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Freelance academic

Dr Sandy Walker, PhD, BSc, RMN, Dip.mus, Dip NLP, IMF, PCAP, PGDip

As someone with experience of being a patient, a nurse, a manager, a lecturer and researcher, Sandy has a 360 degree view of all things mental health. With a clear focus on Creative and Community Approaches to mental distress and a desire to see communities take their mental health as seriously as their physical health she is a good all rounder for PhD supervision, guest lecturing, and training. 

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Biography

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Throughout my career I have consistently worked towards improving the landscape of mental health care for the people receiving and delivering care within it. For 10+ years I worked as a Lecturer in Mental Health with a special interest in creative and community approaches to mental distress.

My clinical and published expertise covers the areas of:

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  • Emergency mental healthcare.

  • Self-harm and suicide.

  • Network use in self-management in mental health.

  • Clinical decision making and risk assessment.

  • The role of the arts in healthcare (Health Humanities).

  • and mental wellbeing within communities.

 

I have been in clinical practice for 30 years as a Registered Mental Health Nurse from staff nurse to Modern Matron.

My areas of clinical practice include:

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  • Acute mental health.

  • Older person’s mental health.

  • Substance misuse.

  • Acquired brain injury.

  • Forensic psychiatry.

  • Rehabilitation.

  • Liaison psychiatry.

 

I have always been innovative in practice and several of my initiatives have been showcased on national websites as examples of best practice e.g. NICE and Wessex Academic Health Science network. I have often, clinically, as a leader and as a lecturer, been called inspirational particularly because of the way I have dealt with barriers to dealing with distress both within the NHS and in the community. The ability to keep the person in need at the centre of the work is key to this as providing environments and atmospheres that promote compassionate care are best for both patients and clinicians. Helping others to develop is one of the most enjoyable things I have discovered throughout my career whether they be patients, student nurses, GPs, university students, members of staff, young people etc…. I am a member of the International Health Humanities Advisory Board and a Fellow of the Health Education Academy. I was nominated for a Doctoral College Directors Award in 2016 and have received a Vice Chancellors award for education, 2013, and an award for academic excellence from the previous Dean of the Faculty 2015. In 2016 I was nominated, and runner up, for a Doctoral College award for Engagement and Outreach.

On the next two tabs you can see my past and current publications and research.

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