From nurse to professor - an academic leap forward for healthcare professionals
Monday 25 March 2024
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A collaboration between Coventry University and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has appointed a nurse into a professorial role for the first time.
In a new development, Liz Deutsch has been conferred to the role of Professor of Nursing Practice within the Research Centre for Care Excellence (CCE), reflecting Liz’s lifetime of clinical and research contribution.
With a career spanning 33 years, Professor Deutsch is a clinical-academic nurse recognised for her expertise in patient discharge, built upon two decades of research, policy development and clinical practice improvements.
Professor Deutsch has pioneered the Selecting Patients for Effective Early Discharge (SPEED TM) programme, a criteria-led discharge initiative which involves identifying and selecting patients who are suitable for being discharged from a healthcare facility earlier than the traditional length of stay.
In addition, she is leading nationwide programmes of work including the National Evaluation of the Professional Nurse Advocate Programme funded by NHS England. The findings influenced the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) education standards and initiatives to better support nurses in practice.
The programme has been extended to 2024/5, supported by additional funding, to explore the outcomes of the Professional Nurse Quality (PNQ) quality improvement efforts. A book is scheduled for publication in March 2025 to document findings from professional nurse advocates throughout England.
Professor Deutsch has also tackled patient-perpetrated violence towards staff, contributing to the development of tools and strategies to address patient aggression directed at healthcare professionals.
Determined to advance nursing knowledge and evidence-based practice, she has encouraged many practicing nurses to translate their audits and research into published outputs with the vision of creating the necessary infrastructure to drive nursing research at all levels.
Considering the CCE’s focus on translating research into practice to enhance patient care, Professor Deutsch’s appointment marks a landmark moment in the centre’s mission to advance the career pathways of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.
Throughout my nursing career, I have always been interested in understanding how we can improve patient care by embedding research at the frontline, so I am truly thrilled to have been appointed a Professor of Nursing Practice at the Centre for Care Excellence with Coventry University and UHCW.
Liz Deutsch, Professor of Nursing Practice, Centre for Care Excellence
Liz’s appointment comes at an exciting time for nursing, with increased emphasis on clinical academic nursing careers and nursing leadership. Her work in relation to the professional culture and support needs for nurses and addressing violence in the NHS has widespread relevance and impact.
Professor Rosie Kneafsey, Director of the Centre for Healthcare and Communities, Coventry University and Strategic Lead for Knowledge and Engagement, Centre for Care Excellence
