Dr Nita Muir

Head of the School of Nursing and Allied Health

About

Dr Nita Muir is the inaugural Head of the School of Nursing and Allied Health and is delighted to be pivotal in leading and establishing the new school at the University of Chichester. She is developing a successful multi-disciplinary school and creating a range of inspirational health care practitioner and education programmes with colleagues, service users and carers. Nita is a Registered Nurse and an academic leader who crafts a triangle of practical scholarship in the school whereby the team engages in the generation of theory, practice and research, thus ensuring a provision that is contemporary and innovative.

Nita was awarded her Doctor in Education from the University of Southampton in 2018 and has a research focus in work-related learning, frailty, human factors in decision making, resilience and digital technologies in nurse education. Her successful professional portfolio is extensive; at a national level she has undertaken evaluative consultations for Health Education Improvement Wales, is a member of the British Safety Institute, is an invited expert for validation of nursing courses and is on the editorial board of a national nursing journal. At an international level, Nita has participated in global research and led funded innovation projects to develop sustainable curriculum with colleagues in Zambia, Sweden, Denmark, and China.

Professional

Nita is a member of the Nursing Midwifery Council, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is an Executive Committee member for the National Association for Educators in Practice (naep-uk.org)

Her teaching style is interactive and participatory and she contributes to a range of modules within the BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing Course and continuing professional development activity.

Awarded excellence in facilitating and empowering student learning award from the University of Brighton (2014)

Key Publications

Journal papers

Holland, J & Muir, N. 2021. Evaluating the use of narrative pedagogy in person-centred care and human factors in perioperative practice education. International Journal of Practice Development – IN PRESS

Muir, N. & Byrne, J. 2019. Constructive and negative aspects of social capital in work-related learning networks. Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning 5 Dec 2019

Dunford, M., Muir, N., Teran, P. & Grimwood, M. 2016 Promoting Intercultural Engagement: developing a toolkit for staff and students in Higher Education. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice. 3(3) 41 -45

Sairanen, R.Richardson, E,. Kelly, H,. Bergknut, E,. Koskinen, L,. Lundberg, P,. Muir, N,. Olt, H,. De Vlieger, L,.2013 .Putting Culture in the Curriculum. Nurse Education in Practice. Vol 13, 2. 118 -124

Koskinen, L,. Taylor, H,. Kelly, H,. Bergknut, E,. Lundberg, P,. Muir, N,. Olt, H,. Richardson, E,. 2012. European Higher Health Care Education Curriculum: Development of a Cultural Framework. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. April 3. DOI: 10.1177/1043659612441020

Muir, N, De Vlieger, L,. Koskinen, L. 2012. International Perspectives: Reflections on the Group Processes of a European Intercultural Nurse Education Project. Nurse Educator. March 2012. 37 (2) DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0b013e3182461b44

Law, K. Muir N & Thompson, K. 2010. An evaluation of a European Teacher exchange programme. Nurse Education today. 31 (1) 76 – 81 Accepted 31 March 2010. Available online 31 August 2010. DOI:10.1016/j.nedt.2010.03.020 5

Law, K,. MUIR, N,. 2007. Student learning from international exchanges: processes and outcomes’ Nurse Education in practice. Volume 6, Issue 3, Pages 149-155 DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2005.11.004

Armstrong, S. Bernhauser, S. Brand, S. Clayton, B. Comba, T. Eastcott, D. France, L. Grant, E. Millard, L. MUIR, N, Orr, S. and Smith B. 2005. Managing Assessment: student and staff perspective. Higher Education Academy. May 2005

Muir, N. 2004. Clinical decision-making theory and practice. Nursing Standard. 18 (36) 47 –52

Chapters

Muir, N. 2020. Chapter 9:, Professional responsibilities of the nurse as a health promoter IN Promoting Health and Wellbeing: for nursing and healthcare students (Essentials). Bennet, C. & Lillyman, S. (eds)

Muir, N. Chapter on Critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning. 2010. in Professional Issues in community nursing. Cox and Hill (eds) Wiley publications.

Scientific research conference papers

Muir, N.2021 National Associate for Education in Practice conference How social capital affects practice learning and educational experiences.

Muir, N. 2019 Royal College of Nursing Research conference – Sheffield, UK. Co-collaboration in Case study research.

Hudson, C. Muir, N & Mills, J. 2019

“Valuing collaboration: use of a Q sort method to build resilience for learners through curriculum design” at Enhancing Higher Education through Research conference, University of Brighton

Muir, N. 2018 International Nurse Education Today/Nurse Education in Practice in Banff, Canada – `Sustaining International Partnerships`

Muir, N. 2017 NET Conference, University of Cambridge, UK

a) How a transnational network and social capital can enhance scholarly development for Nurse Educator`s. (CORE paper)
b) The ebb and flow of social capital in a transnational network
c) Student centred pedagogy: the use of Web technologies in the co-construction of knowledge of global health within a BSc (Hons) nursing programme.

Muir, N. 2015 NET Conference, University of Cambridge, UK. Lead for Symposium: Sharing experience of nurse educational partnerships in Africa (UK with Zambia/Ethiopia)

Muir, N. 2015 NET Conference, University of Cambridge, UK. ` What is the impact on educators? A case study of a European nurse education network. Poster and 3minute presentation.

Muir, N. 2013 International council of Nurses – Melbourne, Australia. Partnership capacity building of critical care nursing in Zambia. 6

2011 RCN Education conference – Beyond the Borders, Belfast, UK: Brighton and Lusaka: Partnership working with nurse educators and librarians to support nursing practice developments in Zambia

2010 Teaching and Learning conference: University of Brighton Developing post qualifying education in Lusaka, Zambia.

2010 Teaching and Learning conference: University of Brighton. Developing community health services in Minhang district of Shanghai.

2010 Federation of International Nurse educators Lisbon, Portugal 2010 – Poster presentation on ‘Developing Cultural competence in a health care curriculum’.

Research

Nita’s research interests are broadly related to developing practical scholarship and sustenance in health care and health care education with a focus on resilience, frailty, communities of practice, work-related learning, nursing care (particularly community orientated and human factors), cultural congruence. She is also a reviewer for the International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, Nurse Education in Practice (awarded best reviewer in July 2019) and for International Practice Development Journal. Her research is approach is participatory, impact orientated and co-produced, she welcomes application for supervision.

The following are some examples of her recent research and innovation activity:

2021 Burdett Trust funded Research – Living Well with Frailty Experiences (LiFE) Study (Co-designing person-centred frailty interventions with community-dwelling older people and health professionals), Advisory panel.
2021 Nippising University, Canada – Project lead for UK partner site for International Deteriorating Patient research project assessing learning from virtual reality simulation vs placement learning measures
2019 Using Q-Sort method to frame resilience within learning design for undergraduate nursing students, funded by University of Brighton, Centre for Learning and Teaching grant.
2016 Higher Education Project for Strategic Enhancement programme (funded)– Internationalising the curriculum
2008 Evaluation of European Teacher exchange programme (partially funded by Centre of Nursing and Midwifery Research, University of Brighton) using case study methodology
2011 Developing Post Qualifying Curriculum in Zambia – funded by the British Council and Education Partnerships in Africa.

PhD

Current Supervision:

University of Chichester, Professional Doctorate (Advanced Practice) – theme of work-related learning

University of Brighton, PhD – What is the nature of care that is coproduced between frail older people and district nurses

University of Brighton, PhD – How disadvantaged learners develop resilience.

MSc Supervision examples:

Evaluating Narrative Pedagogy in peri-operative practice (action research project)

Personal tutors’ perception of co-creating and using an interactive blog to supplement existing personal tutoring strategies for undergraduate nursing (action research project)

A case study exploration of simulation of palliative care for children in the community.