Ruth Northway | |
---|---|
Born | February 1961 (age 63) |
Occupation(s) | Nurse and nursing academic |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | |
Thesis | Oppression in the lives of people with learning difficulties: a participatory study (1998) |
Academic work | |
Sub-discipline | Learning disability nursing |
Institutions |
Ruth Northway OBE FRCN FLSW (born February 1961) is a British nurse and nursing academic specialising in learning disabilities. She is a professor of learning disability nursing at the University of South Wales.
Northway, who is from Llantrisant in Mid Glamorgan, Wales, [1] was born in 1961 [2] and educated at Teignmouth Grammar School. [3] She decided to become a nurse because she "enjoyed working with people with learning disabilities and this was the best way that [she] could do it", [4] and subsequently spent some time as a learning disability nurse. [2] In 1989, she started going into nurse education. [2] In 1994, she graduated from the University of Wales, Newport, with a Master of Science degree in economics, and started working at the University of Wales College of Medicine (UWCM) as a lecturer. [3] In 1998, she obtained a PhD from the University of Bristol, with her thesis "Oppression in the lives of people with learning difficulties: a participatory study." [5] [6]
In 1999, Northway moved from the UWCM's School of Nursing to the University of Glamorgan, which would later merge into the University of South Wales (USW) in 2013. [2] As part of the USW academic staff, she became the United Kingdom's first Professor of Learning Disability Nursing, [4] and in 2002, became the leader of the university's Unit for Development in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities. [7]
As an academic, Northway specialises in learning disabilities, participatory action research, and safeguarding. [2] [8] [1] Her academic accomplishments in learning disability nursing include developing Internet forums and teaching higher education classes in the field. [1] In 2013, she and Robert Jenkins published Safeguarding Adults in Nursing Practice. [2] Northway has also held a Visiting Professorship at Ulster University's School of Nursing. [8]
Northway is a member of the editorial committee of the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, [9] and was previously the journal's editor-in-chief from 2013 to 2019. [5] From 2003 to 2007, she was the editor of Learning Disability Practice. [8] In 2011, she became the chair of the Royal College of Nursing Research Society. [2]
Northway has also led the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group within the Welsh Government. [1] She was a trustee of Tenovus Cancer Care from 2011 to 2015. [3]
Northway was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in 2003 – becoming the second learning disability nurse to be elected – "for her outstanding contributions to research in the field of learning disability nursing". [4] [2] She became a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2015. [10] [3] Northway was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to learning disability nursing. [11] Northway won Nursing Times' 2018 Chief Nursing Officers' Award for Lifetime Achievement. [12] Northway was elected a fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2021. [13]
Ruth Northway | |
---|---|
Born | February 1961 (age 63) |
Occupation(s) | Nurse and nursing academic |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | |
Thesis | Oppression in the lives of people with learning difficulties: a participatory study (1998) |
Academic work | |
Sub-discipline | Learning disability nursing |
Institutions |
Ruth Northway OBE FRCN FLSW (born February 1961) is a British nurse and nursing academic specialising in learning disabilities. She is a professor of learning disability nursing at the University of South Wales.
Northway, who is from Llantrisant in Mid Glamorgan, Wales, [1] was born in 1961 [2] and educated at Teignmouth Grammar School. [3] She decided to become a nurse because she "enjoyed working with people with learning disabilities and this was the best way that [she] could do it", [4] and subsequently spent some time as a learning disability nurse. [2] In 1989, she started going into nurse education. [2] In 1994, she graduated from the University of Wales, Newport, with a Master of Science degree in economics, and started working at the University of Wales College of Medicine (UWCM) as a lecturer. [3] In 1998, she obtained a PhD from the University of Bristol, with her thesis "Oppression in the lives of people with learning difficulties: a participatory study." [5] [6]
In 1999, Northway moved from the UWCM's School of Nursing to the University of Glamorgan, which would later merge into the University of South Wales (USW) in 2013. [2] As part of the USW academic staff, she became the United Kingdom's first Professor of Learning Disability Nursing, [4] and in 2002, became the leader of the university's Unit for Development in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities. [7]
As an academic, Northway specialises in learning disabilities, participatory action research, and safeguarding. [2] [8] [1] Her academic accomplishments in learning disability nursing include developing Internet forums and teaching higher education classes in the field. [1] In 2013, she and Robert Jenkins published Safeguarding Adults in Nursing Practice. [2] Northway has also held a Visiting Professorship at Ulster University's School of Nursing. [8]
Northway is a member of the editorial committee of the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, [9] and was previously the journal's editor-in-chief from 2013 to 2019. [5] From 2003 to 2007, she was the editor of Learning Disability Practice. [8] In 2011, she became the chair of the Royal College of Nursing Research Society. [2]
Northway has also led the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group within the Welsh Government. [1] She was a trustee of Tenovus Cancer Care from 2011 to 2015. [3]
Northway was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in 2003 – becoming the second learning disability nurse to be elected – "for her outstanding contributions to research in the field of learning disability nursing". [4] [2] She became a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2015. [10] [3] Northway was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to learning disability nursing. [11] Northway won Nursing Times' 2018 Chief Nursing Officers' Award for Lifetime Achievement. [12] Northway was elected a fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2021. [13]