G. (2017). Patient involvement can affect clinicians’ perspectives and practices of infection prevention and control: A “post-qualitative” study using video-reflexive ethnography. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1-10. [More Information]
2016
- Collier, A., Wyer, M. (2016). Researching Reflexively With Patients and Families: Two Studies Using Video-Reflexive Ethnography to Collaborate With Patients and Families in Patient Safety Research. Qualitative Health Research, 26(7), 979-93. [More Information]
2015
- Iedema, R., Hor, S., Wyer, M., Gilbert, G., Jorm, C., Hooker, L., O'Sullivan, M. (2015). An innovative approach to strengthening health professionals' infection control and limiting hospital-acquired infection: video-reflexive ethnography. BMJ Innovations, 1(4), 157-162. [More Information]
- Wyer, M., Jackson, D., Iedema, R., Hor, S., Gilbert, G., Jorm, C., Hooker, L., O'Sullivan, M., Carroll, K. (2015). Involving patients in understanding hospital infection control using visual methods. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24(11-12), 1718-1729. [More Information]