Dr. Sarah Annesley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health, with extensive expertise in teaching, learning, and scholarship. She brings a wealth of experience from academic appointments at two higher education institutions: the University of Stirling and Northumbria University. Her academic and educational insight is underpinned by 14 years of clinical practice in several Scottish NHS Trusts, ensuring a practice-informed approach to nurse education and research.
Curriculum development expertise: A recognised authority in pre-registration nursing curriculum design, review, and regulatory approval.
Research excellence: With a PhD awarded in 2015, Sarah has led diverse research projects encompassing clinical studies, qualitative research on the treatment and management of long-term health conditions, and quantitative investigations into grading practices.
Leadership during the pandemic: From January 2020 to September 2022, Sarah undertook departmental and professional leadership roles, navigating the significant challenges that nursing faced during the global health crisis.
Quality assurance leadership: Sarah, for six years (2018-2024), acted as an NMC/Mott Macdonald QA Registrant Visitor. In this role she contributed detailed oversight to ensure the quality and integrity of pre-registration nurse education programmes across the UK.
Educational and professional contributions
Programme and module leadership: Currently Sarah leads a level 7 module (NS0711) - developing nursing practice through research within the MSc Nursing Science/RN programme. Her role as a module lead and previously as programme lead is complemented by her focus as a personal tutor, providing professional and academic support to students.
International teaching experience: Sarah has made contributions to the MCAST/Northumbria University Pre-Registration Nurse Programme, bringing a global perspective informed by her clinical experience as a Registered Nurse in Durban, South Africa.
Professional appointments include the following: 2018–2024 - NMC/Mott Macdonald QA Registrant Visitor. Over six years, Sarah has ensured the quality assurance of nursing and nursing associate education programmes across the UK.
External Examiner roles: 2021–present - Pre-registration Nursing, Leeds Beckett University and 2024–present - Pre-registration Adult Nursing, London Metropolitan University.
Sarah’s career reflects her commitment to advancing nursing education and excellence in research rich teaching. Her career demonstrates her commitment to the development of the nursing profession nationally and internationally.
Research interests
Dr. Sarah Annesley has an extensive research portfolio and publication record spanning over two decades (1997–2023). Her research work is rooted in her early clinical specialisation in the Vascular Unit of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and her role as a Research Assistant with the Scottish Executive Health Department. Her research addresses important areas of healthcare, including service redesign projects and the implementation of health policies aimed at empowering self-management for people living with long-term conditions.
Sarah has expertise in understanding healthcare delivery, exploring the role of social and health policy in fostering greater responsiveness, enhanced patient focus, and innovative care models. This focus is reflected in her clinical practice and further developed during her PhD research, which examined the implementation of self-management health policies for individuals with chronic illnesses - a key UK health policy priority.
Her knowledge of health policy processes, contemporary policy themes, and priorities enables her to bridge the gap between health policy and nursing practice, ensuring meaningful contributions to both theoretical understanding and practical application.
Current research interests: Grading practice in undergraduate nursing (2022–Present): Sarah is principal investigator for an innovative quantitative exploratory study, analysing the use of a grading practice matrix in pre-registration nursing students across four cohorts (2018-2021).
NIVOW Trial (2022–Present): A member of the research team for the NIHR-funded Non-Invasive Ventilation Outcomes score-directed Weaning a randomised controlled trial, which is advancing evidence-based approaches to the weaning of patients admitting to critical care for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Through her career and research interests Sarah has contributed to the integration of policy into practice, and the development of innovative care delivery models. Her work continues to inform the future of nursing and nurse education.
AdvanceHE Teaching and Learning Conference, 5 July 2023, Keele University. Oral presentation. 'Grading practice learning in pre-registration nursing: enabling a collaborative approach'. Authors: Sarah Annesley and Marco Tomietto. Advance HE.
RCN International Nursing Research Conference, 8 September 2023, Manchester. Poster presentation. 'Grading practice as a strategy to improve proficiencies in undergraduate nurse education: modelling key areas of competence'. Authors: Sarah Annesley; Marco Tomietto; Alan Platt and James Wade.
RCN Education Conference, 24 April 2024, York. Oral presentation. 'Grading practice in undergraduate nurse education'. Authors: Sarah Annesley; Marco Tomietto; James Wade; and Leah Rosengarten. RCN 2024 Presentation abstract.
SIGMA 7th Biennial European Region Conference 26-28 June 2024, Bournemouth. Abstract reviewer.
RCN International Nursing Research Conference (INRC) 10-12 September 2024, Northumbria University. Invited member of the organising committee and chaired concurrent sessions at the conference
9th International Nurse Education Conference 27-30 October 2024, Singapore. Poster presentation. “Grading practice in undergraduate nurse education: validation of a grading”. Authors: Sarah Annesley; Marco Tomietto; James Wade; and Leah Rosengarten. Abstract accepted. Opportunity to attend was not accepted.
2019–2024: NMC/Mott MacDonald Quality Assurance (QA) Registrant Visitor. As a Registrant Visitor for the NMC/Mott MacDonald, Dr. Sarah Annesley has participated in several programme approval and modification visits. Her role involves preparing NMC Programme Approval Reports, which are publicly available on the NMC Approved Programme website.
2022 - Council of Deans for Health Pandemic Powered Improvements: Best Practice In Innovative Healthcare Placements Created During the Pandemic. Contributed a case study to this report outlining our approach to practice learning during the pandemic.
2018 – 2019 A Research Portfolio – Transformational change by nursing, midwifery and care staff across health and care. Sarah was a contributing member of this national working group, which has produced the NHS England research portfolio. The purpose of the portfolio was to demonstrate the impact and contribution that nursing, midwifery and care staff can make to transforming health and care. https://www.england.nhs.uk/nursingmidwifery/research-and-evidence/research-portfolio/
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