Claire Wilson
Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing
Department of Nursing and Community Health
Claire qualified as a Registered Mental Health Nurse with a Diploma in Mental Health Nursing in 2000. In 2008 she gained a BSc in Health Studies and in 2016 completed a MSc in Advanced Practice (Mental Health).
Claire has a diverse range of clinical practice experience including, older adults with neurodegenerative disease, child and adolescent acute inpatient, forensic child and adolescent community services and adult forensic mental health inpatient services (Low Secure Services at Leverndale Hospital and Medium Secure Services at Rowanbank Clinic).
Claire joined the Directorate of Forensic Mental Health and Learning Disability as a Senior Charge Nurse in 2007. During the subsequent 14-year period, she specialised in working with mentally disordered offenders of both genders within rehabilitation and acute settings. Additionally, Claire was trained in the ‘Intensive Treatment of Sex Offenders’ (ITSO) programme which is a high intensity psychological intervention for individuals who have committed contact and/or non-contact sexual offences. Claire was seconded one day per week for a period of five years to the ITSO service which was jointly delivered by nurses and Clinical Psychologists.
In 2016, she secured a secondment to the NHSGG&C Practice Development Team (South Clyde) which is responsible for providing professional leadership, development and training to all mental health in-patient and community service staff. During this secondment, Claire was selected to undertake the role of Band 7 NHSGG&C lead for a new National project (Improving Observation Programme) which was funded by the Scottish Government and advanced by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). The project involved developing best practice guidance specific to enhanced observations in the clinical areas. In January 2019, the new National best practice guidance was published; ‘From Observation to Intervention - A proactive, responsive and personalised care and treatment framework for acutely unwell people in mental health care’ (HIS, 2019). Claire then supported the development of the new NHSGG&C policy ‘From Observation to Intervention’ to reflect the new best practice guidance.
Claire has always been passionate about teaching and learning within the practice setting and she has had many opportunities to develop this interest locally and board wide. Claire joined GCU in April 2021 and she is very excited about what this new academic adventure will involve going forward.
Special Interests:
Personality Disorders, Misidentification Disorders, Quality Improvement, Sex Offender Treatment, Clinical Risk Assessment/Screening and Risk Management Planning.