glasgow caledonian university, department of nursing and community health
WHO Collaborating Centre for nursing & public health education & research

DIRECTORS
Dr. Gordon Hill

STAFF
Dr. Val Ness
Tom McAlear

Under WHO’s leadership and as requested, to assist WHO in identifying models of good nursing
education and practice, collecting evidence to support evidence-informed decision making, and
providing technical advice related to the respective area.

Under WHO’s leadership and at its request, to assist WHO in its work with Member States in the
WHO European Region in strengthening nursing and public health education at national, regional
and global levels.

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

We are GCU Nurses, “Improving lives for the Common Good, through education & research”, working as the University for the Common Good.

    • Negotiating new Terms of Reference for Re-designation (Oct 2020).
    • Participate in meeting with WHO EURO Regional Office & other CCs to be briefed on European HQ restructuring & new Programme of Work (Feb 2021).
    • Participate in discussion with WHO EURO to plan delivery of our ToR related to technical support for developing a Roadmap for the implementation of the European Strategic Directions for Nursing & Midwifery (March 2021).
    • Attend 2-day on-line meeting with WHO EURO Office & other CCs, Regional CNOs, EFNNMA to discuss ‘Taking stock of COVID-19’, ‘Priorities for N&M in the EURO Region’.
      Facilitated group discussion on education within the Roadmap.
    • Our Research Centre for Health (https://www.gcu.ac.uk/reach/) is now part of our CC activity and conducts research in the areas of Public Health (Sexual health & blood borne viruses; Infection prevention; Substance use; Child & adolescent health; Ageing well) and Managing Long Term Conditions (NCDs) of Stroke; Musculoskeletal health, including pain; Vision sciences; biosciences; (https://www.gcu.ac.uk/research/covid-19/).

ANNUAL REPORT 2020

We are GCU Nurses. Our ethos is “improving lives through education”, working as the University for the Common Good.

    • We are a member of the Global Network of WHOCC, currently the EURO Regional Executive Committee representative, thus we participate in quarterly GN Executive Committee teleconferences.
    • The GCU WHO CC identified academic colleagues who can contribute to or review the evidence based developed for the WHO State of the Worlds Nursing Report. The WHO CC Director has submitted a review report and recommendations in relation to the SOWN section on the nurses’ role in Infection Prevention & Control and Antimicrobial resistance
    • Our Community Nursing team reviewed and provided feedback on the Nursing Competencies for Primary Care being developed by WHO EURO colleagues.
    • MCFARLAND, A., MACDONALD, E. 2019. Role of the nurse in identifying and addressing health inequalities. Nursing Standard. 34 (4), pp37-4. DOI: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11341 https://journals.rcni.com/nursing-standard/evidence-and-practice/role-of-the-nurse-in-identifying-and-addressing-health-inequalities-ns.2019.e11341/abs
    • Booth J, Aucott L, Cotton S, et al. ELECtric Tibial nerve stimulation to Reduce Incontinence in Care homes: protocol for the ELECTRIC randomised trial. Trials 20, 723 (2019) doi:10.1186/s13063-019-3723-7
    • Hickman M, Dillon JF, Elliott L, et al. Evaluating the population impact of hepatitis C direct acting antiviral treatment as prevention for people who inject drugs (EPIToPe) – a natural experiment (protocol). BMJ Open 2019;9:e029538. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2019-029538
    • Courtenay, M., et al., 2019. Development of consensus based international antimicrobial stewardship competencies for undergraduate nurse education. Journal of Hospital Infection. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2019.08.001
    • Benson, G, Roberts N, McCallum, J (2019) Development of an Alcohol Withdrawal Risk Stratification Tool based on Patients Referred to an Addiction Liaison Nursing Service in Glasgow. Drugs and Alcohol Today. https://doi/10.1108/DAT-02-2019-0009
    • Lawrence M, Asaba E, Duncan E, Elf M, Eriksson G, Faulkner J, Guidetti S, Johansson B, Kruuse C, Lambrick D, Longman C, Hornnes A, von Koch L, Wang X, Lennon O. Stroke secondary prevention, a non-surgical and non-pharmacological consensus definition: Results of a Delphi study BMC Research Notes, 12:823 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4857-0
    • Simpson R, Byrne S, Ramparsad N, Lawrence M, Booth J, Mercer S. Mindfulness-based interventions for physical symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis – a systematic review and meta-analysis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders [IF: 2.957] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2019.101493
    • King, C., Grandison, T., Cawthorne, J., Currie, K. (2019). Patient experience of hospital screening for Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE): a qualitative study. Journal of Clinical Nursing. DOI: 10.1111/jocn.14982
    • Currie, K., King, C., McAloney, K., et al. (2019). Barriers and enablers to meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus admission screening in hospitals: a mixed-methods study. Journal of Hospital Infection, 101:1, pp. 100-108. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30098382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2018.08.006
    • We held an international nursing summer school in July/August 2019. There were 20 attendees from China and the USA. Attendees were with us for either 2 or 3 weeks and were exposed to the full scope of the role of nurses in the UK. Attendees received academic credit based on an assessment they completed at GCU.
    • We received a delegation of 10 nurses from Seitoku University in Japan in Feb 2020. They were in the UK to meet with us to plan for a potential 2 day programme for between 60-80 student nurses in Feb 2021.

GCU’s Research Strategy employs the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for both discipline-led and inter-disciplinary research within and across all academic units. We seek to address the goals via three societal challenges: Inclusive Societies, Healthy Lives and Sustainable Environments, supported by a set of research themes and groups in Schools to further promote cross-disciplinary and cross-School working in line with the SDGs. Healthy Lives is the largest area of research at GCU and although the Centre for Living ( https://www.gcu.ac.uk/centreforliving/ ) is based at the School of Health and Life Sciences, it also draws on major research being conducted in other Schools and the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health. Our research and social innovation in relation to the SDGs was recognised in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2019, which assessed universities against the SDGs, and ranked GCU 44th overall in the world out of 500 participating universities in the inaugural rankings.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

Our Centre focuses on providing technical advice in response to requests from the EURO region HQ related to transforming nursing & midwifery education within the region. 

    • Since July: three members of staff attended and presented papers at the GN WHO CC conference in Cairns. 
    • Nov: CC Deputy Director attended EURO meeting between CC’s and EURO CNOs in Athens, discussing transforming nursing & midwifery education across the region. 
    • Feb: CC hosted a study trip from three nurse academics from Kaunas University CC, Lithuania, exploring mentorship preparation and practice. 
    • March: CC Director presented at EURO CNO meeting in Bucharest discussing nursing contribution to reducing antimicrobial resistance

The Glasgow Caledonian University School of Health & Life Sciences has a mission to be “The University for the Common Good” our unique focus is on addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals; a global drive to “end poverty, ensure prosperity for all and protect the planet” by 2030.


Our work in the area of Goal 3, “Good health and well-being”, is aligned to our world-class researchers work within the Centre for Living, focusing on research which contributes to maintaining healthy lives within two key thematic areas; Long-term Conditions and Public Health. Our research groups work in the areas of sexual health & blood borne viruses; infection prevention; substance use & misuse; ageing well; stroke; musculoskeletal health. Please see https://www.gcu.ac.uk/centreforliving/ for further info.