Middlesex University
Who are we
Middlesex University is a Higher Education Institution (HEI) located in Hendon, North West London, England within the historic county boundaries of Middlesex. It was formally organised as a teaching institution in 1973 gaining University status in 1992. Middlesex University currently employs more than 1,700 staff, including many notable leaders in their academic field, as well as active practitioners and committed researchers. The student population is approximately 25,000. The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education is one of four faculties within the university. It hosts several research centres and the specific ones with a focus on nursing and midwifery are:
– Research Centre for Transcultural Studies in Health which is headed by Professor Irena Papadopoulos. The Centre has collaborated with a number of community groups, voluntary organisations and statutory health providers to conduct research on the broad health and social needs of immigrant groups. The Centre has received funding from European, national and local sources. These include the EU Life Long Learning Programme, the EU Erasmus/Socrates programme, the Department of Health, the National Institute for Health Research, the North Central London Workforce Development Confederation, the National Lottery, The Welsh Assembly Government, Macmillan Cancer Relief fund and various London Boroughs.
-The Centre for Critical Research in Nursing and Midwifery (CCRNM) draws together researchers in nursing and midwifery within the School of Health and Education.
– Centre for Practice Learning which focuses on clinical learning environments, supporting student learning, mentorship and pedagogical experiences of nurse and midwifery programmes.
– Centre for Coproduction in Mental Health and Social Care which provides a hub for innovative and radical scholarship that is co-produced between service users, their organisations and communities, carers and staff and the infrastructure for expanding co-production activity in mental health and social care.
Why we are Participating in the Project
The project is important for increasing the number of cross-border placements in nursing & healthcare available and improving procedures for organising and managing student placements.
Our Role in the Project
Within the team we have a wealth of experience of managing placements for Erasmus students and in organising Erasmus exchanges and on a strategic level managing contracts. WE were involved with the successful HEALInt project which is the precursor to this project. Our role in this HEALINT4ALL project is to support and lead the direction of the project but overall to be lead partner in the first intellectual output (IO1) – the authoring of the revised multidisciplinary benchmark statement which will led onto the development of IO2 the Technical Development auditing tool to assure a quality clinical learning environment.
Middlesex University’s Department Nursing and Midwifery currently recruits and prepares over 400 nurses and midwives annually via a range of undergraduate and post-graduate courses and working in close partnership with National Health service (NHS) providers in North London. The largest programme is the BSc (hons) Nursing Adult pre-registration programme. Partnering with a variety of schools, education settings, charitable, private and public sector organisations, the school has a history of pioneering excellence that is recognised worldwide. Our Centre for Practice Learning unit has lead research and practice into Placement Learning across London. Our skills laboratories have pioneered simulation including augmented and virtual reality as well as varied online video simulations approaches. One of the team was also previously involved in an EU project developing low fidelity simulation learning resources for practical skills (ISPAD).
We have also been involved in a number of other British Council funded Erasmus programmes and so have experience of protocols and liaising with partners from a variety of environments and cultural situations outside of London and the UK. Alongside our pan-London nursing quality assurance experience and our experience with nurse exchange (BSc European nursing and Erasmus traineeship exchanges) we will use our skills for development of the this multidisciplinary (ie. medicine and physiotherapy) students and assist with all other aspects of the quality assurance and benchmarking development project.
Our Team
Sheila Cunningham
Sheila is a nurse and associate professor with many years’ experience of Erasmus and exchange for nursing students but also more recently virtual exchanges. She also teaches on the nursing programmes, Continuous Professional Development
programmes/events, research supervisor (MSc and PhD). She is a National Teaching Fellow (2020) &
Principal Teaching Fellow (AdvanceHE) supporting evidence generation and improvements in nursing
and healthcare programmes.
Nora Cooper
Nora is part of the Practice Based Learning Unit at Middlesex University. Her main teaching responsibilities are related to preparing staff who teach and assess in the clinical area. She is also involved in teaching on the nursing programme. For the last eight years she has been part of the educational audit team who undertake audits in the clinical areas
Kathy Wilson
Kathy is an Associate Professor and Head of Practice-based Learning within the School of Health and Education. Kathy has worked closely with Health Education England, London on a number of projects related to mentorship, placement and practice assessment and currently is chair the pan London Practice Learning Group which has representatives from 10 London universities.
Pam Hodge
Pam is part of the Practice Based Learning Unit at Middlesex University. Her main teaching responsibilities are related to preparing staff who teach and assess in the clinical area. She is also a mental health nurse with considerable experience and is actively involved in teaching on the nursing programme. She is part of the educational audit team who undertake clinical education audits in the clinical areas
