Mary joined Phyllis Tuckwell as Clinical Education Manager in 2021.
She’s a registered nurse and dietitian with an MSc in Teaching & Learning, and has worked in both clinical and managerial positions within the health service (both acute and community) and was a Clinical Education Manager within the community.
She’s worked within Higher Education, most recently as Head of Apprenticeship Programmes for Registered Nurses and Nursing Associates.
Her passion for education and its impact is evident throughout her career.
Drawing on her experience of healthcare, practice, and academia she’s developed a vision for clinical education within Phyllis Tuckwell. She is committed to extending the reach of Phyllis Tuckwell through education and training, whilst working collaboratively with partners throughout the system.
Education and training ensure staff feel confident and competent when caring for people and families requiring palliative and end of life care. Training and development opportunities are accessible to develop knowledge and skills, thus enabling the provision of high-quality, person centred, evidence-based care leading to continuous improvement in the patient, family and carers’ experience of palliative and end of life care, in all settings (e.g., primary care, community, care homes).
I completed my BSc in adult Nursing in 2010 and worked on the acute stroke unit at Frimley Health Foundation Trust. I then came to Phyllis Tuckwell in 2015 where I worked as a Staff Nurse and Senior Staff Nurse on the In-Patient Unit before moving to my current role as Practice Development Sister in the Education Team.
My role aims to support nurses and health care assistants to practice effectively, to meet the ever-changing health needs of our patients. I work alongside new and existing staff to help improve their knowledge and build confidence. I am actively involved supporting staff to achieve competence in various skills.
A proportion of my role involves organising and supporting nursing students and other clinical visitors to the organisation. I facilitate core training sessions that we provide; in time this will increase as I work towards my post graduate certificate in education for healthcare professionals.
I initially completed a BSc (Hons) at the University of Surrey and qualified as a Registered General Nurse over 35 years ago, and worked within several different specialities in Staff Nurse and Ward Sister roles. I moved into Palliative Care over 20 years ago in an inpatient setting in a hospice in various clinical and then Senior Nurse roles before moving into a Practice Development role in 2004. During this time I completed my MSc in 1999 and a Diploma in Palliative Nursing in 2003, before completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching for Professional Practice in 2010, together with registration with the NMC as a Teacher. After working as a Practice Educator for a national palliative care charity, I then moved to Higher Education in 2013 as a Teaching Fellow in Integrated Care as part of the team delivering education in Long Term Conditions, leading several undergraduate & postgraduate modules. I joined PT in March 2019 as Clinical Educator, which involves designing and delivering education and training programmes in Palliative and End of Life Care , with a focus on education for our locality health and social care providers.