Summary
Background:
Caroline is currently a lecturer at the University of Hull, having commenced her role in July 2023. She is the lead for research for the School of Nursing. Her clinical career started as nurse in community palliative care.
Caroline completed a National Institute for Health Research [NIHR] affiliated MA Research Methods in 2015. Having conducted empirical research into maternal mental health in the National Health Service [NHS], she later trained as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse [SCPHN]-Health Visiting.
In September 2020 Caroline was granted a Vice Chancellor PhD scholarship at Anglia Ruskin University, where she focused on fathers with postnatal depression, completing this award in August 2023. During her PhD she conducted a series of studies including a systematic review, and four primary research studies into fathers, mothers, and health visitors. This has resulted in five publications across a range of health journals, offering original knowledge and recommendations for healthcare practice. Most recently, these have been requested by the UK Fatherhood Institute. One article was included in the Scottish Government's evidence synthesis for paternal mental health in January 2024. The impact of this research extends to wider professions. Caroline has recently published an editorial for the British Journal of General Practice on supporting fathers who present to Primary Care with perinatal depression.
External Activities:
Caroline is an external examiner for Robert Gordon University Aberdeen.
She is also a peer reviewer for the Joanna Briggs Institute and British Medical Journal. She has worked as an education reviewer for the Royal College of Nursing.
Caroline also held the role of patient representative for the Royal College of Psychiatrists for two years between 2021-2023 and was a named contributor to their Early Years Position Statement for infant mental health, released in 2023.
Caroline is currently in the process of designing research to examine student health visitors’ perceptions of postnatal depression in fathers. Caroline is currently involved in a grant application for maternal mental health.