I am an Associate Professor of Simulation-Based Education (SBE) and Head of Clinical Simulation in the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University. A role that encompasses the strategic leadership of SBE, including the co-ordination of the development, delivery, performance, and review of SBE across all the Department's provision, from undergraduate/pre-registration to post-qualifying/post-registration programmes. Working with the Departmental management team to plan, deliver, monitor, and manage various portfolios including learning and teaching, student experience, student employability. research and innovation, and knowledge exchange in the context of SBE. 

I qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1988 and specialised in Critical Care where I was appointed as a charge nurse in 1998. During this time, I developed a keen interest in healthcare education and, in 2001, I was appointed as a lecturer practitioner in critical care and it was in this role that I developed my passion for SBE. 

In 2006, I joined Northumbria University as a senior lecturer, which incorporated module lead and programme lead for a number of undergraduate programmes. This role also included the development of SBE in the undergraduate healthcare programmes. This led to me being recognised nationally and internationally for the development of SBE and, its integration into nursing curricula. In 2014, I was awarded the title of Teaching Fellow by Northumbria University, for my innovative SBE work, which in June 2016 this to led my appointment as an Associate Professor of SBE. I completed my Professional Doctorate (Education) on the use of SBE in healthcare education in 2019, and over my SBE career, I have published and presented extensively at a national and international levels. 

I am passionate about SBE, and I have 22 years experience in this field that includes a wealth of leadership experience in SBE. I served on the executive committee of the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) from 2010 – 2014 and, during this time, I worked as a National Simulation Development Officer (SDO). In addition, I was vice president (Ad-interim) of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning – Chapter Europe (INACSL – Chapter Europe) from 2015 - 2019. 

In recognition of my contribution to the development of SBE, I was awarded an ASPiH Fellowship in November 2017, and consulted on a number of national SBE initiatives. Currently, following successful elections, I am on the executive committee of ASPiH with a remit for Standards and Accreditation, as well as the chair of the SESAM's (Society for Simulation in Europe) Nursing Community of Practice.

• Simulation-based Education as a learning and teaching methodology.
• Instructional design and educational psychology theories in healthcare education.
• Inter-professional education
• Critical Care practice

Professional Activity:

• Executive committee member of Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) with a remit for Standards and Accreditation.
• Chair of SESAM's (Society for Simulation in Europe) Nursing Community of Practice
• Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare, Fellow
• Health Education England North East (HENE) Regional Simulation Steering Group, Northumbria University representative
• Society in Europe for Simulation Allied to Medicine (SESAM), member

Previous activity

• The UK National Simulation Reference Group, Nursing and University representative
• British Association of Critical Care Nurses, member
• Vice president (Ad-interim) - the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning – Chapter Europe (INACSL – Chapter Europe), 2015 – 2019
• International Facilitator - The International Nursing Association for Simulated Clinical Learning (INACSL) -CAE Healthcare Simulation Fellowship, 2015 -2017
• Executive committee member - Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH), 2010 – 2014
• National Simulation Development Officer (SDO) - Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) from 2014 – 2016