About

I am an adult nurse and midwife by background, and have worked in midwifery education since 2001. During this time, I have held a variety of roles such as:

Teacher

Academic Advisor / Personal Tutor

Link Lecturer

Module Lead

Course Lead

Assessment Lead

Lead for Global Reach

Lead Midwife for Education.

 

My experience has allowed me to develop into my current roles as Subject Group Lead for Midwifery and Lead Midwife for Education. Although these roles are mainly strategic, I still enjoy teaching and engaging with students on a regular basis. I am passionate about providing high-quality care to childbearing women and people, and strive to inspire this in others. I am also passionate about working collaboratively with our stakeholders, in particular service users and practice partners - everything we do is for them and with them.

 

My interests include teaching biological sciences and practices surrounding assessments. I have previously created innovative methods of assessment, and am keen to disseminate my practice. I had an article published in the British Journal of Midwifery about innovation in assessment, and have spoken at the International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Congress in Prague, in 2014 about my work in developing biological sciences teaching.

I am currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education, and am focussing on assessment for my research.

My expertise has seen me become a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) and I am also a member for the Royal College of Midwives.

Teaching

Department of Nursing and Midwifery

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences

Midwifery

Courses taught:

BSc (Hons) Midwifery

MSc Midwifery

 

Modules taught:

Sciences for Professional Midwifery Practice

Assessing and Addressing Complexity

Establishing Midwifery Practice

Enhancing Midwifery Practice

Strengthening Midwifery Practice

 

Research

• Health Research Institute

Current doctoral research on the factors influencing midwifery educators when designing methods of assessment.

 

Best R, Coolin K (2021) Lockdown Learners: Student driven improvements to the digital experience. Presentation to Faculty E-Learning Special Interest group (FELSIG) Extra. 13th May 2021

 

Best R (2021) School of Education PGR Conference: Connecting, adapting and moving forward in education research. Conference host, 27th April, 2021. Member of School of Education PGR Conference Committee

 

Spendlove Z, Best R (2018) Innovation in assessment: Building student confidence in preparation for unfamiliar assessment methods. British Journal of Midwifery, Vol 26, No 3, pp 180-184

 

Best R (2017) The use of group debates to assess learning in healthcare education.

Abstract 194 in conference proceedings of the Royal College of Nursing Education Conference, Cardiff, 2017.

 

Best R, Nakielski KN (2015) Interprofessional case-note analysis – developing and enriching learning partnerships in practice.

Presentation at the Royal College of Nursing Education Forum National Conference and Exhibition, 10th March 2015, Nottingham, RCN

 

Best R (2014) Applied Biology in Midwifery Education – a meaningful bridge in the development of knowledgeable, skilled midwives

Abstract C341 in conference proceedings of the International Confederation of Midwives 30th Triennial Congress, Prague, ICM

 

Best R (2014) Applied Biology in Midwifery Education – a meaningful bridge in the development of knowledgeable, skilled midwives.

Concurrent presentation at the International Confederation of Midwives 30th Triennial Congress, 4th June, 2014, Prague, ICM

 

Best R, Ward S (2013) Interprofessional case-note analysis: working and learning together.

Presentation at the University of Nottingham, Interprofessional Practice Learning Team Conference, 6th June 2013, Nottingham

Other activities

Member of the Lead Midwives for Education UK network