Staff Profile
Laura Smith
BSc (Hons) RNC, PgDip SPQ -CCN, AFHEA
- Lecturer
College of Health and Society
Laura Smith
BSc (Hons) RNC, PgDip SPQ -CCN, AFHEA
- Lecturer
College of Health and Society
-
Before joining Buckinghamshire New University in 2025, I worked as a Lecturer in Children’s Nursing at another local University. Prior to moving into higher education, my clinical background was largely community-based, beginning my career as a Community Children’s Nurse. In 2021, I completed a Specialist Practitioner in Community Children’s Nursing Postgraduate Diploma.
Alongside my community experience, I have also worked clinically on a general paediatric ward and as part of a safeguarding children nursing team. I am a Buckinghamshire New University graduate, having completed both my BSc (Hons) in Children’s Nursing and my Specialist Practitioner PgDip at BNU, and I am an Associate Fellow of Advance HE, reflecting my commitment to high-quality teaching and learning in higher education.
-
- BSc (Hons) - Children’s Nursing.
- PgDip Specialist Practitioner Qualification - Community Childrens Nursing.
-
I have a strong interest in simulation-based learning within nursing education and its role in supporting student confidence, clinical decision-making, and patient safety. I am also particularly interested in safeguarding education for undergraduate nursing students, supporting them to enter clinical practice with the knowledge, confidence, and professional awareness required to protect children and young people.
-
I am a registered member of the Nursing and midwifery Council (NMC) and an Associate Fellow of the higher Education Academy.
-
I have introduced a new immersive learning experience for the children’s nursing cohort, working in collaboration with a graphic design team to develop an immersive simulation. This provides students with additional opportunities to practise clinical and communication skills in a safe, supportive simulated environment, helping to build confidence and prepare them for real-world practice.
I am currently part of the International Nursing Students Project led by Helen Ayo-Ajayi.