Mrs Joanne Seal

• Qualifications:RGN RM SCPHN (HV) PGCE Masters in Education Doctor of Education
• Position:Senior Lecturer Specialist Community Public Health
• Department:Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences (HAS)
• Telephone:+441173288510
• Email:Joanne.Seal@uwe.ac.uk

About me

My name is Dr Joanne Seal. I have previously worked in the NHS for 25 years as a Registered General Nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor, Practice Educator and Manager. Within the NHS I have had a variety of roles that have predominately focused on improving children, young people, families and communities' health and wellbeing. Improving health inequalities and working towards social justice has been a dominant theme throughout my career in nursing and very much within a social model of care. Opportunities within the NHS has also led to an interest in wider community public health initiatives and I have previously worked within the national project "The Family Nurse Partnership" led by The Department of Health as well as three years working with the Local Authority in Sure Start/Children Centre Projects. Throughout the NHS facilitating and developing learning and promoting a learning organisation has been paramount and central to all roles. This has given me an excellent underpinning and wide experience of some of the challenges in teaching, learning and assessing in the practice environment.

From 2012 I have worked as a Senior Lecturer in the University West of England on the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Programme and more recemtly became Programe Lead. I am passionate about how we as practitioners can work within public health to reduce health inequalities and ensure the best possible outcomes for all. In my current role I have the privilege of inspiring and enthusing many students across the South West to achieve their potential and to become the best practitioners possible. It is vital that education is accessible to all and that as lecturers we inspire and believe in our students and that through education, we can raise the achievements of society as a whole.

I have completed a Doctorate in Education. My area of interest is compassion and how compassion is cultivated and developed in the health and education sector. Cultivating compassion is key in healthcare and as global citizens. How students' experience compassion in their learning environments may influence their ability to be compassionate. Literature around increasingly toxic environments, of performance and increasing business models in health and education are seen as reducing the connections and relational aspects of life. This may impact on a person's ability to be compassionate and cultivating compassionate citizens more challenging. This is important in view of the current context of mental health issues, particularly in the student population. My thesis explored how students experience compassion from educators in the learning environment, where learning environment is placement and university. Compassion as a concept is much debated, however in my own work this is  integral and embedded in an approach that seeks to see the individual and their context, not as student and consumer. My work in this area is contributing significantly across all aspects of my teaching in terms of reflecting on what is learning, how is this best achieved, how the student experience evolves and how connections and a sense of belonging is embedded. I am increasingly aware of learning theory and the current educational changes impacting at both micro and macro level. I have been surprised by my passion for learning, for education and the opportunity to work in UWE Bristol and inspire students.  

Area of expertise

Educational Pedagogy  - Compassionate Pedagogy 

Assessment and Education in Practice

Publications

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