Jennifer joined NHS Ayrshire and Arran in April 2019 as Assistant Director of Quality Improvement with a broad portfolio that included QI, Professional Education, Staff, Customer and Person-Centred Care, and the organisation’s Patient Safety Programmes. In August 2020, Jennifer moved into the role of Interim Deputy Nurse Director to provide expert professional clinical leadership and ensure the highest standards of clinical practice are enabled during a period of unprecedented challenge. Between July 2021 and January 2022, Jennifer fulfilled the role of Interim Executive Nurse Director.
Having qualified as a nurse in 1996, Jennifer has had varied career working in many different settings including Orthopaedics and Intensive Care. The majority of her career has been spent in Primary Care with extended roles in health protection, urgent care and supporting people with long term conditions. In 2016 Jennifer joined Scottish Government as Professional Nurse Advisor and Health Improvement Scotland as National Clinical Lead (Nursing) Primary Care.
As Nurse Director Jennifer is accountable for providing vision and direction to the nursing, midwifery and allied health professions workforce; leading the quality, patient safety and public protection agendas; and delivering on quality improvement for the benefit of patients and families by listening to patient, carer and staff experiences.
Specifically, she is the Executive Lead for:
- NMAHP Professional standards of practice
- Healthcare Quality Strategy
- Healthcare Governance
- Scottish Patient Safety Programme and all its branches
- Person Centred Health and Care, including learning and improving from patient and family experience
- Public Protection including child protection, adult support and protection, MAPPA, PREVENT and gender based violence
- Health visiting, Family Nurse Partnership and Looked After Children
- Best Start: 5 year Maternity Improvement Plan
- Infection Prevention & Control
- Whistleblowing
- Professional leadership to Care Homes
- RSA
Jennifer became a Scottish Quality and Safety Fellow in 2018, thereafter successfully completing a Masters in Quality Improvement and in 2021 was delighted to be complete the Royal College of Physicians Quality Governance Collaborative Fellowship.