Helen Blackburn

Biography	I qualified as a mental health nurse in 1988 and worked as a staff nurse at Cherry Knowle Hospital, Ryhope, Sunderland until December 1990. From January 1991 to August 1994 I worked as a clinical instructor at Chainama College of Health Sciences, Lusaka, Zambia under the auspices of Voluntary Service Overseas. On my return I studied full-time in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh from October 1994 to June 1998, graduating with a 2.1 BD Honours degree in Christian Ethics and Practical Theology. While studying, I worked on the NHS Lothian Staff Bank, then on a part-time contract at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. I was offered a full-time post on completion of my degree. I worked as a staff nurse at the Royal Edinburgh until August 2001, but from September 1998 I had been doing some teaching at Edinburgh's Telford College, initially just for one day a week. I was offered a permanent post and joined the Care, Health & Sciences team teaching Health & Social Care. While at Telford College I qualified as an SVQ assessor and verifier, completed a PDA (Teaching in Further Education) and completed a postgraduate Teaching Qualification (Further Education). In September 2006 I took up the post of Centre Manager in the Salvation Army Homelessness Service. While working there I completed the award of Registered Manager in Health and Social Care. The centre received a number of awards at the annual Salvation Army Social Services Conference, for community engagement and housing initiatives. In November 2012 I took up the post of Care Home Manager at Tor Christian Nursing Home. While working there I completed the 'My Home Life' course for care home managers, introduced Promoting Excellence training for every staff member from the gardener to the chief executive, and successfully obtained funding from the Change Fund to have the garden made into a dementia-friendly space. In June 2015 I returned to the NHS and worked in a number of different wards. I undertook a part-time MSc in Dementia Studies at the University of Stirling and graduated in June 2019. I came to work as a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University in October 2021.
Research Interests	I am interested in all aspects of dementia. Particularly dementia and spirituality, dementia and learning disability, and Ageing in Place as an alternative to residential care for people living with dementia.

Biography

I qualified as a mental health nurse in 1988 and worked as a staff nurse at Cherry Knowle Hospital, Ryhope, Sunderland until December 1990.
From January 1991 to August 1994 I worked as a clinical instructor at Chainama College of Health Sciences, Lusaka, Zambia under the auspices of Voluntary Service Overseas.
On my return I studied full-time in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh from October 1994 to June 1998, graduating with a 2.1 BD Honours degree in Christian Ethics and Practical Theology. While studying, I worked on the NHS Lothian Staff Bank, then on a part-time contract at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. I was offered a full-time post on completion of my degree.
I worked as a staff nurse at the Royal Edinburgh until August 2001, but from September 1998 I had been doing some teaching at Edinburgh's Telford College, initially just for one day a week. I was offered a permanent post and joined the Care, Health & Sciences team teaching Health & Social Care. While at Telford College I qualified as an SVQ assessor and verifier, completed a PDA (Teaching in Further Education) and completed a postgraduate Teaching Qualification (Further Education).
In September 2006 I took up the post of Centre Manager in the Salvation Army Homelessness Service. While working there I completed the award of Registered Manager in Health and Social Care. The centre received a number of awards at the annual Salvation Army Social Services Conference, for community engagement and housing initiatives.
In November 2012 I took up the post of Care Home Manager at Tor Christian Nursing Home. While working there I completed the 'My Home Life' course for care home managers, introduced Promoting Excellence training for every staff member from the gardener to the chief executive, and successfully obtained funding from the Change Fund to have the garden made into a dementia-friendly space.
In June 2015 I returned to the NHS and worked in a number of different wards. I undertook a part-time MSc in Dementia Studies at the University of Stirling and graduated in June 2019.
I came to work as a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University in October 2021.

Research Interests

I am interested in all aspects of dementia. Particularly dementia and spirituality, dementia and learning disability, and Ageing in Place as an alternative to residential care for people living with dementia.