Corinne Selsby, an advanced clinical practitioner (ACP) in the Emergency Department (ED) at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW), recently won first place for her research presentation at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s ACP conference.

Held in Leeds, the conference brought together the ACP community, with a range of speakers presenting on conditions in adult and paediatric practice relevant to trainee and qualified ACPs in ED.

Corinne, who joined MTW as a trainee ACP in August 2022, was selected to present her dissertation, titled “Finger trap traction vs manual manipulation: which is the more effective technique for reducing distal radius fractures in the Emergency Department?”. She undertook the dissertation as part of the Master of Science in Advance Clinical Practice at Canterbury Christ Church University, which she successfully completed last week.

Corinne was awarded first place for her presentation, beating four other presenters to the top spot. “I was very nervous to present a project I had spent nearly a year working on to a group of peers from around the country. However, with the support in the audience of MTW’s Lead ACPs for Emergency Medicine, Sandra Marti-Navarette and Raquel Gonzaga, it was well received. It came as a shock on the second day of the conference when they awarded me first place, but I was thrilled.”

The aim of Corinne’s study was to identify whether one method of managing wrist fractures would be preferable to the other, in order to reduce the need for surgical intervention.

Though no statistical difference was ultimately found, the study did reveal opportunities for further training for ED staff in the use of both techniques and to standardise pain management methods for this type of injury. “I am thankful to the trainee ACPs, ACPs and doctors who supported my project and assisted in data collection to make the study a success” said Corinne.

Corinne hopes to publish her research in the future so the findings can be shared externally, leading to improved processes and patient experience.

Speaking of Corinne’s accomplishment, Raquel Gonzaga, ACP Lead for Emergency Medicine at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, said: “This achievement is not only a testament to Corinne’s dedication and expertise but also serves as a valuable example of the impact of ACP-led research.”