Val Pick

Nurse Unit Manager, Jasmine Unit Division of Rehabilitation and Allied Health, Princess Alexandra Hospital

Valerie Pick is the Nurse Unit Manager of the Jasmine Unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, a specialised service providing extended rehabilitation for individuals who have experienced a severe brain injury. Since arriving in Australia in 2007, Val has worked within the Division of Rehabilitation and Allied Health (DAHR) in a range of clinical, research, and leadership roles.

Her career includes significant contributions to clinical research, having served as site coordinator for three major clinical trials—COSAQ (Chronic Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Quadriplegia), SCIPA Hands On, and SCIPA Switch On—focused on improving outcomes for people with spinal cord injuries through novel interventions, including electrical stimulation.

Val was also the chief investigator for the research project Evaluation of the implementation of a novel interdisciplinary, role-based approach to goal setting in a slow to recover brain injury rehabilitation setting. This project evaluated the Model of Care implemented in the Jasmine Unit and was supported by a Seed Grant from the Hopkins Centre, leading to multiple publications.

Her research interests centre on enhancing rehabilitation outcomes for people with severe brain injury and/or spinal cord injury, with a focus on improving recovery trajectories, functional outcomes, and patient experience.

Val is currently involved in two active research projects:

· Beyond Weight: Understanding Body Composition Changes and Its Role in Brain Injury Rehabilitation

· Facilitating Choice and Agency When Cognition Is Compromised

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