About
I am an Academic Lead at the University of Derby, leading the professional doctorate for the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care. I have been an academic since 2006, moving to higher education after a 20+year career in the NHS as a Registered Nurse. My nursing career commenced in Whitechapel, London in the 1980s, before I moved to work primarily in emergency care, resuscitation and resuscitation education in the Midlands in the United Kingdom.
In 2006 I moved from the NHS to the University of Nottingham, focussing on pre-registration nursing education at undergraduate and postgraduate level. My roles included Admissions Tutor, Deputy Programme Lead, Module Lead, and a Faculty Fitness to Practice investigator and panel member. My doctoral studies investigated how students and tutors design online learning resources.
Moving to the University of Derby in April 2019 to lead the online nursing and health portfolio enabled me to combine my teaching and research interests. Since August 2022 I lead the Doctorate in Health and Social Care Practice (DPrac) programme. This is an online professional doctorate in the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care attracting students from a range of nursing, health and social care environments across the world.
My aim is to develop knowledge and practice and support students and colleagues, so all can provide the best for people they interact with during their career.
Teaching responsibilities
I lead the Doctorate in Health and Social Care Practice (DPrac) programme and lead and teach on postgraduate taught and research modules (7EU502 Developing Strategies and Skills for Professional Doctoral Research and Study, 8DP002 Independent Scholarly Activity for Health and Social Care Practice and 8DP001 Independent Scholarship for Professional Practice and Service Development).
I am a Resuscitation Council UK Advanced Life Support and Generic Instructor Course Instructor. I enjoy sharing my clinical and pedagogic knowledge across the UK with health professionals embarking on a clinical career, and especially with those who have been identified as potential instructors. As part of Faculty on these course I take every opportunity to learn from my peers.
Professional interests
Deputy Chair of the College Research Committee (CRC) Part B Student Matters Feb 2023 to present.
Member of the CRC Part A Research Environment and University Innovation and Research Committee (UIRC) Autumn 2022 to present.
Elected Member of Resuscitation Council UK Executive Committee Nov 2021 for three year term.
Since 2021 I have been a Reviewer for the University Pathfinder Scheme, supporting colleagues in achieving Senior Fellowship of Advance HE.
Regular member of University Validation Panels and appointed as a Panel Chair in 2022 shaping how programmes can best support University values and be attractive to prospective applicants and students.
Member of Online Learning Research Ethics Committee 2019-2020.
Co-Chair Association for Learning Technology Conference 2019 (Edinburgh) and 2022 (Manchester).
University Panel Member, Quality Assurance Agency, Quality and Standards Review Dec 2019.
Facilitate the University Online Authoring Workshop with colleagues, drawing from my extensive online experience at Derby and previously.
Reviewer for Research in Learning & Technology and Nurse Education in Practice (June 2018, NEiP Reviewer of the Month)
I have been External Examiner at:
- The University of Sheffield 2012-2017 and 2018-2019 on the postgraduate nursing programme
- The University of Surrey 2018-2022 on the undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programme
- Staffordshire University 2018-2022 on a postgraduate medical education degree and acted as mentor to a new External Examiner
University Member of NMC Approval Panel for University of Nottingham Mentor Preparation course 2012
As a Registered Nurse since 1988 I have used the clinical knowledge and experience gained as a health professional and applied these principles (clarity, judgement, compassion, attention to detail) to my academic career in shaping health professionals of the future and now those having an impact on practice. Integral to this is my involvement in the Resuscitation Council UK not only as an elected member of the Executive Committee but for over 25 years as an Instructor on adult and paediatric life support courses and by influencing the learning of future instructors.
Research interests
My research and scholarship interests relate to:
- My doctoral studies investigating the design of learning objects by students and by tutors and how technology can be used to enhance student learning and experience. For my doctoral studies I used video analysis software to understand how groups of students and tutors’ function when designing a learning object on resuscitation knowledge, before developing each group’s resource and randomising junior nursing students to establish the learning gain of a student and separately tutor designed resource
- Enhancing the student experience of teaching and learning, whether that is with learners in university or external organisations such as with Resuscitation Council UK nationally accredited life support courses
Experience in industry
My clinical career as a Registered Nurse commenced in 1984 at The (Royal) London Hospital, Whitechapel, London where I was a student nurse on the Integrated RGN/RMN (a programme to gain registration as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (was the UKCC or United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting to give its full title).
I registered as a nurse in 1988 and worked for a year on a Head Injury Rehabilitation Unit, Devonshire Royal Hospital in Buxton, Derbyshire, now part of the University of Derby before undertaking a post basic course in Accident and Emergency Nursing at Stockport. On completion in 1990 I moved to the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary working at the Emergency Department as a Staff Nurse then Charge Nurse and in 1996 moved to be a Resuscitation Officer at Queens Hospital, Burton (now part of the University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust). By this time I was a Resuscitation Council UK Advanced Life Support (ALS) Instructor and gained paediatric equivalent course instructor status (Advanced Paediatric Life Support and Paediatric Advanced Life Support courses).
At Burton I set up the Burton ALS Course Centre accredited by the Resuscitation Council UK organising and directing courses every year. As an ALS Centre I also offered the Immediate Life Support course and was elected as Regional Representative for ALS Courses in the West Midlands. This voluntary role involved supporting Course Centres across the region and ensuring quality standards in the delivery of education were maintained.
Additional interests and activities
Outside work I am an enthusiast for parkrun, participating in my local event (Markeaton) and volunteering undertaking all roles and am currently Co-Event Director. With my professional background I lead on medical and first aid matters and promote the benefits of exercise and volunteering. As Co-event director I liaise with local running clubs (e.g. Mickleover Running Club) and national initiatives such as the Royal College of General Practitioners Practice parkrun and 5KYourWay. When I participate I am very slow, but enjoy completing the course. In the better weather I also enjoy road cycling and am a qualified match official for grassroots rugby league.
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