Heidi Probst

Senior lecturer

Phone 0114 225 4359
E-mail h.probst@shu.ac.uk

Main teaching areas
• breast carcinoma
• research methods

External appointments
• co-chair of the College of Radiographers research group
• chair of the College of Radiographers research funding panel
• member of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) clinical and translational radiotherapy and radiobiology research working group (work stream 3 phase III studies)

Research interests and current work
• research interests
• breast cancer radiotherapy
• radiotherapy workforce
• e-learning
• research design / methodology interests
• randomised controlled trials (authored a chapter in the textbook Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy Research: Skills and Strategies on this topic)

Current work
The development of an e-learning module on breast cancer irradiation for professionals wanting to specialise in breast cancer treatment: A Delphi Method.

Investigating Journal Reading and Literature Searching Practices of Radiation Therapists: An evaluation of the challenges and barriers to identifying evidence for practice development.

Support, Positioning and Organ Registration during Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy: SuPPORT 4 All (Engineering for Life seed corn funding from EPSRC- £13,000)

Work experience/background
I qualified as a therapy radiographer from the Royal London Hospital. Most of my clinical experience was undertaken at Cookridge Hospital in Leeds where I worked as a Superintendent II Radiographer specialising in pre-treatment/simulation from 1993 - 1999.

In 1999 I received a Department of Health Research Fellowship award to complete my PhD 'Investigating Radiotherapy Protocols for Breast Carcinoma: An evaluation of respiratory morbidity, treatment accuracy and efficiency'. DoH grant size £80,929.

In 2001, I joined Sheffield Hallam University as senior lecturer.

Recent publications
•  Probst H, Dodwell D, Gray JC, Holmes M. An evaluation of the accuracy of semi-permanent skin marks for breast cancer irradiation. Radiography 2006; 12(3):186-188.
• Probst H, Griffiths S. Time for a Change: Is it Time to Consider Job Redesign for Therapy Radiographers? Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol ) 2007; 19(3):S43.
• Probst H, Griffiths S. Retaining Therapy radiographers: What's so special about us? Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice 2007; 6(1):21-32.
• Probst H, Griffiths S. Job satisfaction of therapy radiographers in the UK: Results of a phase I qualitative study. Radiography 2009; 15(2):146-157.
• Probst H, Harris R. Getting started with research. Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice 2009; 8(02):57-65.
• Probst H, Eddy D, Doughty J, Hodgson D. Integrating E-learning into Postgraduate Radiotherapy and Oncology: A Case Study. E-Learning and Digital Media 2009; 6(4):364-372.

Sarah Smith

Senior lecturer

Phone 0114 225 5588
Email s.smith@shu.ac.uk

I am currently the course leader for the BSc (Hons) in Radiotherapy and Oncology. I am largely involved in the delivery of the undergraduate and pre registration courses.

I lead the year one module using knowledge and evidence to support study and practice. I also lead the year three interprofessional education module capable collaborative working

I also contribute to the Return to Practice Programme, the Continuing Professional Development Anywhere Programme and our masters courses.

My main teaching areas are the oncology of the lower respiratory system (lung), oncology of the upper digestive and upper respiratory systems (head and neck region) and interprofessional education. I also contribute to the delivery of anatomy, physics and clinical education modules.

My main areas of interest or specialism include head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, service user involvement and quality of life studies. As well as research and development of education, such as retention of students, student support, effectiveness of learning and teaching and assessment strategies.

Other roles
I am a supervisor for students undertaking research projects (dissertations) on both undergraduate and MSc programmes.

I am a member of the Society and College of Radiographers (Professional body).

I am a register practitioner (Therapy Radiographer) with the Health Professions Council.

I represent the Allied Health Professions on the management group of the Trent Universities Interprofessional Learning in Practice (TUILIP) project.

I am an assessor of education for the Approvals and Accreditation Board of the Society and College of Radiographers.

I peer review submissions for publication to the Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice.

My research interests include
• treatment related side effects and quality of life for patients
• the development of inter-professional learning and working
• head and neck oncology and treatment.
• undergraduate student support, recruitment and retention

Barbara Beard

Course leader for MSc and BA (Hons) Supportive and Palliative Care

E-mail b.a.beard@shu.ac.uk
Phone 0114 225 5617

I am the course leader for the MSc Supportive and Palliative Care and BA (Hons) Supportive and Palliative Care. I am also the module leader for the masters level modules, end of life decision making, complex symptom management and advanced communications skills in practice. In addition, I am the module leader for the undergraduate dissertation and the foundations in supportive and palliative care for support workers module.

As a registered nurse, I have previously worked in a wide variety of clinical settings in the UK, Canada and Switzerland. I also work as a bereavement visitor at St Luke's Hospice, supporting bereaved people in their own homes. My special interests include ethics at the end of life, communication and loss and bereavement.

David Green

Professional development facilitator and senior lecturer

Phone 0114 225 5471
E-mail david.green@shu.ac.uk

As a professional development facilitator I support undergraduate, postgraduate and clinical staff education in my clinical department St James’s University Hospital, Leeds.

Working as a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam I am currently involved in undergraduate teaching with the radiotherapy and oncology team as well as inter professional education.

My research interests include
• the use of VERT™ as a training and recruitment resource
• student recruitment
• service user involvement
• student clinical assessment
• CT planning and treatment verification of conformal RT patients

I have just completed an MSc dissertation in health care education, The Influence of VERT™ Characteristics on the Development of Skills in Skin Apposition Techniques. This study investigates the influence of virtual environment characteristics on the development of skills previously honed exclusively in the clinical environment. Specifically the development of the electron treatment skin apposition technique. A specific treatment site was selected on a virtual patient and student performance, in terms of set-up to the treatment site, was determined by dataset software indicators.

Recent publications
Green D, 2009 Climbing the learning curve. Synergy, Aug 2009, p. 4-5.

Catherine Holborn

Senior lecturer

Since July 2003 I have worked as a senior lecturer in radiotherapy and oncology at Sheffield Hallam University. Current key roles include being the course leader for the MSc Radiotherapy and Oncology and lead for several modules as part of this.

My main areas of professional and research interest are based around prostate cancer, paediatric cancer, intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image guided radiotherapy (IGRT).

I am a member of the Specialist Paediatric Radiotherapy Radiographer Interest Group and have worked in partnership with the Prostate Cancer Charity to develop an MSc module in this area. I have also acted as a reviewer for one of their patient information leaflets.

In terms of supporting research, I act as a research supervisor for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am a reviewer for the Faculty’s Dissertation Management Group and reviewer for the Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice.

My own research has focused mainly on the work undertaken for my MSc Radiotherapy and Oncology in 2006. The project title was 'Immobilisation and verification methods for 3D conformal radiotherapy to the prostate: a systematic review of the literature and national survey of UK practice'.

I recently wrote a chapter entitled 'Treatment Verification' in the 2010, 2nd edition of Practical Radiotherapy Physics and Equipment by P Cherry and A Duxbury (editors).

Angela Eddy

Course leader

I joined the teaching team at Sheffield Hallam in 2000, where my main responsibilities have been building an advanced practice framework for radiographers working outside a traditional scope of practice.

I am the course leader for the MSc Advanced Practice in Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the module leader for the expert practice, informed consent in healthcare practice and technical advanced in radiotherapy.

I am currently undertaking a professional doctorate and my research is exploring role extension. I am particularly interested in the diversity of practice and roles at a national and international level. I am also interested in wider workforce issues across the four tier structure, and I represent higher education institutions (HEIs) on the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (workforce theme).

I trained and worked at Leeds, and then moved for a superintendent post to Lincoln. While in Lincoln I was involved in equipment selection and evaluation, designing a new department and planning the relocation of services to the new site. The department was one of the Department of Health (DoH) pilot sites for the four tier structure, and I was involved in the development and implementation of role extension using work based learning in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam.

Recent publications: Peer Reviewed
Eddy. A. Work based learning and role extension: A match made in heaven?  Radiography 2010 Vol 16 issue 2 pg 95-100.

Eddy. A. Advanced Practice for therapy Radiographers – A discussion paper. Radiography 2008 Vol 14 issue 1 pg 24-31

Winter. D. Eddy. A: A pilot study to explore the information and support offered to male breast patients by breast care nurses. Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice 2006 (5) 1-9 ISSN 1460-3969

Kath Steele

Senior lecturer for the MSc and BA (Hons) Supportive and Palliative Care

Prior to entering higher education I had 28 years of clinical practice working in a variety of settings including acute, hospice, community, oncology and palliative care.

My last two posts were Macmillan clinical nurse specialist posts in gynae/oncology and palliative care. My specialist interests are loss and grief, children and loss, sexuality, communication, using high fidelity simulation in palliative care education and Lymphoedema. My latest research project is in fatigue in cancer patients.