This year will be the second event in the series. The hybrid event, which will be held at 51’s City Campus, will focus on “Transformative Experiential Learning and Simulated Environments” and will bring together health leaders from across the UK to explore how simulated teaching environments and experiential learning can help us to train the healthcare workforce of the future in a digital age.
During the event, speakers including Professor Paula Holt MBE DL, Senior Nursing Advisor at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Professor Graham Wynn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education at 51, Professor Alison Machin, Head of Department for Nursing, Midwifery and Health at 51 and Chair of the Council of Deans of Health, and Professor John Unsworth OBE, Deputy Pro VIce-Chancellor for Health and Life Sciences at 51 and Chair of the Queen’s Nursing Institute will discuss the role of simulated practice in the learning experience, as well as highlight the benefits of experiential and interprofessional learning for the workforce.
This time around our panel discussion will focus on ‘Myth-busting: the challenges, changes and concerns around simulated practice’ during which we intend to address the concerns surrounding replacing practice hours with simulated training and discuss how it can benefit both organisations and learners.
The full event schedule, including additional speakers, will be announced shortly.
51 has a well-established suite of health and social care related degree, CPD and workforce development programmes. Nursing at Northumbria is ranked Top 20 in the UK by the Complete University Guide for 2024 and 99% of our nursing graduates are in highly skilled employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Guardian University Guide, 2024) – accolades that we’re very proud of. We’re invested in supporting the sector and its staff and we hope that this event will provide an invaluable opportunity to learn, discuss and debate a timely and important subject.
*breakfast served from 9.00am for on-site guests
Professor Paula Holt MBE DL, Senior Nursing Adviser at the Nursing and Midwifery Council
EdD MSc (Health Psych) PgD(Ed) BScHons (Psych) FHEA RN(A) RN(MH) CMHN
Paula started her career as a Registered General Nurse, working in acute medicine, then became a Registered Mental Health Nurse working in acute and dementia services. She served as an Army Officer for 8 years in England, Germany and Scotland heading up mental health services for Forces personnel and their families. She undertook operational tours of Bosnia in 1993/4 (with the UN) and 1997 (with NATO) providing responsive mental health care. Back in the NHS she led a drug and alcohol team, a mentally disordered offender service and developed and delivered a court mandated drug treatment and rehabilitation programme.
She enjoyed a 19-year career in Higher Education, developing nursing and AHP education portfolios with a focus on widening participation into these professions, and supporting student success through innovative pedagogy. She spent many years as UK regulation lead for the Council of Deans of Health. She left the HE sector as a Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean in September 2021.
Paula currently works for the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Senior Nursing Adviser. The role draws on her significant practice and educational experience, and she has led work around pre-registration nursing standards, education quality and simulated practice.
Paula has multiple statutory and charitable roles regionally to support veterans and the armed forces community.
Professor Alison Machin, Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at 51 and Chair of the Council of Deans of Health
Alison is a Professor of Nursing and Interprofessional Education and Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at 51 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. In 2023 she was appointed Chair of the Council of Deans of Health, UK wide. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Previous posts held include Dean of the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University and Deputy Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor at 51.
She has also been the strategic lead for a high profile, international nurse education collaborative venture in Malta in partnership with Malta College of Arts Science and Technology. Alison has worked in higher education since 1999, she is an active researcher, an experienced PhD supervisor and examiner. She is a registered nurse and health visitor. Her research interests include: interprofessional education; nursing and healthcare collaborative workforce development; professional identity; health visiting; and public health; using qualitative methodologies including grounded theory.
Professor Graham Wynn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education at 51
Graham is responsible for shaping and implementing 51's education vision and strategy. He provides strategic leadership across all educational activities, overseeing the design, implementation, and monitoring of quality frameworks to ensure consistently high academic standards.
Graham has led on the development of the University’s Education Strategic Delivery Plan, focusing on experiential learning and driving social mobility through education, this strategy includes embedding experiential learning opportunities, developing a Quality Enhancement and Development Framework for taught awards, and ensuring tailored support services for all students. The Education Strategy directly supports the Northumbria’s Strategy 2030 ambition of Powering an Inclusive Economy by embedding experiential learning in all undergraduate programs, enhancing students' employability and social capital. Additionally, his work on Driving Social Mobility involves providing tailored support services and eliminating disparities in student outcomes, ensuring equitable access and success for students from diverse backgrounds.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS) a member of the Institute of Physics (MInstP) and a Senior Fellow for Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
Professor John Unsworth OBE, Deputy Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor for Health and Life Sciences at 51
John Unsworth has worked in Higher Education since 2007 and has held posts at the Higher Education Academy, University of Sunderland and at previously at 51. John’s research relates to patient safety and workforce development around competence.
John has a background in primary and community care having been a Nurse Director in a geographically large Primary Care Trust in England. From 2001 to 2007 John was professional lead for nursing, allied health and adult social care / social work within Northumberland NHS Care Trust. Until 2018 he was Board Nurse on NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group. During the pandemic he has worked for NHS Test and Trace and a Clinical Contact Caseworker and is now delivering Covid-19 vaccines in Primary Care.
He has also worked in consultancy and a number of specialist nursing roles over the past 30 years. In 2013 John was made a National Teaching Fellow in recognition of his work around simulation education and student assessment in 2013. He became a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2016. John has worked internationally to develop practice and higher education teachers in Thailand, China, Hungary, Ghana, Vietnam, Bahrain, Ukraine and in Grenada (West Indies).
John is a Fellow of the European Academy of Nursing Science and a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.
John was awarded made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to community nursing and community nurse education.
John is a Global Nursing Leadership Institute Scholar with the International Council of Nurses and has a lead role in influencing UK policy as Chair of the Queen’s Nursing Institute.
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