University of Leicester to establish new centre for nursing and midwifery expertise

University is all set to launch disciplines as Government announces ‘largest ever’ increase in midwives and maternity staff

LEICESTER, 01-May-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — The University of Leicester has taken the first steps in establishing a new centre for nursing and midwifery expertise with the appointment of two Foundation Professors and approval granted for a suite of innovative new degree courses.

It follows the Government’s announcement in March of an increase in NHS midwives and maternity support staff, with a plan to train more than 3000 extra midwives over 4 years. 5,000 new places on nursing training courses were also announced by Government in in 2017.

The University has announced Professor Jayne Marshall as Foundation Professor of Midwifery and Professor David Clarke as Foundation Professor of Nursing. In joining Leicester, they establish a critical mass of talent that will pioneer new undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses, and enhance the University’s research into clinical practice.

Their first priorities will be the creation of three innovative new degrees with leadership at their core: a Master in Science Midwifery, and two Master in Science degrees in Nursing (Adult Nursing with Mental Health and Children’s Nursing with Mental Health).

The programmes are pre-registration and lead to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The programmes are being developed in partnership with University Hospitals of Leicester and Leicestershire Partnership Trust.

The University has been visited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who granted institutional approval. The courses are expected to launch in September 2018.

Professor David Clarke joins Leicester from Cardiff University where he held several leadership roles as Professional Head for Children’s Nursing, Associate Director and finally Deputy Head of School for the Education of Students, a role that was responsible for nine different professions, 3,000 students, 16 postgraduate and 9 undergraduate programmes.

David’s career in nursing began by training as an adult nurse in Leicester, subsequently working at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. During his clinical career David trained as a children’s nurse and worked in children’s critical care and clinical education. Having spent 14 years working at the Leicester Royal Infirmary David relocated to Cardiff to start an academic career.

David has since amassed a body of scholarly work focussing on clinical simulation as a form of education in children’s nursing and is the Chair of the Royal College of Nursing Children and Young People’s Acute Care Forum. His PhD research examined the sexuality and masculinity in the profession. While at Cardiff David led the Stonewall Inclusive Curriculum Project which received a University Celebrating Excellence Award for contribution to Equality and Diversity. The project was subsequently funded to expand across the whole University.

Professor Clarke, who is leading on development of the undergraduate degrees in Nursing, said: “For the first time, nursing and midwifery students in Leicestershire will have the opportunity to study at a research-intensive university that has a global reputation for its health and medical research. They will also be learning alongside medical students, physiotherapists, Operating Department Practitioners – as well as psychology and biological sciences students. There are going to be opportunities to work collaboratively and inter-professionally.”

Joining the University of Leicester from Kingston University and St Georges, University of London, where she developed the School of Midwifery and raised its research capacity, Professor Jayne Marshall will be leading on the University of Leicester’s first undergraduate Masters in Midwifery with Leadership programme.

Jayne trained as a nurse at Guys Hospital, London and undertook midwifery training at Kings College Hospital London, moving into midwifery education early in her career. Her first role in education was at the University of Nottingham where she held a variety of teaching and leadership roles before leaving to take up appointment as the Head of the School of Midwifery at Kingston University and St Georges University of London and NMC Lead Midwife for Education. Jayne was then promoted to Associate Dean for Practice Education and Workforce Development for seven health and social care professions. In 2017 Jayne became the first Professor of Midwifery at Kingston and St Georges.

Jayne has been recognised for her understanding of leadership both in education and clinical settings: she is currently a member of the International Confederation of Midwives Education Standing Committee and the Research Advisory Network; the Council of Deans of Health Future Midwife Advisory Group, is an Aurora Role Model for the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, that promotes women as leaders within Higher Education. Jayne is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

In January 2018, she was elected as the President of the Nottingham branch of the Royal College of Midwives.

Whilst at the University of Nottingham, in 2012, Jayne was a recipient of a Lord Dearing Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in enhancing the student learning experience and in 2013 received the Royal College of Midwives Johnsons Baby award for Excellence in Midwifery Education. Jayne’s PhD research explored intrapartum informed consent and subsequently her research interests have focussed on pedagogical research in midwifery.

With a substantial publishing history, she is also co-editor of the seminal textbook for midwives, the Myles Textbook for Midwives, which is sold in over 75 countries and has been adapted for use in Sub-Saharan Africa and translated into Korean.

Professor Marshall said: “We are starting something that is unique to the midwifery and nursing professions and to Leicester. The University has a great deal to support the development of these new programmes. This will complement our own knowledge and expertise of facilitating the learning of others that has been acquired over the years and in other institutions to be ultimately able to make our own mark in Leicester.

“The midwifery and nursing professions need leaders who have vision, are articulate and get their voice heard at the highest level. Our programmes plan to prepare the next generation of midwives and nurses to do just that.”

Professor Philip Baker, Head of the College of Life Sciences, said: “We are looking to train the nursing and midwifery leaders of the future, and this innovative partnership between the University of Leicester and our NHS colleagues will produce two courses which will appeal to the brightest and best nursing and midwifery students.  We are fully committed to interprofessional learning – so students will be taught alongside medical students and other healthcare professionals.  Through the university-NHS partnership, there will not only be a job at the end of the course – but the potential for accelerated career progression.”

Chief Nurse Professor Adrian Childs from Leicestershire Partnership Trust said: “Developing an innovative set of programmes that provide future leaders of nursing and midwifery is an important step for delivering high quality care for the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We are delighted to extend our partnership with the University of Leicester whose Medical School we already work closely with.”

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SOURCE:  University of Leicester

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