A/Prof Rachael Parke is the Nurse Senior Research Fellow, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care Unit, Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand, and Associate Head – Postgraduate Research, School of Nursing, University of Auckland.
A/Prof Rachael’s research is embedded in clinical practice and addresses areas of importance to clinicians, patients, and families, to improve patient-centred outcomes for cardiothoracic surgical and intensive care patients, including programmes of research into oxygen therapy, acute kidney injury, and fluid management.
A/Prof Rachael has published over 190 articles in high-impact journals and received grants exceeding NZ$20 million.
She was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 2014 and was a Health Research Council (HRC) Clinical Research training fellow during that time – the first nurse to receive such a training fellowship. Her PhD assessed the benefits of using nasal high flow oxygen therapy in patients after cardiac surgery.
She is known internationally for ICU research and is a management committee member of 7 international clinical studies; has served as the Chairperson of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) research coordinators interest group, and as the Secretary of the ANZICS Clinical Trials group executive committee – the first nurse elected to an office-bearer role in this group. She is an Editor for Australian Critical Care, on the Editorial Board of Critical Care Medicine (American journal), and an elected Director and Co-Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Foundation. She sits on the interim council of the International Forum of Acute Care trialists.
A/Prof Rachael is passionate about establishing the next generation of clinician researchers and has developed and leads two research courses (BASIC Clinical Research and BASIC Research Coordination). She has also established a podcast series for those working in the ICU or establishing their own academic careers called Critical 2 Your Success.
