Sonya MacVicar
Sonya MacVicar

Dr Sonya MacVicar

Associate Professor

 0131 455 2441

  S.MacVicar@napier.ac.uk

  

Biography

Dr Sonya MacVicar is registered with the NMC as an adult nurse, midwife, nurse tutor and independent prescriber with an extensive clinical career spanning a variety of senior roles in the fields of midwifery and neonatal nursing.
Sonya completed her MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice (neonatal) in 2011. She undertook her clinical research doctoral studies as a practitioner researcher conducting a mixed method study using behaviour change theory to develop and pilot an intervention supporting breastfeeding for the substance exposed mother and baby. The study was nominated for NMAHP award for doctoral studies exhibiting originality of ideas which have the potential for significant impact on practice.
Sonya entered academia in 2016 as a lecturer and researcher within the area of maternal and neonatal health and well-being. Her educational remit includes programme leadership roles within advanced nurse practitioner preparation, neonatal nurse development, independent prescribing, midwifery practice and supervision of doctoral and master's level students.
Sonya's research interests include the impact of substance use disorder in pregnancy and neonatal abstinence syndrome. She has published extensively in this area and as part of an international collaboration developed a novel research Core Outcome Set for infants at risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal. Her current pedagogical research includes neonatal education in low resource countries, development of advanced practice roles and the impact of independent nurse prescribing.
Sonya's expertise and professional standing withing the neonatal community is recognised by committee and advisory group representation on national government and educational bodies. Sonya has been commissioned as the midwifery and neonatal advisory consultant for the 2020 BBC drama 'The Nest'.

School

Research Groups

Themes

Research Areas

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Royal College Midwives: Research Strategy Development ( Scotland ) Expert Working Group
  • Tommy's Preterm birth charity
  • NHS Health Scotland: ReHIP project
  • Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: National Neonatal Programme Board

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • Conference panel chair
  • Newborn Vietnam Neonatal Education Conference (panel chair)
  • Edinburgh Napier University Learning, Teaching and Research conference. Poster presentation of Attitudes of healthcare professional towards substance use disorders in maternity setting. Edinburgh, UK.
  • NHS Lothian NMAHPP Conference. Oral presentation of Intervention supporting breastfeeding for the substance exposed mother and baby. Edinburgh, UK.
  • HESAV Midwifery Conference. Oral presentation and workshop of Diversity and approach to perinatal risks in vulnerable groups. Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Edinburgh Napier University Learning, Teaching and Research conference. Oral presentation of Development and feasibility of clinical intervention to support breastfeeding in substance dependency. Edinburgh, UK.
  • Robert Gordon University doctoral student conference. Poster presentation of Supporting breastfeeding establishment among socially disadvantaged women. Aberdeen , UK. (Best poster,2nd prize winner)
  • Reason 21st Annual Neonatal Conference. Oral presentation of IBriS Study: Randomised Controlled Trial. Warwick University, UK. (shortlisted top 3 conference presentations)
  • Doctoral Midwifery Research Society. Poster presentation of Intervention supporting breastfeeding in substance dependency in pregnancy.- University of West Scotland, Ayr UK.
  • Scottish Neonatal Nurses Group annual conference. Oral presentation of Intervention supporting breastfeeding for infant at risk of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Paisley, UK.
  • Robert Gordon University doctoral student conference. Poster presentation of The effectiveness and maternal satisfaction of interventions supporting the establishment of breastfeeding for women from disadvantaged groups. Aberdeen, UK.

 

External Examining/Validations

  • University of Manchester

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • Fellow Higher Education Academy
  • Shortlisted for the 'Originality of Doctoral Research' award at the 2017 Scottish NMAHP Research Awards.
  • Doctoral Research Studentship for NMAHP. Robert Gordon University & NHS Grampian

 

Invited Speaker

  • The Royal Society of Medicine: Invited speaker ' Non-pharmacological management of neonatal abstinence syndrome'. London, UK.
  • Perinatal and Neonatal Endowment Fund Research Forum: Invited speaker 'IBriS study- recommendations for practice'. NHS Grampian, Aberdeen.
  • Robert Gordon University Research Series Seminars: Invited speaker 'Clinical Academic Careers'. Aberdeen, UK.

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • Neonatal Nurse Association
  • Staff and Educational Development Association
  • Scottish Neonatal Nurses Group

 

Research Degree External Examining

  • External examiner: MRes -Understanding prospective fathers’ attitudes towards infant feeding and exploring their role in the infant feeding experience.

 

Reviewing

  • Journal of Midwifery
  • British Journal of Midwifery
  • 'Trials' journal
  • Reviewer for JBI Evidence Synthesis
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
  • Reviewer for Birth Journal
  • Reviewer for 'Midwifery'
  • Reviewer for Maternal and Child Nutrition Journal
  • Reviewer for Journal of Addictions Research
  • Reviewer for Medicines Journal
  • Reviewer for OBM Integrative and complementary medicine
  • Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
  • Reviewer for Joanna Briggs Institute Database of systematic reviews and implementation studies

 

Filter by

Date


26 results

An evaluation of neonatal nurse professional development in Vietnam

Journal Article
MacVicar, S. (2022)
An evaluation of neonatal nurse professional development in Vietnam. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 28(6), 440-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2022.01.001
This is an evaluation of neonatal nurse continued professional development delivered in Vietnam. Course outcomes of participant academic and clinical performance, nurse feedba...

Prescribing within clinical toxicology

Journal Article
MacVicar, S., & Osinski, K. (2020)
Prescribing within clinical toxicology. Journal of Prescribing Practice, 2(12), 674-680. https://doi.org/10.12968/jprp.2020.2.12.674
In 2020, the first clinical toxicology advanced nurse practitioner and independent prescriber post was introduced in the United Kingdom. This article discusses the remit of cl...

A Core Outcome Set for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome

Journal Article
Kelly, L. E., Shan, F., MacVicar, S., Czaplinksi, E., Moulsdale, W., Simpson, S., …Offringa, M. (2020)
A Core Outcome Set for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. Pediatrics, 146(1), https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0018
BACKGROUND: As rates of neonatal opioid withdrawal are increasing, the need for research to evaluate new treatments is growing. Large heterogeneity exists in health outcomes r...

Outcome reporting in neonates experiencing withdrawal following opioid exposure in pregnancy: a systematic review

Journal Article
Shan, F., MacVicar, S., Allegaert, K., Offringa, M., Jansson, L. M., Simpson, S., …Kelly, L. E. (2020)
Outcome reporting in neonates experiencing withdrawal following opioid exposure in pregnancy: a systematic review. Trials, 21(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-4183-9
Background Neonatal withdrawal secondary to in utero opioid exposure is a growing global concern stressing the psychosocial well-being of affected families and scarce hospital...

Optimising the continuity experiences of student midwives: an integrative review

Journal Article
Moncrieff, G., MacVicar, S., Norris, G., & Hollins Martin, C. J. (2021)
Optimising the continuity experiences of student midwives: an integrative review. Women and Birth, 34(1), 77-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2020.01.007
Background: In several countries, midwifery students undertake continuity of care experiences as part of their pre-registration education. This is thought to enable the develo...

Advanced practice for children and young people: A systematic review with narrative summary

Journal Article
Hyde, R., MacVicar, S., & Humphrey, T. (2020)
Advanced practice for children and young people: A systematic review with narrative summary. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(1), 135-146. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14243
Aim To critically appraise and synthesise the current evidence related to the advanced practice nurse (APN) in the children and young people's healthcare setting. Background ...

HCP attitudes

Presentation / Conference
MacVicar, S. (2019, May)
HCP attitudes. Poster presented at 2nd National NMAHP Conference: Beyond Boundaries - Inspiring Change, Edinburgh

Systematic mixed‐study review of nonpharmacological management of neonatal abstinence syndrome

Journal Article
MacVicar, S., & Kelly, L. E. (2019)
Systematic mixed‐study review of nonpharmacological management of neonatal abstinence syndrome. Birth, 46(3), 428-438. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12427
Background: Neonatal abstinence syndrome is a multi-system disorder resulting from exposure to maternal addictive substance use in pregnancy. Withdrawal is characterized by ne...

Systematic review of tube-fed preterm infants in the home supported within a family-centered program

Journal Article
Menczykowski, L., MacVicar, S., Moylan, A., & Hollins Martin, C. J. (2018)
Systematic review of tube-fed preterm infants in the home supported within a family-centered program. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 24(6), 297-305. doi:10.1016/j.jnn.2018.06.006
There is a growing need and demand to redesign neonatal services to place a focus on family-centered care provided locally. Early discharge training programs that prepare pare...

Breastfeeding and the substance-exposed mother and baby

Journal Article
Forbes-McKay, K. E., MacVicar, S., & Humphrey, T. (2018)
Breastfeeding and the substance-exposed mother and baby. Birth, https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12338
Background: Breastfeeding rates are typically low for women with a substance use disorder. This is despite the specific benefit of breastfeeding to alleviate the severity of n...

Pre-Napier Funded Projects

  • NHS Grampian Perinatal and Neonatal Endowment fund : IBRIS study: Intervention supporting breastfeeding for substance exposed mother and baby. Total funding £18,900

Current Post Grad projects

Previous Post Grad projects

Non-Napier PhD or MSc by Research supervisions

  • External supervisor-doctoral study