Meet the Team
Jacqueline Johnstone
Forum Chair
Biography coming soon
Avanelle Ogundipe
Senior Lecturer in Children's Nursing
Avanelle is a Senior Lecturer in Children's Nursing experienced in teaching both undergraduate and post graduate students. Teaching responsibilities have included Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmacology, Diabetes and Equality and Diversity.
As a result of her role within higher education she has insight into public health, health inequalities, Pharmacology and health needs for children and young persons among other areas relevant to specialist care.
As a law graduate she has a keen appreciation of the legal implications in the delivery of care.
Avanelle's interests include introducing creative teaching approaches involving digital applications as well as contributing to inclusive practice in patient care. Avanelle is a peer reviewer for Journal of Child Healthcare. Her clinical background includes general medicine, haematology, research, clinical education and management.
Within the forum she would work towards promoting a closer relationship with our members ensuring that their priorities are heard and met. She looks forward to contributing to resources that continue foster a safe and informed workforce. It’s also about keeping at the forefront the commitment of our members and highlighting the consistent value they bring as they continue to provide quality care.
Sam Palmer
Sam is a newly registered nurse, working on a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Coming from 12 years living in Norfolk working in various non-registered care roles, Sam went off to study BSc (Hons) in ChildrenÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s Nursing as a mature student in London, at the very beginning of the pandemic.
Flash forward 3 (and a bit) years Sam is now embarking on new adventures and a lifelong dream of working in the Southwest in NICU, where she is excited to grow and learn as she navigates the NRN journey.
Sam believes that the CYP specialist care forum has a diverse membership and she hopes to represent her colleagues and peers in early career nursing within CYP specialist care.
Being passionate about how we can improve the space for our patients, families and our peers to have their voices heard, throughout my studies, Sam really hopse to build on this professionally and within the forum.
Sam is here to engage with as many of the forum, and potential members, as possible. She would like to help create space, alongside the committee team, to highlight your voices and that of specialist CYP nursing. Sam truly believes: together we really can improve outcomes for our patients and for ourselves, whilst creating and fostering an evolving, nurturing environment that others want to join.
X (Twitter):
Emma Thistlethwayte
Biography coming soonContact
Carli Whittaker: Professional Lead
Carli has been appointed as the Head of Nursing Practice - Children and Young People (CYP) in the Nursing Practice Academy of the RCN Institute of Excellence.
Being Australian and having completed her Nursing Degree at Sydney University, Carli has utilised nursing to travel and gain extensive international clinical experience in a variety of fields before finding her passion in ChildrenÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s Nursing and Paediatric Critical Care (PCC).
Carli completed her MSc Advanced Nursing in 2012 in comparing educational approaches in achieving clinical competence. Carli is currently undertaking her PhD in the exploration of childrenÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s nurses and the retention challenges faced. Carli was the PCC Educator for 11 years at Nottingham ChildrenÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s Hospital prior to her role as Director of Clinical Skills (Associate Professor) in the School of Health Sciences (SHS) at University of Nottingham. Carli has also had roles as the Consultant Editor for RCNi Nursing Children and Young People and as the TOC21 Chief Examiner for ChildrenÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s Nursing.
CarliÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s clinical interest and expertise predominantly focuses on Paediatric Critical Care but is extremely passionate about all professional nursing issues whilst advocating for children and young people and childrenÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s nurses.
Carli is passionate about research, teaching and learning and has extensive knowledge and skills in delivering professional education. She works in collaboratively in partnership with the NHS, private and independent sector, and professional, statutory and regulatory bodies.
Carli's priorities for the coming months are:
- supporting and empowering the CYP workforce
- exploring the challenges of mental and physical health of CYP and their families to who care is provided
- ensuring all our work is considered from an equality, diversity, and inclusion perspective.
To enable progress in these priority areas she will:
- Listen to, learn from, encourage, and work with RCN members to provide support and guidance to enable the delivery of crucial and contemporary CYP work.
- Work collaboratively with all teams to ensure the challenges facing CYP, their families, and the workforce supporting them, are acknowledged and prioritised.
- Collaborate to ensure the CYP nursing voice is heard; whilst utilising expertise to influence and create change at strategic levels to shape service provision and priorities at a local, national, UK and international level.
Page last updated - 24/12/2024
