I qualified as Paediatric Nurse in 2004, and have spent all of my career specialising in the care of the acutely unwell child. Having worked up to senior charge nurse in Children's Accident and Emergency I went on to complete my training as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner. I now work in the community as a Rapid Response Nurse Practitioner, providing acute care to children within the community, with the aim of reducing hospital attendance and admission avoidance. I am a qualified Independent Nurse Prescriber which is hugely beneficial in my role. For the past two years I have been doing this role part time alongside a seconded position at the University of Hertfordshire.
At UH my role is as a Lecturer in Children's Nursing on the Pre-Registration Nursing Programme. Here I have a variety of responsibilities including teaching, link lecturer responsibilities for students out on placement and academic tutor responsibilities. It is a varied role and allows me to share my knowledge and experience with the future workforce.
My specialist interests include acute assessment of children, assessment, diagnostic and implementation of care, reducing the practice theory gap amongst student nurses, the use of simulation as a teaching method and the advancing role of nurses as nurse practitioners.