About
I am a Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing and a Registered Nurse who continues to maintain active clinical practice.
Throughout my nursing career, I have gained extensive experience across a range of healthcare settings, including Emergency Medicine (A&E), the Ambulance Service, specialist nursing roles, and ward leadership positions. These diverse experiences have provided me with a broad understanding of contemporary healthcare delivery and the challenges facing both patients and healthcare professionals.
My academic interests focus on law, ethics, professional values, leadership, and the development of safe and effective nursing practice. I am particularly interested in preparing future nurses to navigate the complex clinical, legal, and ethical challenges encountered within modern healthcare environments.
Prior to entering the nursing profession, I studied law and worked in politics, experiences that continue to inform my teaching, research interests, and approach to healthcare leadership.
Teaching responsibilities
I am one of the Programme Leads, working alongside Debbie Watkinson. I previously served as the Module Lead for Leadership for Nursing Practice for the MSc and BSc Programme as Module Lead for Introduction to Nursing. In addition to my programme leadership responsibilities, I still actively contribute to teaching across undergraduate nursing programmes in Years 1, 2, and 3, as well as on the MSc Nursing programme.
As a Programme Lead, I work collaboratively with colleagues to design and deliver quality learning experiences that equip students with the knowledge, skills, values, and evidence-based understanding required to become safe, effective, and compassionate registered nurses.
Alongside my teaching and leadership responsibilities, I act as a Personal Tutor and Academic Assessor for a number of student nurses, providing academic guidance, pastoral support, and professional development throughout their studies at the University of Derby. I am also a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, supporting the development of an open and inclusive culture in which concerns can be raised and addressed appropriately.
Professional interests
I have a developing research and professional interest in differential attainment and attainment gap monitoring within nursing education. I am particularly interested in applying educational data, quality metrics, and learning analytics to identify inequities in student performance, evaluate interventions, and contribute to evidence-informed strategies that enhance inclusion, belonging, and equitable outcomes for all learners.
I also have a particular interest in the application of artificial intelligence to bridge the gap between theory and practice in nursing education. As a module leader, AI was integrated into realistic clinical scenarios to enhance learning and support the application of theoretical concepts to practice. We deliberately moved away from traditional lecture-based approaches, instead prioritising interactive and experiential learning opportunities. These included tabletop exercises, debates, scenario-based discussions, and immersive simulations that reflect the complexities and challenges of contemporary nursing practice. This approach aimed to develop students' critical thinking, clinical decision-making, leadership skills, and preparedness for professional practice.
My wider professional interests include healthcare law and ethics, the care of older adults, Parkinson's disease, and leading innovation and sustainable change across healthcare and higher education. I am committed to improving the quality and safety of care through evidence-informed practice, effective leadership, and continuous quality improvement, with a focus on enhancing both patient outcomes and the student learning experience.
Research interests
- Differential attainment and attainment gap monitoring in nursing and higher education.
- Learning analytics and educational data to improve student success, equity, and inclusion.
- Authenticity and ownership of academic work in the age of artificial intelligence.
- Artificial intelligence in nursing education, including its role in bridging the gap between theory and practice.
- Authentic assessment, academic integrity, and assessment design in higher education.
- Healthcare law and ethics.
- Leadership, quality improvement, and innovation in healthcare and nursing education.
Membership of professional bodies
- Nursing and Midwifery Council
- AdvanceHE Fellow
Qualifications
- DipHe in Legal Studies - University of Derby
- BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) - Sheffield Hallam University
- PG Cert in Academic Practice and Leadership FHEA - University of Derby
- Academic Professional (Teaching) Level 7 - Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education
- Prescribing for Healthcare Professionals (SCQF level 11) CPD Award (V300) - in progress - University of the Highlands and Islands
- Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Care - in progress - University of Greater Manchester
Recent conferences
Royal College of Nurse Congress
Experience in industry
I am a Registered Nurse with extensive experience across a variety of clinical, leadership, operational, and educational roles within the NHS and higher education.
My clinical career has included roles in Patient Flow Co-ordination, where I supported the safe and effective movement of patients through healthcare services to optimise capacity and patient outcomes. I have worked as an Emergency Department Nurse, caring for patients presenting with a wide range of acute and complex conditions within a fast-paced and dynamic environment. I have also worked as a Clinical Assessor within the Ambulance Service, undertaking clinical assessments, supporting urgent care pathways, and contributing to timely decision-making for patients requiring emergency and unscheduled care.
In addition, I have held a Specialist Nurse role focused on Complex Discharges, coordinating multidisciplinary care and facilitating safe transitions between hospital and community settings. As a Ward Leader on a Parkinson’s Disease and Sub-Acute Rehabilitation Ward, I was responsible for leading clinical teams, managing patient care, supporting service delivery, and promoting high standards of patient safety and quality of care.
Alongside my clinical practice, I have developed a successful career in higher education and currently work as a Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing. I teach across undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programmes and have held Module Leadership responsibilities for both introductory and leadership-focused nursing modules. My role includes curriculum design, assessment, academic quality assurance, student support, and the development of innovative teaching approaches that bridge the gap between theory and practice.
These diverse experiences have provided me with a comprehensive understanding of healthcare delivery across acute, community, rehabilitation, leadership, and educational settings, enabling me to contribute to the development of future nurses and the ongoing improvement of healthcare services.
Additional interests and activities
Outside of my professional role, I have a keen interest in photography, running, cycling, and paddleboarding. These activities provide an important balance to the demands of nursing and higher education, supporting both my physical wellbeing and mental resilience.
Running, cycling, and paddleboarding encourage discipline, perseverance, adaptability, and self-reflection, qualities that are equally important within nursing practice and leadership. They also help me maintain a healthy work-life balance, manage stress effectively, and promote the importance of wellbeing, which is essential for sustaining compassionate and effective patient care.
Photography allows me to engage creatively and develop a greater appreciation for observation and attention to detail, skills that are also valuable within clinical practice. Collectively, these interests contribute to my personal wellbeing and support my ability to remain resilient, focused, and effective in both clinical and academic environments.