Dr Mary Kennedy

Biography

I’m a Registered Nurse with a range of clinical, research and academic experience. In previous role within the NHS, was actively involved in service development and innovation in practice. I joined the School of Health & Social Care in 2011 with the remit to embed the National Dementia Strategy into education, clinical practice, and research. Since then, I’ve continued to develop local networks and to support service improvements to help enrich the care that people with dementia and their families receive. My other area of interest is end of life care. As well as teaching on end of life I’ve collaborated with colleagues across the University to support national campaigns; raise awareness and encourage people to talk more openly about death and dying. I have a particular interest in the role of creative arts in education and the use of storytelling to improve healthcare outcomes. In collaboration with people with lived experience and colleagues in the Technology Enhanced Learning Team I helped establish the digital storytelling project to develop learning resources to support teaching within the HSC. Having trained at the ‘Point of Care Foundation' to deliver and facilitate Schwartz Rounds in the NHS and HEI’s I’m a strong believer in the importance of providing compassionate care in healthcare and the working environment. Currently I’m the Lead for Service User Engagement in HSC and a member of the Service Users Reference Group

Qualifications

• Professional Doctorate in Nursing University of Essex,

• MSc (Mental Health Studies) University of London,

• Registered Nurse - Adult University College Hospital,

• Registered Nurse - Mental Health Gartnavel School of Nursing,

• Registered Nurse – General (Level 2) West Lothian College of Nursing & Midwifery,

Appointments

Other academic

• Lead for Service User Engagement, University of Essex (2020 - 2023)

• Programme Lead - Professional Doctorate, University of Essex (2021 - present)