Diane Bunn

Dr

  • 1.09 Edith Cavell Building

Personal profile

Areas of Expertise

  • hydration care for older adults and preventing dehydration
  • impact of COVID-19 in care homes;
  • evidence-based practice teaching for healthcare students

Biography

I am an Associate Professor of Nursing Research. My core areas of research are hydration care for older people and impact of infectious diseases in care homes, using a range of different methods. I adopt collaborative and inclusive approaches, working alongside care home residents, staff and the wider multi-professional team in my research.

My teaching roles include teaching on pre-and post registration courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels across the Faculty of Medicine and Health, as well as post-graduate supervision for MSc and PhD students.

Prior to joining the UEA, I trained and worked as both a general nurse and midwife before joining the Norfolk Arthritis Register, a longitudinal observational study of inflammatory polyarthritis (IP) aiming to establish the cause, incidence and outcome of IP. My research nurse and managerial roles provided extensive research experience. 

I am a committee member of the British Society of Gerontology Care Homes' Research Special Interest Group: Care Homes Research :: British Society of Gerontology (britishgerontology.org)

Key Research Interests

  • hydration care for older adults and preventing dehydration
  • impact of COVID-19 in care homes;
  • evidence-based practice teaching for healthcare students
  • a range of research methods, including systematic reviews, qualitative and mixed methods research

Studies include:

The ‘DrinKit': an activities-based programme supporting care home residents’ to drink well. Translations available in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian. Further details: UEA Hydrate Group - Groups and Centres

Using the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) to evaluate the impacts of outbreak measures on care home residents. In collaboration with the University of Kent: Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) (uea.ac.uk)

UndersTanding the distinct challenges for Nurses in Care Homes: LeaRnIng from CoVid-19 to support resiliencE and mental wellbeing (THRIVE): THRIVE - Understanding The Distinct Challenges For Nurses In Care Homes Learning From COVID-19 To Support Resilience and Mental Wellbeing (uea.ac.uk).

The Dehydration Recognition in our Elders, DRIE, study (http://driestudy.appspot.com/) investigated the diagnostic accuracy of commonly used signs and symptoms of dehydration in older people.

Thinking about Drinking. a qualitative study exploring the views of residents, their families and carers regarding hydration care in care homes.

Scoping review of nutritional and hydration guidelines for care homes.

Selected Publications:

Birt L; Lane K; Corner J; Sanderson K; Bunn D. care-home nurses’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: managing ethical conundrums at personal cost: a qualitative study. J Nurs Sch. 2023; 55:226–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12855.

Brainard J, Bunn D, Watts L, Killett A, O’Brien SJ, Lake IR, et al. English care home staff morale and preparedness during the COVID pandemic: A longitudinal analysis. Am J Infect Control. 2023;51(7):792–9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2022.10.009

Bunn DK & Hooper L. Signs and symptoms of low-intake dehydration do not work in older care home residents - DRIE diagnostic accuracy study. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2019. Vol 20(8), pp963-970.

Bunn, DK, Jimoh, F, Howard Wilsher, S, Hooper, L. Increasing fluid intake and reducing dehydration risk in older people living in long-term care: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2015. 16:101-5.

Chapman-Wright J, Parnell SA, Bunn D et al. Perspectives: Nurses in care homes as advisors in research: benefits for all? J Res Nurs. Vol 27(4), pp401-405. https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871221103839

Hooper L & Bunn DK. Detecting dehydration in older people: useful tests. Nursing Times. 2015. 111(32/33):12-16.

Hooper L, Bunn D, Jimoh FO, Fairweather-Tait SJ. Water-loss dehydration and ageing. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development. 2014;136-137:50-58. DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2013.11.009.

Parkinson et al. Low-intake dehydration prevalence in non-hospitalised older adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Nutrition 2023. Vol42(8), pp1510-1520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2023.06.010

Teaching Interests

  • Research methods
  • Hydration and nutritional care for older people

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, University of East Anglia

… → 2016

Master of Science, MSc, Health Sciences, University of East Anglia

… → 2002

Bachelor of Science, BSc (Hons), Nursing Studies, University of Surrey

… → 1983

Media Expertise

  • Healthy Ageing
  • Elderly care
  • Dementia
  • Nutrition

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or