Wendy Wesson

Biography

Wendy joined Keele University in 2020. She is an experienced Director of Postgraduate Provision at the University within the School of Nursing and Midwifery, with a demonstrated history of working in senior positions in higher education institutions since 2003. Wendy commenced her academic career as the award lead for the Specialist Community Practice District Nursing programme at the University of Derby, and held a range of management roles, including Head of the School of Nursing and Professional Practice in 2018. Wendy is experienced in curriculum design and approval, particularly in relation to post registration, postgraduate programme provision including taking a lead role in the validation and approval of advanced, specialist and enhanced practice programmes.

Wendy is a Queen’s Nurse and a quality assurance registrant visitor for the nursing and midwifery regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Wendy is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Wendy obtained her Doctor of Education (Ed.D) in 2012. Her research focused on the support of specialist practice assessors in the assessment of higher level practice. Wendy has disseminated her work extensively, as well as feeding her expertise and accumulated knowledge back into the curriculum to enhance the student experience and positively impact on education provision.

Having worked as a Hospice at Home nurse alongside academic roles, Wendy’s research interests also include palliative and end of life care, leadership in community practice and legal and ethical issues in care delivery.

Wendy is a member of the programme team for the Health Professional Doctorate; leading on the first module for the programme. Wendy currently acts as a supervisor for six research students undertaking doctoral studies, and previously three students have successfully completed their doctoral research under her supervision.

On qualifying as a nurse, Wendy worked in trauma and orthopaedics before moving into community practice and primary care. She then successfully completed a community specialist practice programme to qualify as a specialist practitioner in district nursing. After practicing extensively as a District Nurse across a wide range of communities, Wendy became a lead practice educator within community specialist practice. Her passion for teaching and excellence in practice then led to a full-time academic career.

Conference presentations

ICCHNR International Conference, 15-17 April, 2025, City St George’s, University of London. Presentation. Session title: Support for Effective Clinical Education to Develop Higher Level Community Nursing Practice: The Impact this can have on Student Outcomes , Wesson, W, Reynolds, J & Douglas, K.

NET International Conference, 6-7 September, 2022, Lancaster University. SESSION TITLE: The importance of effective clinical support and assessment in the development of higher level practice, and the impact that HEIs can have on post-registration student outcomes. Wesson, W & Reynolds, J.

UCAS National Conference, Brighton. 3-4 February, 2020. Conference presentation: Build a Nurse. 

NET International Conference, Cambridge. Presentation: Developing and utilising the skills of the advanced clinical practitioner: an examination of the student journey. September 2016.

Learning, Teaching and Assessment conference presentation. July 2015. Student Self-Assessment. University of Derby.

Westminster Briefing. Future of District Nursing. Presentation. Dec 2015.

NET Conference, Cambridge. September 2013. Themed paper and presentation. Assessment of Higher Level Practice in Nursing.

Association of District Nurse Educators Conference, 2010. Presentation: Specialist Practice: Supporting the Assessors. Leeds Met. University. 

2010. Physician’s Assistants and Advanced Practitioner Conference, London.
Getting Research into Practice workshops – Organiser and Speaker; Dec 08., University of Derby