Staff profile

Victoria Sweetmore


Acting Discipline Lead Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing

About

I am the Acting Discipline Lead for Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing

Teaching responsibilities

I am involved in learning and teaching activities across the mental health and learning disability programmes at BSc and MSc level

Professional interests

I am a peer reviewer for several journals, including Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (top 10 reviewer), Mental Health Review Journal, and Mental Health Practice (RCN)

I have also reviewed book proposals for Emerald Publishing and book proposals, submissions, and publications for Open University Press

Research interests

I am particularly interested in the history of Mental Health Nursing and am currently engaged in PhD study looking at the development of Mental Health Nurses' professional identity in a recent historical context, focussing on the period during and after the closure of the asylums

Membership of professional bodies

Qualifications

Currently undertaking PhD study

Recent conferences

I have presented at two conferences on the subject of Augmented and Virtual Reality in Simulated Practice. 

Experience in industry

I qualified as a Registered Mental Health Nurse in 2009. During my career, I have worked in acute inpatient services; as a community psychiatric nurse for an older adult service; in crisis and liaison psychiatry services; and as a ward manager on an older adult functional acute ward.

Additional interests and activities

I am a trustee for The Elm Foundation, which is a domestic abuse charity in Chesterfield and sit on their board of trustees overseeing the running of the organisation.

In the media

I have been interviewed by The Daily Mail in relation to my published work on autism:

I was also invited to meet with HRH the Duchess of Cambridge when she visited the University to discuss student mental health during the pandemic:

Recent publications

My MSc dissertation was titled: Ethical dilemmas in nursing people given ECT: a critical realist review of qualitative evidence, and is available at: 

I also have an interest in autism in relation to Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing and have a lived experience narrative published on the subject available here:

Mental health in scrabble letters

Victoria Sweetmore at the University of Derby, discusses the importance of promoting the mental wellbeing of people who work and study in Higher Education.