Helen Anderson
Qualitative Research Fellow
Profile
Biography
Helen qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1993 and worked in haematology and general medicine, then later moved into primary care. She gained her MSc (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) in 2006. Helen completed a PhD at the University of York, a qualitative study entitled 'Professional identity and the advanced nurse practitioner in primary care'. She has previously worked in the department as a lecturer in advanced practice and is now currently working in the York Trials Unit as a Qualitative Research Fellow.
Helen is interested in nursing and primary healthcare workforce research and has led studies exploring the experiences of nurses working in general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic and cultural and structural issues associated with retention of nurses working in general practice.
In 2024, Helen was given the title of Queen’s Nurse by the community nursing charity, The Queen’s Nursing Institute. The title indicates a commitment to high standards of patient care, learning and leadership
Qualifications
- Registered Nurse
- Non-medical prescriber
- MSc (Advanced Nurse Practitioner)
- PhD
Research
Overview
Helen's research interests include advanced practice, primary care, nursing and professional identity. Her focus is on qualitative research, with a particular interest in ethnography.
Projects
- GenCo Study – Experiences of nurses working in general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic
- GenRet Study - Cultural and structural issues associated with retention of nurses working in general practice
- MEASURE - A national, mixed-methods study to evaluate the impact of High-volume low-complexity surgical hubs in England.
- Rural Coastal Study
Previous projects
Research group(s)
Teaching
Undergraduate
-
Undergraduate Nursing programme: PD2 – qualitative research
Postgraduate
External activities
Memberships
- Member of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- Member of the Academy of Advanced Practice Research UK
- Member of the International Council of Nurses Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse Educational sub-group
- Member of the World University Network (WUN) Network Against Ageism
Invited talks and conferences
- Keynote speaker at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons ‘Exploring Clinical Career Pathways’ event 2023: Presenting research findings on professional identity, portfolio careers for General Medical Practitioners and the experiences of general medical practitioners who work in emergency departments as part of their portfolio career. Potential implications of portfolio careers for workforce retention were explored and the reasons why professional identity is crucial to the development of new roles and models of working was discussed.
Contact details
@DrHelenAnderson