Meet the Researchers of CONNECTED: Gilciney Rabello
CONNECTED is an international project enhancing long-term care (LTC) by addressing inequalities through innovative solutions tailored to older adults, caregivers, and staff. Our interdisciplinary team from Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, and the USA is committed to making LTC more inclusive. Though our team is full of talented, and experienced researchers, this effort is powered by our dedicated graduate students, whose roles, backgrounds, and contributions to the project know no bounds.
Welcome back to the newest CONNECTED blog series: Meet the Graduate Team of CONNECTED. Where we interview and profile the talented student researchers involved in the CONNECTED project.
Today, we are thrilled to introduce Gilciney Rabello, a Master’s Trainee and MSc Student at the School of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities at the University of São Paulo. Gilciney brings a wealth of experience from her background in nursing, specifically in primary healthcare, and is playing a crucial role in our research efforts in Brazil.
Gilciney Rabello: Nursing Expertise in Primary Healthcare
Background and Path to CONNECTED
Gilciney Rabello is a registered nurse with extensive experience in primary healthcare, particularly in programs aimed at caring for older adults. Her professional journey in primary healthcare, where she conducted home care visits and patient interviews, provided a solid foundation for her role in the CONNECTED project. Gilciney shared,
"I am a nurse, a registered nurse, and I used to work in primary healthcare, specifically in a program aimed at caring for older adults in a primary healthcare context, which provides care at home. I usually interview patients, so I found it useful to conduct the interviews nowadays within the CONNECTED study. I was invited by Dr. Ruth Mello, our advisor, to be a part of the study as a master's student."
Contributions to CONNECTED
Gilciney’s specific expertise lies in her ability to conduct qualitative interviews, a skill honed through her previous work in primary healthcare. She is responsible for conducting interviews in Brazil for Work Package 1 (WP1) of the CONNECTED project. She explained,
"My previous experience working within primary healthcare has been very helpful. I am specifically responsible for the interviews here in Brazil. I’ve conducted interviews with people from various backgrounds, including experts, patients, and staff. This experience as a facilitator for the qualitative interviews I now conduct for the CONNECTED study."
Her understanding of interview protocols in healthcare settings truly makes her the perfect fit for her role in the CONNECTED project.
Impact on Long-Term Care Sector
Gilciney believes the CONNECTED project has the potential to significantly impact the LTC sector, especially in countries with lower infrastructure. She explained,
"The CONNECTED study will open doors to future research and show paths that have not been explored before. Many LTC homes and countries with lower infrastructure do not have a framework to follow to improve their context. The results from this study will hopefully provide guidance on how to implement innovation. Having Brazil represented in the study is crucial because we can show heterogeneity in the sectors and how to improve them, offering hope and guidance to other lower-income countries."
Her experience and insights into global LTC homes highlight the vast potential of the CONNECTED project to make a worldwide impact.
Conclusion
Gilciney Rabello’s experience and dedication are invaluable to the CONNECTED project. Her efforts in conducting interviews and highlighting the voices of LTC residents and staff in Brazil contribute significantly to our understanding and improvement of LTC practices.
This blog is brought to you today with the help of Suzanne Tanoue dos Santos. She graciously translated this interview in person, facilitating communication between the interviewer, Simran, and the interviewee, Gilciney.
Stay tuned for more inspiring profiles of our exceptional student researchers in upcoming posts. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the CONNECTED project, please don't hesitate to reach out. We look forward to sharing more about our journey.
Translator: Suzanne Tanoue dos Santos