Dr Susie Pearce

I am an Associate Professor (Research) in Nursing at the University of Plymouth and Co-Director of the Torbay and South Devon Clinical School which is part of the SW Regional Clinical Academic School.

I am foremost a qualitative researcher with specific interests in innovative methods, patient and professional experience, the understanding and development of cultures of compassionate, effective and safe care. I am involved in developing nurse led research both in practice and the university, linking research education and practice. I supervise MSc Dissertations and Doctoral Students and teach on methods, practice, end of life. 

Areas of current research include the developing and supporting nursing and multi -disciplinary workforce, Developing models for safe ICU nursing care, supporting complex communication at the End of Life Care. I spend 1–2 days a week at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust as a Clinical Academic, supporting Nurses Midwives and AHPS in their clinical academic career from interns to post docs, I work with the Chief Nurse, Associate Systems Directors, Director of Research and Development in developing nursing strategy, workforce, research, innovation and development in practice

Qualifications

I trained as a Registered Nurse with a BSc (hons) in Nursing Studies in 1993 at Kings College, London and went straight on to practice in cancer and palliative care. After working at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust I completed a MSc (Cancer Care) at the the Institute of Cancer Research, London. My BSc and MSc Dissertations explored fatigue with advanced cancer patients, and the experience of stress in cancer nurses using indepth qualitative methods. These were formative within career long passion of using innovative methods to fully understand the experience of patients, develop person centred care and to explore the impact of caring on professionals and its relationship to patients and the organisation.

After being nurse researcher in palliative care at St Thomas' Hospital and Kings College, London I worked from 1997 at UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Clinical Nurse specialist for practice development and research in cancer care. This forged my passions for practice base research, critical social science and transforming practice through research, practice and strategic development. As Senior Nurse for Research and Development in 2001 I began a drive for developing nursing and midwifery research and research careers within health care. I have worked in  Australia as a community nurse and a nurse researcher in palliative care at La Trobe University, and then strategic nursing roles transforming infection control practice, exploring the nursing voice and developing a transformative nursing strategy at a newly integrated CNWL NHS Foundation Trust, London in two period - 2002- 2004 and 2012-15. Between 2007-12 returned to UCL and UCLH in a NIHR Biomedical Research Centre funded role to develop Teenage and Young adult cancer applied health research locally and nationally and I developed, led, was a co applicant on a number of studies in this field. I was also involved in developing the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research at UCLH. 

I completed a part time PhD 'Renegotiating identity in young adults with cancer: A longitudinal narrative study' UCL in 2017. This was an interdisciplinary work situated within social science- using longitudinal visual and psycho-social methods to get beyond the surface of experience, to what is not always easily to tell. In 2016 I moved to Devon to my current role at the University of Plymouth and The SW Clinical School.

Professional membership

Nursing and Midwifery Council

Royal College of Nursing

Roles on external bodies

Member of NIHR Research for Patient Benefit SW Committee 2018

Member NHIR/HEE SW Review Panel 2020

Member National Institute of Cancer Research Teenage and Young Adult Clinical Studies Group 2008–2014

Editorial Board Member for European Journal of Cancer Care 

Editorial Board member for European Journal of Oncology Nursing 2017

Regular Reviewer – Cancer Nursing, EJON, EJCC

Teaching interests

 Module lead for End of Life and palliative care.

 I teach on Practice development and qualitative research methods.

 I supervise Master-level dissertations, service developments and systematic reviews.

Research interests

My research interests include patient and professional experience multi professional team working, integrated care, young adulthood, biography, identity, cancer, end of life, emotional costs of illness and care, life limiting and chronic illness. The development of cultures of compassionate, effective and safe care and how we can support and develop the nursing workforce. 

Research degrees awarded to supervised students

• Compassion in health care practice: a concept analysis. Sarah Tobin (Co-Supervisor). Completed 2019.

• A longitudinal narrative study exploring the factors that influence maternal perceptions and use of knowledge relating to their infant's mental health.' Jane Peters (Co-Supervisor). Due to complete 2020.

• Experience and well being in health care professionals: an Experience based co-design. Kathryn Bamforth (Director of Studies) 2019.

• An Ethnography of nursing practice and nursing Identity in a Integrated Care Organisation. Corinne Squire (Director of Studies) 2020.

Grants & contracts

• Endacott R, Pearce S, Griffths P et al SEISMIC Safe staffing in Critical care: and feasibility and development study. NIHR PDG 200100, £100,00

• Hickson M, Viner J, Pearce S Developing clinical academic careers for nurses, midwives and allied health professional in Torbay and South Devon. TorbayMedical rsearch Fund £250,000

• Whelan J,Barber, J, Feltblower R, Fern L, Gibson F, Hooker L, Lerner M, Millington, H, Moran T, Morris s, OHara C, Pearce S, Raine R, Stark D, Taylor R (2011) Do specialist cancer services for teenagers and young adults add value? NIHR Programme Grant  RP-PG-1209-10013 £1,999,957.

• Whelan J, Pearce S, Riley, V, Jones L, Stirling C, Hough R, Gibson F (2012) Brightlight on End of life care for young adults( 16-40 years) with cancer. Marie Curie Cancer Care/ Cancer Research UK £250,000.

• Gibson F (CI), Taylor R, Pearce S, Whelan J. Mapping teenage and young adult cancer services in England: The BRIGHTLIGHT Directory of Care. LSBU £25,000

• Pearce S (CI), Brownsdon A, Fern L, Gibson F, Lavender V, Whelan J. Teenagers and young adults with bone sarcomas: Patient and professional perceptions of participation in clinical trials. Bone Cancer Research Trust £30,000.

• Gibson F (CI), Grew T, Morgan S, Pearce S, Stark D, Yeoman-Taylor S, Fern. L Young people talk about cancer: a virtual ethnography study. LSBU £29,256.25

• Pearce S (CI), Gibson F, Fern L, O' Hara C, Taylor R, Whelan J ( CI), (2010) The essence of care for teenagers and young adults with cancer: a national longitudinal study to assess the benefits of specialist care. Phase 1 to a programme of research: feasibility and scoping. Teenage Cancer Trust. £65, 000

• Wall, M Armoogum J, vevers J, Tompsitt L, Cazenove E, Mathambo N, Cathcart E, Pearce S, Knott CÂ 2011 Tell it like it is delivering information to young people undergoing Bone Marrow Transplantation. Foundation of Nursing Studies £3,000.

• Gibson F, Pearce S, Eden T, Hooker L, Glaser A, Whelan, J & Kelly D (2009). Cancer in young people: a narrative study to explore their experiences during the diagnostic phase. Report to CLIC Sargent Submitted 31st March 2009. CLIC Sargent, London£60,000. 

• Kelly D, Mulhall A & Pearce S (2000) A good place to be if you are having a bad time. An ethnographic evaluation of the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit, Middlesex Hospital, London. The Teenage Cancer Trust £ 40,000.

• Butters E, Pearce S, Stevens W, Layzell, S & Kelly, D (2000) A study to evaluate the costs of cancer chemotherapy delivery on an outpatient basis at a central London cancer centre: implications for future service developments. Clinical Research Network, UCL Medical School, London. £20,000

• Butters E, Pearce S, Ramirez A & Richards M (1998) Development and Evaluation of a Quality of life screening checklist for use with patients with advanced cancer. Report to the NHS Executive, South Thames Breast Cancer Research Programme.

Other academic activities

Florence Nightingale Foundation Research Fellowship 2011/2012/2013

RCNi Award for Excellence in Cancer Research 2016