Nurse Lecturer, QUB
Job Role
I am a Nurse Lecturer at Queens University Belfast responsible for the delivery of a range of teaching and learning activities within Adult Nursing, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels including the design and development of appropriate courses and teaching materials.
I largely teach life science at undergraduate level, but also post graduate critical care courses. I am link lecturer, for several critical care areas including two Emergency Departments. Students are placed in these areas at various times during their training, but can also choose an area for their elective placement where Emergency Care Nursing is very popular.
All students are well supported on placement but especially when in Emergency Department’s due to its demanding role and any student with a particular interest in this area of work is encouraged and supported, both through their undergraduate course and at post graduate level. Frequently in my teaching I refer to cases or patients I encountered in the Emergency Department, and I reflect on how my time they furnished me with a wide range of skills and experience that would be hard to match, in its variety, if I had specialised in another area.
Career milestones
I graduated from Glasgow University in 1997 and started work in St. Georges Hospital London Emergency Department straight away. Although well prepared after two placement’s including my management placement in the Emergency Department in Glasgow, an inner city London Emergency Department was challenging but thoroughly enjoyable. I was certainly well mentored with a clear and well developed staff development plan from the outset and within a year I had completed a number of specialist courses. I became a senior staff nurse and completed my post graduate course in accident and emergency care at the University of Surry. I went onto work at East Surrey ED as a Sister for eight years and particularly enjoyed teaching, as an Advanced Life Support and Paediatric Advanced Life Support instructor.
On returning to my home town of Belfast I took up post in the Belfast Trust working part time in an Emergency Department ED and part time as an National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) assessor, then at Queens University. I took up a fulltime position with Queens, as a Nursing Lecturer 11 years ago.
Specialist qualifications and experience
I was certainly well mentored with a clear and well developed staff development plan from the outset and within a year I had completed:
Advanced Life Support (A.L.S)
Paediatric Advanced Life Support (P.A.L.S)
Trauma Nursing Core Course (T.N.C.C.)
Post Graduate course in Accident and Emergency care (University of Surrey)
Having completed my P.G.C.E.H.C.P’s, Masters and I am currently undertaking a PhD in Education
What do you enjoy about this Role?
I envisage my immediate future in education, which I thoroughly enjoy. However, I am an Emergency Nurse at heart, and very proud and grateful of my background, a career in Emergency nursing.
It is so rewarding and gives you skills and opportunities that can take you down many exciting paths!