Saying a big hello to our newest nursing lecturers

A brace of fresh-faced nursing professionals have joined our nursing team. We give the floor to them as they tell us about themselves, their wealth of experience and what our students stand to gain from their expertise.

Andy Winter, Senior Lecturer in Practice Development

My name is Andy and I have been a Paediatric Nurse for the last 18 years. My career so far has taken me far and wide.

I hark from a little northern Hamlet called Stockport, my training was completed in Liverpool where I studied at Liverpool John Moores University and worked at Alder Hey Hospital.

On qualifying I went south to London to work at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital where I fell in love with emergency nursing, settling into the Paediatrics Emergency Department there. I managed to squeeze in a backpacking trip around the world in all of this as well!

I then moved to Great Ormond Street to see what all the fuss was about. It was there I completed a Generic Instructor Course and became an instructor on the Advanced Paediatric Life Support course and realised that I both liked and had a real interest in education.

I combined my two passions for teaching and emergency nursing by joining the resuscitation service at Chelsea as a Resuscitation Officer and after 4 years decided it was time to settle and get some proper country air! My wife and moved “up norf” and we have settled in Leicestershire where I took a role as a Resuscitation Officer at Northampton General Hospital for the last four and some change years.

There I saw success in achieving my Master in Technology and Simulation in Clinical Practice from UCL, won a national award at the Patient Safety Congress for my work with improving the communication and teamwork of NGHs Resuscitation Team with the 10 Minute Conversation.

So why did I leave a successful career in the world of Resuscitation Nursing? Simple. I found I felt happiest when I was developing others and helping people achieve their goals. There were limitations to what I could achieve in my last role.

This new role at University of Northampton will allow me the flexibility to take my passion for teaching and simulation to our nursing students to help develop them to be the best they possibly could be. I have a simple standard framed in a simple question “Would I want you to look after my child or loved one?” If the answer is yes, then we have a jump off point to make you the best you can possibly be!

Laura Elliott, Senior Lecturer in Advanced Nursing Practice

I have a long educational history with the University of Northampton, having trained as a nurse here and more recently completing my MSc in Autonomous Nursing Practice, so it’s exciting to be on the other side of the lecture theatre!

Previously, I worked as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner at Kettering General Hospital, and also worked in nursing roles in the Intensive Care Unit and A&E at Northampton General Hospital.

I have also has worked as an associate lecturer for pre-registration nursing modules, and work as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for the GP out of hours service in Northamptonshire.

I hope that from my experience students will gain an insight into the acute care sector and become more aware of the challenges facing nurses today.

I hope I can share how I learnt to develop not only my patient assessment skills but also my emotional resilience whilst working in the busy, stressful work environment that is the Emergency Department.

Nurses are the backbone of the NHS and despite the current pressures they are still striving to give excellent patient care.

James Fawdon, Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing

I studied Adult Nursing at the University of Nottingham from 2006 to 2009. Whilst there I was involved in a charity organisation called Karni that helped raise over £600,000 through student events and activities. In my 3rd I was the president of the Nursing and Midwifery Association of Nottingham.

Once qualified, I worked for 4 years in the Accident and Emergency Departments of Nottingham and Kettering and undertook a BSc in emergency care with an interest in trauma care and pre-hospital patient management.

Following this I transferred to the intensive care unit at Kettering General Hospital and developed my skills to join the Critical Care Outreach team at the University Hospital of Leicester for a further four years. Whilst here I began to undertake my MSc in advanced professional practice.

In 2016 I was involved in a medical expedition to the remotest areas of Amazon jungle in Peru that I supported an ‘ultra-marathon’ event over 10 days.

In February 2017 I returned to A&E in KGH as an advanced clinical practitioner and alongside this role I am now working as a senior lecturer in adult nursing at the University of Northampton.

I hope that the experiences I have gained in practice, and my continued clinical work will provide high quality teaching and support to students.