LORNA GERRISH

I am a registered midwife with extensive clinical experience across the UK, having worked in a range of midwifery practice settings. I trained as a direct‑entry midwife, gaining a First‑Class Honours degree from Canterbury Christ Church University, before commencing practice as a rotational staff midwife at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. During this time, I progressed to Band 6, taking a core role within Antenatal Clinic with a particular focus on supporting vulnerable women.

I subsequently relocated to the North West to take up a position as a caseloading midwife with One to One Midwives NW, an experience that enabled me to develop advanced clinical and relational practice within continuity models. Over time, this led to the adoption of managerial responsibilities and later a clinical triage role within the organisation. Alongside my clinical practice, I began guest lecturing across multiple North West HEIs, which confirmed my interest in education and professional development.

I went on to accept a Midwifery Practice Education Lecturer role at Edge Hill University, where my role has progressively expanded. In addition to core teaching responsibilities, I undertook key roles including Skills and Simulation Lead, Service User and Carer Lead, and Practice Learning Representative, and completed my PgCert in Teaching in Higher Education. During this period, I led Service User Consultation initiatives in response to changing NMC standards, enabling me to design and implement multiple examples of teaching and curriculum innovation across the programme.

My academic leadership has since developed further through appointment as Year of Study Lead, followed by my current role as Programme Lead for the BSc Midwifery (Hons). These roles reflect increased responsibility for programme coherence, student experience, quality assurance and team leadership. I now lead on student support and quality assurance across practice placement areas, working collaboratively with the wider Practice Learning Lecturer team and practice partners to ensure consistency, transparency and a positive student experience.

Alongside these leadership responsibilities, I maintain a strong research focus on optimising student support, preparedness for practice and the teaching of clinical skills, ensuring that my scholarly activity continues to inform and enhance curriculum design, teaching practice and student outcomes.