Research

STONZ Research Grants

STONZ as a union have committed a portion of membership income to ensuring that trainee interns (TIs) and resident medical officers (RMOs) working and training environments are evidence based.

We are looking to fund novel and local research to ensure recent literature is available to help us advocate for positive change.

You can apply by downloading and filling in the application form and submitting it to research@stonz.co.nz, please also take the time to have a read of our research policy.

Click here for our Application Form
Click here for our STONZ Research Policy

PRIORITY TOPICS

Our priority topics included but are not limited to:

RMOs/TIs Fatigue and wellbeing
RMOs/TIs recreation and wellbeing e.g. social sports and its effects
Safer working hours and sleep management
Factors influencing RMOs/ TIs efficiency
Training methodology and outcomes
Health economics of New Zealand
Clinical governance and leadership
Health informatics.

CLINICAL TOPICS

Clinical research is also encouraged by STONZ and can also be funded to an upper limit of $1,000.

These clinical projects will be prioritised below the above topics as they are less likely to have a direct influence on RMO working and training environments as a whole.

Please note that application for STONZ research funding is not limited to STONZ members nor is it limited to RMOs or medical students.

Alex Boyle - STONZ Research Representative

The development of our committed, transparent and innovative new union brings exciting opportunities. We are committed to supporting evidence-based working and training conditions. We do not underestimate the complexity and spectrum of clinician and patient needs and are looking to investigate changes that will help guide our future collective agreement bargaining.

Working and training conditions in our hospitals has unfortunately been allowed to steadily
deteriorate. Staff turnover in our hospitals is high, burnout rates are high and job satisfaction rates are low. Many of these issues relates to degradation of our role in the health system; particularly for our most junior staff. There has been a progressive trend towards service
provision and away from high yield training opportunities and investment in future specialists. Further, there has been neglect of inclusive teaching methods. Specialty services have become disjointed and function in increasing isolation from referrers and neighbouring specialties. Teaching, research and collaboration are tools which can break down the
barriers between hospital groups and refocus care on common issues.

STONZ are looking to support research projects that help guide rostering, working hour limits, sleep management, the role of technology and other parameters that impact on how we work, train and look after our patients. Many of you have great research ideas, my role is to help facilitate those ideas and help construct and support meaningful research.

Email: research@stonz.co.nz

STONZ Career Plans

Our aim is to negotiate a collective agreement that offers best possible benefits to support your training, your career and your work life balance.

We have carefully developed a career planning tool to help you plan your career with your supervisors and mentors. If you are yet to decide on your specialty career path the planning tool will guide you in taking the required steps to keep your options open and start conversations with senior members of your team. We welcome you to share your career plans with our team so we can ensure we are doing everything we can to protect and facilitate every step of your journey.