PROFESSOR BERNIE CARTER – FRCN, PhD, PGCE, PGCE, BSc, RSCN, SRN
Bernie is Professor of Children’s Nursing at the University of Central Lancashire and Director of the Children’s Nursing Research Unit at the Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool. She is also a Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University. Her clinical practice was primarily within neonatal and children’s intensive care and her PhD focused on preterm babies and their pain. She was awarded a RCN Fellowship in 2009.
Bernie’s research interests are eclectic but focus on the impact of pain, chronicity and complex health care needs on the lives and life transitions of children and young people and their families. Bernie’s research is primarily qualitative and child- and family- centred in nature. More specifically, it is narrative, appreciative and collaborative in its approach. She utilises a range of data generation techniques consonant with children’s ways of expression including visual art based techniques and photography as well as interviews, focus groups and workshops. She aims to generate insights into and understandings about children’s lives. She believes that this will assist professionals in providing care that attends to the resilience, competency and capacities of children as well as their concerns and needs.
Bernie has written numerous articles and editorials, written or edited books on pain and children’s nursing and contributed chapters to books. She has an international profile and has presented key notes and papers at conferences in the UK and many places overseas including Canada, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and the Nordic Countries.
Apart from working on her own research and writing she is the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Child Health Care (Sage Publications), Chair of the Royal College of Nursing, Pain in Children & Young People Community and she contributes to various multidisciplinary working parties on children’s pain.
On most days she believes that research is fun and is good for the soul not least because it provides many challenges and opportunities for problem-solving and solution-finding. She tries to pass this passion about research to anyone who will listen to her especially to ‘her’ doctoral students who are undertaking a wide range of child and family related projects.
In her free time she loves to ‘relax’ by going rock climbing, walking, and cycling (on road and mountain bikes). She is learning Pilates and discovering muscle groups she previously didn’t know existed. These activities are good antidotes to research, ethical dilemmas and academic life!
Dr Bernie Carter
Professor of Children’s Nursing
School of Nursing and Caring Sciences
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
01772 893720/3717
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool, L12 2AP
0151 252 3564
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/health/schools/school_of_nursing/bernie_carter_research.php
