Staff profile

Sue Abdulla


She/her

Senior Lecturer in Pre-qualifying Healthcare

College

College of Health, Psychology and Social Care

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Email

S.Abdulla@derby.ac.uk

About

I was born in Burton-on-Trent just south of Derby. Burton is known as the brewing capital of Britain and at one time produced one in four of the pints sold in across the country! I am a senior lecturer in pre-registration nursing based at the Kedleston Road site. 

I qualified as a nurse in September 1996 from the University of Wolverhampton and my first post was as a staff nurse at the Queens Hospital Burton. I worked in elderly care as a newly qualified nurse and then moved to the Accident and Emergency department at what was the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. 

I have always had a passion for teaching, my first experience of this was as a mentor to a new HCA whilst working at Queens Hospital. Once I was in A&E I continued the role of HCA mentor and also became a mentor for student nurses. This passion led me to then work in the corporate nursing team at Derby where I became involved in the running of the HCA training programme. From there I became a clinical nurse educator, a role I loved and stayed in for 15 years! 

I finally decided it was time for a change and so in 2015 I applied for, and was successful in, becoming the Lead Dementia Nurse at the Royal Derby Hospital. This was a fantastic job, one I enjoyed more than any of my other clinical roles and fuelled my passion for the care of people with dementia.

 

Teaching responsibilities

I joined the University of Derby in October 2017 and during that time have progressed to Senior Lecturer and now I am undertaking the role of Programme Lead for the Adult Nursing programme alongside Debbie Watkinson.

My role is focussed on the quality of the BSc programme and allows me to work closely with all of the teaching team and colleagues across the University.  

When I am teaching I am part of the stage 1 team who support the first year students. During my time in the stage 1 team I have worked mostly delivering the skills module, and until recently, I was the practice module lead for the first year students. The practice module is focussed on practice placements and supporting students to successfully complete these throughout the first year. 

Professional interests

My professional interests are focussed on dementia and dementia care. This is both for the care of patients and their families and carers, but also how our student nurses learn about dementia care and how they can carry forward best practice. 

As part of my Masters dissertation I wrote about a new role that was developed, and introduced, whilst I was the Lead Dementia Nurse at Derby. I also focussed other elements of my Master degree around the subject of dementia. 

Membership of professional bodies

Qualifications

Experience in industry

Additional interests and activities

I am an avid reader and am constantly having to move piles of books around my house to make room for new acquisitions! I have a miniature poodle called Rocky so I enjoy taking him walking around Calke Abbey and I love to cook as well as spending time with my family and friends.