Nurse who is now Honorary Professor at both Sheffield universities hopes to inspire others towards considering a combined career as a nurse and a researcher
A consultant nurse has become an honorary professor at both of the city’s universities in recognition of her clinical and academic contribution to nursing.
Professor Diana Greenfield, who works at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and leads the cancer late effects multi-disciplinary team, has added an honorary professorship at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) to the one she already held at the University of Sheffield.
She said she hope that her rare achievement can highlight the clinical and academic opportunities within nursing and encourage others in pursuing them.
She said: “I believe that for a nurse to become an honorary professor at both institutions is unique. I feel slightly overwhelmed to be a professor ‘times two’ but I do think it is important for young, aspirational nurses to have role models within the profession.”
She will work with SHU to support clinical academic training for nurses, and is leading on a city-wide project launched by the teaching hospitals called the Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHP) Clinical Academic Working Group which supports these staff to access and pursue clinical academic opportunities.
Professor Greenfield is also an Executive Member of the UK and Ireland Chapter of the International Association of Family Nursing, and will work with SHU colleagues to promote skills, knowledge and practice in family nursing and family care.
She will also continue with her role on the clinical advisory group for the Active Together programme. The programme, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, is a partnership between Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at SHU and aims to help people with cancer prepare for and recover from treatment through the provision of physical activity, nutrition and psychological wellbeing support.
She said: “Being conferred honorary professor represents the collaborative relationship between the Trust and the city’s universities and we particularly want our nurses to benefit from increased academic partnerships across the city.
“Nurses are more aspirational than ever and we need to offer them an exciting life-long career. Offering academically ambitious nurses research training opportunities, while keeping them close to patients at the same time, benefits us all; it’s a win-win. I hope in the future there will be many more nurse professors!”
Professor Chris Morley, Chief Nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is an extraordinary achievement by Diana to be recognised in this way by both our universities and rightful acknowledgement of all the work she has done for the benefit of patients and nurses during her career. She is a fantastic role-model to have in our Trust and profession.”
Susan Wakefield, Head of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at SHU, said: “We are delighted that Diana will be joining us in her new role as honorary professor and we are looking forward to working with her on a number of exciting developments. It is wonderful to be welcoming another senior colleague into our team and I believe Diana will inspire not only colleagues in the department, but also our students, to pursue the opportunities and innovative careers that nursing offers to them.”
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