Beccy Hewins
Senior lecturer in practice learning
University of Chester
Beccy Hewins is a senior lecturer in practice learning and qualified as a registered nurse in 2000 at the University of Chester. She then worked in vascular and general surgery, critical care and general medicine, before embarking on a role as a practice education facilitator (PEF) at a community hospital. This involved setting up a new service and implementing significant changes to education in the organisation. During this time she completed a BSc (Hons) in professional practice.
Ms Hewins returned to secondary care working as a ward manager in elderly medicine, caring for patients with acute and complex medical problems. In 2006 she started as a PEF in an acute NHS trust and then latterly in a large oncology centre. This involved expansion of placement capacity, supporting students in the practice setting, implementing a preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and allied health professionals. She was the trust lead as one of the trailblazer organisations for the nursing associate programme and care certificate programme. During this time, she was shortlisted twice for Nursing Times awards. In 2017, she won the Outstanding Contribution to Practice Learning award for the development of a multiprofessional induction programme for nursing students and allied health professional students. While working as a PEF, she presented work nationally and internationally.
Ms Hewins joined the University of Chester in 2018, initially as a visiting nurse lecturer and then as a lecturer in practice learning. She works with a variety of practice partners to facilitate the development of high quality, effective and compliant (with regulatory bodies requirements) practice learning environments, which enable students to achieve professional proficiencies. Since starting at the University of Chester she has completed her PG cert, HE in professional education and gained fellowship accreditation with Advance HE. She is also now a senior lecturer in practice learning and near completion of a master’s in professional education.
She enjoys supporting students and continues her visiting lecturer role as an indirect practice assessor for students on their simulated placement experiences in the university. She has been module leader for a variety of modules on pre-registration courses and nursing associate programmes.
She is deputy chair for the PARE Evaluation working group and developed the PARE evaluation framework for practice learning in collaboration with practice partners, academics, students and learners across the Cheshire and Merseyside region.
Beccy Hewins is speaking at the following session on Wednesday 23 October:
Quality and quantity: improving evaluations of practice learning in one region