Personal profile

Overview

My career started in nursing where I became a Registered General Nurse (RGN) in 1989 and quickly moved on to become a Registered Midwife (RM) in 1992.  Throughout my 24 years as a Registered Midwife I gained extensive knowledge and expertise within a variety of maternity settings including antenatal, intranatal, postnatal and community.  My interests centred around maternal obesity and this was a theme that I focussed on throught my MSc in Health Studies programme.  I addressed maternal obesity throughout a variety of modules, including, health inequalities, health economics, social studies, leadership for effectiveness and also from a business in health care perspective.  This lead me to carry out a phenomenological study titled "Midwives perseptions and Experiences of Obesity and Obese Women Who Enter Maternity Services", as part of my MSc Dissertation study.

Following successful completion of my MSc Health Studies, I moved into Higher Education in 2014, taking the post of Clinical Midwifery Lecturer.  This post then lead to a Midwifery Lecturer position the following year.  The focus within my post is to deliver current research evidence-based teaching to students on the BSc / MSc Midwifery Programmes.  My role also includes the following;

  • MSc Midwifery with-registration Programme Leader Designate
  • Midwifery Admissions & Marketing Lead
  • Module co-ordinator / link / moderator and marker – BSc & MSc Midwifery Programmes
  • External Examiner University of Northampton
  • External Examiner NMC Competency Test Centre, Northampton
  • UWS Midwifery Practice Assessment Document (MPAD) Lead
  • Scottish National Approach to Practice Assessment Group Member
  • Reviewer for British journal of Midwifery
  • Supervision MSc Pre-registration Dissertation
  • Cohort leader 2019 midwifery students
  • Personal tutor to MSc / BSc midwifery students, providing pastoral support and any additional academic support
  • Liaison lecturer for University Hospital Wishaw, Lanarkshire

 

Current teaching activities and interests

I deliver teaching, learning and assessment strategies for BSc / MSc students across a variety of modules within Maternal, Child and Family Health, utilising a wide range of approaches – eLearning (Moodle, Microsoft Teams), clinical simulation and traditional lectures and tutorials.  I also deliver continuing professional development (CPD) teaching sessions for NHS Lanarkshire and contribute in setting Service Level Agreements and through educational audits co-ordinate and monitor the quality and standards of practice placements.

Participation in module review is undertaken as part of the quality assurance process and to ensure development of the BSc and MSc Midwifery Programme curriculum, which is set for revalidation in 2021.

In collaboration, I developed and lead on the new midwifery practice documentation for Scotland and I am also participating in looking at the establishment of an eMPAD through national collaborative meetings with a private vendor.  

 

Current research activities

My current research activity lies within the delivery of research evidence-based teaching and learning.

Desired research direction

I would like to further explore the effects of maternal obesity and publish research from my Dissertation findings to evidence my research output.

Target collaborative companies

Within NHS or those who provide maternity services.

Target collaborative organisations

Within NHS or those who provide maternity services.

Other areas of expertise available for knowledge exchange

Areas within midwifery practice.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

External positions

External Examiner University of Northampton

1 Oct 201830 Sept 2020

External Examiner NMC Competency Test Centre

1 Oct 201830 Sept 2020