Nicola Jane Roberts
nicola jane roberts

Dr Nicola Jane Roberts

Associate Professor

Biography

Dr Nicola Roberts is an Associate Professor and non-clinical health services researcher in the School of Health and Soclal Care. She is an experienced researcher with an international reputation on the delivery of care for respiratory long term conditions. Nicola is co-lead for research in the nursing subject group, she is a visiting senior lecturer at Kings College and has been an honorary research advisor in long term conditions programme within NHS Lothian.

Funding
Nicola has secured over £500k in competitive funding and won Respiratory Researcher of Year from the Association of Respiratory Nurses (2022). Recent work has focused on smoking behaviours and the impact on health (funded - Association of Respiratory nurses (ARNS) exploring the experiences of nurses exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke when visiting patients at home (PI). A research study funded by the Burdett Nursing Trust (2023) will explore the prevalence of nurses who smoke and digital smoking cessation support (PI). Nicola is also co-investigator for another Burdett project (2023) which involves co-creation of a Continuing Professional Development Toolkit to enable pre-registration nursing students acquire the skills and knowledge to enable individuals with learning disabilities to self-manage respiratory health issues.

Research areas
Nicola has an interest in the use and implementation of digital technologies in respiratory care, she was a co-investigator on a Scottish Inward Investment catalyst fund project from the Scottish government led by Professor Porter Armstrong (2022), she is a collaborator on a European Respiratory Society clinical research collaboration (2022) on moving multiple digital innovations towards connected respiratory care. She was also a specialist committee member for a recent National Institute for Clinical Excellence Early Value Assessment on digital pulmonary rehabilitation technologies for adults with COPD.

Work led by Nicola carried out during the COVID pandemic focused on the health and wellbeing of respiratory nurses working in the frontline, this received significant publicity and she was invited to present the findings at meeting of the Scottish Government Lung Health Cross Parliamentary Group, LCNUK RIG (2022), ARNS annual conference (2020) and the programme of work was included in the CNO (in full) England nurse portfolio. In total 4 publications arising from this work were published in top-rated respiratory and nursing journals (BMJ Open Respiratory Research, Respiratory Medicine, Journal of Clinical Nursing, Nursing Times) as well as 4 blogs/articles (Evidence base Nursing, The Alliance, Media Planet [guardian], The Conversation).

Her research spans across all healthcare interactions in respiratory healthcare from diagnosis to end of life care. An area of focus has been the delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation, a well evaluated intervention for respiratory conditions. Her work has explored how the education component of pulmonary rehabilitation is delivered to patients, she received knowledge exchange funding from ENU to explore patients' experience of what they want to be taught (2022). She has been invited to speak at a symposium at the American Thoracic Society in San Diego (2024) on tailoring patient education for those with different needs and the findings from the ENU funded knowledge exchange project have also been accepted for an oral presentation. Nicola has been an invited lecturer to conferences held in the UK, Singapore the United States, and has chaired symposia at conferences organised by the British Thoracic Society, Association of Respiratory Nurses and others.

Professional activities
Nicola is co-lead for the pulmonary rehabilitation specialist advisory group for the British Thoracic society. She also contributes and leads components of the BTS pulmonary rehabilitation fundamentals and advanced pulmonary rehabilitation courses. She was a member of the British Thoracic Society pulmonary rehabilitation clinical statement group at the (published 2023). She is a member of the Scottish Government short life working group for pulmonary rehabilitation (2023), a member of the National Respiratory Audit Programme (NRAP) pulmonary rehabilitation advisory group, and a member of the BTS Pulmonary Rehabilitation professional framework working group.
She is a member of conference organising committee within the Pulmonary Rehabilitation assembly in the American Thoracic Society (ATS). She has had similar roles for the BTS and ARNS. She is also an editorial board member Nature Publishing Journal - Primary care Respiratory Medicine.
She was a steering group member for the International Coalition of Respiratory Nurses (ICRN), contributing to several publications, and high profile presentations at international respiratory conferences. Nicola is a member of Asthma + Lung UK Research Review Panel (RRP) for their new Healthcare professional PhD bursary awards (2024).

She has recently spearheaded the launch, with colleagues at Southampton and Bournemouth universities, of an academic respiratory research alliance network (ARRA) to bring together non-medical respiratory researchers to provide collaborative opportunities information, guidance and signposting for researchers.

Publications
Nicola has written numerous peer-reviewed abstracts and publications in the top-rated respiratory journals including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Thorax, European Respiratory Journal and Respiratory Medicine.

Post graduate supervision
She has supervised more than 30 MSc students, and has 6 PhD completions to date. She has 5 current PhD students, 2 of which are funded ENU studentships (one as DoS)
•the impact of anterior chest wall deformity in a paediatric population
•Co-design of educational resources for children and young adults with asthma to manage their condition independently
•Exploration and development of asthma and respiratory self-management strategies for young people with intellectual disabilities
•Identifying potential opportunities and challenges of using a therapeutic music technology to support home-based singing activities for individuals with COPD
Nicola welcomes contact from potential collaborators and research students.

Themes

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • NICE Medical Technologies Advisory Committee (MTAC) - Early Value Assessment: Digital pulmonary rehabilitation technologies for adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Invited member of the UK pulmonary rehabilitation advisory group for NRAP
  • Invited member of the BTS Professional Framework for Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • British Thoracic Society Pulmonary rehabilitation Co-chair specialist advisory group
  • British Thoracic society Pulmonary Rehabilitation clinical statement group
  • Session chair - Association of Respiratory Nurse specialists -Karen Heslop – Marshall and Nicola Roberts –Vaccinations –
  • American Thoracic Society PR Assembly Self-Management working group
  • Reviewer - HSJ Value awards Respiratory Care Initiative of the Year (2020, 2021)
  • education and research subcommittee Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists (UK)
  • Clinical statement - British Thoracic Society Clinical Statement on Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Member of the American Thoracic Society – outcomes advisory group (PR assembly)
  • Scotland lead education and career subcommittee - Association of Respiratory Nurse specialists
  • Digital Strategy Working Group British Thoracic Society
  • SIGN/BTS British guideline on the management of asthma - Asthma priorities: influencing the agenda

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • Session chair: International Primary care respiratory conference, Athens -Poster Session 5: Skill and solutions
  • Session facilitator - American Thoracic Society B69, PULMONARY REHABILITATION: COVID-19, CRITICAL ILLNESS, AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
  • Session chair: International Primary care respiratory conference, Athens - Conversation Café 3 - Upskilling in health delivery
  • Invitation to co- chair a workshop proposal for International American Thoracic Society conference 2024 - educational component of pulmonary rehabilitation
  • Co-chair of a symposium application for the American Thoracic Society conference (International) - "Pulmonary rehabilitation - keeping the wheel rolling forward"
  • BTS winter meeting (International) - Session chair -“The drugs do work!” – New treatments in cough (Wed 22nd Dec)
  • Invitation to be a committee member for an International ATS PR workshop on 'training the future PR leaders and referrers'
  • Member of the American Thoracic Society (International) PR Assembly conference organising committee
  • Member of the conference organising committee PR Assembly American Thoracic Society (International)
  • Poster discussion chair - British Thoracic Society winter meeting (International)– Poster discussion chair with Dr Frances Grudzinskas - Lessons from COVID-19
  • Poster discussion chair - British Thoracic Society winter meeting (international)Dec 2019 – Poster discussion chair with Professor Lorcan McGarvey Clinical studies in COPD: new evidence to guide practice
  • Science and Research committee British Thoracic society

 

Editorial Activity

  • Nature portfolio journal (NPJ )Primary care Respiratory Medicine

 

External Examining/Validations

  • Understanding the beliefs and behaviours of adults presenting to the Emergency Department with asthma with a view to developing guidance for a medication optimisation intervention - Imogen Skene (QMUL)
  • PREDICTING PEAK INSPIRATORY FLOW RATE FROM MULTIPLE INDICATORS IN ASTHMA. - Andrew Booth Edge Hill University PhD transfer
  • PhD examiner - EXPLORING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF LIVING WITH ADVANCED CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE ATTENDING PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES
  • PhD Examiner - Anxiety and Depression in Severe Asthma
  • Exploring the psychosocial impact of patients living with advanced COPD attending palliative care services, University of west of Scotland (PhD)
  • Anxiety and Depression in Severe Asthma, University of Newcastle (Australia) (PhD)
  • PhD examination examiner - An Exploration of Employment Factors in Working Age People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • Association of Respiratory Nurses Bursary - for attendance at the international ATS conference
  • Association of Respiratory Nurses - Bursary award to attend the International American Thoracic Society conference
  • Respiratory Researcher of the Year - Association of respiratory nurse specialists
  • Runner up poster ARNS conference – how respiratory disease is taught to nursing students
  • Runner up ARNS Annual conference - Engagement with self-management in patients with COPD attending community pulmonary rehabilitation using the patient activation measure

 

Grant Reviewer

  • Grant reviewer for various organisations including: MRC, NIHR HSR&D, NIHR Systematic review Programme, Health and Care Research Wales Research for Patient and Public Benefit, Chief Scientist Office -Health Services and Population Health Research Committee

 

Invited Speaker

  • Understanding Pulmonary Rehabilitation research - Teaching session at Coventry university
  • Invited speaker ATS symposium international conference - Completing the Wheel with the Rim - Designing for Digital and Health Literacy
  • British thoracic Society - summer meeting - What do patients want from pulmonary rehabilitation and how can they help us improve delivery particularly to those with health inequalities
  • Scottish Pulmonary Rehabilitation Action group conference - What’s new and exciting in PR research and what has been updated in the clinical guidance
  • Chair session on INEQUALITIES IN PULMONARY REHABILITATION - British Thoracic Society summer meeting
  • Invited speaker - Advanced course in pulmonary rehabilitation - Institute for Lung Health Leicester - The educational component of Pulmonary Rehabilitation and measuring education needs
  • Cross parliamentary group meeting - Nurse's experiences during the pandemic
  • Nursing leadership in the NHS post-COVID around Infectious Disease and Respiratory
  • Invited speaker - British Thoracic Society winter meeting Do we adequately prepare pre-registration nurses for a potential career in respiratory? A review of UK pre-registration respiratory skills and curriculum
  • Scottish Pulmonary Rehabilitation Action Group annual conference
  • Invited speaker Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists
  • Scottish Pulmonary Rehabilitation Action Group annual conference
  • British Society of Rheumatology annual conference
  • Chair - clinical COPD session at the British Thoracic Society winter meeting
  • Non-Medical Prescribing in Respiratory Care
  • CePHaS Digital Apps workshop(NTU Singapore)
  • Scottish Pulmonary Rehabilitation Action Group annual conference
  • Invited Workshop –(with MR Partridge) Electronic asthma action plans Primary care Respiratory Society conference

 

Media Activity

  • #WorldCOPDDayBatonPass
  • EBN Blog - Are we making progress in helping the ‘missing millions’? Is collaboration and unifying voices the key to success?

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • American Thoracic Society
  • Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists
  • European Respiratory Society
  • British Thoracic Society

 

Public/Community Engagement

  • #WorldCOPDDayBatonPass 2023

 

Reviewing

  • Invited journal reviewer for CHEST (IF:5.854), European Respiratory Journal open research (IF: 1.0), Respiratory Medicine (IF:2.585), British Journal of Health Psychology, (IF: 2.895) Journal of COPD (IF:2.310), Trials Journal (IF:2.21), Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (IF:2.085), International Journal of Nursing Practice ( IF:0.881), Journal of Public Health (IF: 1.993), Heart & Lung - The Journal of Acute and Critical Care (IF: 1.73),World Allergy Organization Journal, Acta Dermato-Venereologica (IF: 3.65), npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine (IF:1.00), HRB Open Research

 

Visiting Positions

  • NHS Lothian Long Term Conditions Programme (NHS Honorary contract)

 

Date


48 results

Using Telemedicine to Provide Education for the Symptomatic Patient with Chronic Respiratory Disease

Journal Article
Blackstock, F. C., & Roberts, N. J. (2021)
Using Telemedicine to Provide Education for the Symptomatic Patient with Chronic Respiratory Disease. Life, 11(12), Article 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121317
Technology-enabled learning, using computers, smartphones, and tablets, to educate patients on their respiratory disease and management has grown over the last decade. This sh...

Informing future nursing: An exploration of respiratory teaching in the pre-registration nurse curriculum

Journal Article
Roberts, N., Welch, L., Kelly, C., & Lippiett, K. (2021)
Informing future nursing: An exploration of respiratory teaching in the pre-registration nurse curriculum. Nurse Education in Practice, 57, Article 103254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103254
Aim/objective The aim is to examine and map the respiratory skills taught in the pre-registration nursing curriculum (2010). Background Respiratory assessment and care are fu...

Experiences of nurses caring for respiratory patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey study

Journal Article
Roberts, N. J., Kelly, C. A., Lippiett, K. A., Ray, E., & Welch, L. (2021)
Experiences of nurses caring for respiratory patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey study. BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 8(1), Article e000987. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2021-000987
Background: Nurses have been at the forefront of the pandemic response, involved in extensive coordination of services, screening, vaccination and front-line work in respirato...

How is the education component of pulmonary rehabilitation delivered in practice––Is it patient‐centred?

Journal Article
Roberts, N. J., Kidd, L., Kirkwood, K., Cross, J., & Partridge, M. R. (2021)
How is the education component of pulmonary rehabilitation delivered in practice––Is it patient‐centred?. Clinical Respiratory Journal, 15(7), 835-842. https://doi.org/10.1111/crj.13371
Objectives Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) involves a significant component of education, but little has been published on what educational content is covered or how it is deliv...

Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Immune System, Vaccination and Risk of Community-Acquired Infectious Disease in the General Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal Article
Chastin, S. F. M., Abaraogu, U., Bourgois, J. G., Dall, P. M., Darnborough, J., Duncan, E., …Hamer, M. (2021)
Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Immune System, Vaccination and Risk of Community-Acquired Infectious Disease in the General Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 51(8), 1673-1686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01466-1
Background Regular physical activity is the prime modality for the prevention of numerous non-communicable diseases and has also been advocated for resilience against COVID-19...

Levels of resilience, anxiety and depression in nurses working in respiratory clinical areas during the COVID pandemic

Journal Article
Roberts, N., McAloney-Kocaman, K., Lippiett, K., Ray, E., Welch, L., & Kelly, C. (2021)
Levels of resilience, anxiety and depression in nurses working in respiratory clinical areas during the COVID pandemic. Respiratory Medicine, 176, Article 106219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2020.106219
Background The delivery of healthcare during the COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on front line staff. Nurses who work with respiratory patients have been at the fo...

Informal carers and peer support in pulmonary rehabilitation: an underutilized resource?

Journal Article
Patel, S., Man, W. D., & Roberts, N. J. (2020)
Informal carers and peer support in pulmonary rehabilitation: an underutilized resource?. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 14(3), 213-218. https://doi.org/10.1097/spc.0000000000000517
Purpose of review The aim of this review is to discuss the recent literature relating to the involvement of informal carers and peer support in pulmonary rehabilitation. Rec...

Development of an alcohol withdrawal risk stratification tool based on patients referred to an addiction liaison nursing service in Glasgow

Journal Article
Benson, G., McPherson, A., McCallum, J., & Roberts, N. (2019)
Development of an alcohol withdrawal risk stratification tool based on patients referred to an addiction liaison nursing service in Glasgow. Drugs and Alcohol Today, 19(4), 241-250. https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-02-2019-0009
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an alcohol withdrawal syndrome risk stratification tool that could support the safe discharge of low risk patients from the eme...

Severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome: review of the literature

Journal Article
Benson, G., Roberts, N., McCallum, J., & McPherson, A. (2019)
Severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome: review of the literature. Drugs and Alcohol Today, 19(4), 306-315. https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-10-2018-0051
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify published literature from a general hospital setting that may highlight variables implicated in the development of severe alco...

The acceptability of screening for Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE): cross-sectional survey of nursing staff and the general publics’ perceptions

Journal Article
Currie, K., King, C., McAloney-Kocaman, K., Roberts, N. J., MacDonald, J., Dickson, A., …Price, L. (2018)
The acceptability of screening for Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE): cross-sectional survey of nursing staff and the general publics’ perceptions. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 7(1), Article 144. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-018-0434-x
Background Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has spread rapidly and presents a growing challenge in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) management internationally. S...

Non-Napier PhD or MSc by Research supervisions

  • The Functional Fitness MOT for Community-dwelling Older Adults in Thailand - - Warin Rakkamon
  • The Functional Fitness MOT for the community-dwelling older adults in Thailand: Feasibility and Effectiveness (GCU, F/T student, with Dawn Skelton, Philippa Dall ) - Warin Rakkamon
  • Understanding factors that influence the effectiveness of Learning Disability Nursing Interventions: A Realistic Evaluation (PhD)
  • Can risk stratification for Alcohol withdrawal reduce hospital admissions? (Prof Doctorate, passed)
  • An exploration of how, and in what circumstances, Scottish public health policy addresses inequalities in people with cardiovascular disease (CVD). (PhD, passed)
  • What are the influences on non-medical prescribing? A study using Q-methodology (Prof Doctorate, passed)
  • Social Prescribing of Music Interventions: Develop Understanding of the Implementation, the Evaluation, and the Impact of Socially Prescribed Music Intervention