Submitted by James Cantwell on Wed, 09/04/2025 - 11:37
The Primary Care Unit (PCU) is delighted to welcome four new ARC Fellows, all early-career Clinical Academic Nurses, who will be leading impactful research projects to advance palliative and community care.
Their fellowships, supported by Dr Ben Bowers and Dr Simon Etkind, highlight the growing strength of clinical academic nursing within our unit. With three out of four fellows working in community nursing, this reinforces our commitment to nurse-led research.
Our new Fellows are based across Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), Hertfordshire, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire, working on innovative projects that will shape future healthcare practices.
Meet Our Fellows & Their Projects
Daisy Jacobs – ARC Impact Fellow
St Nicholas Hospice, Suffolk
Daisy, a community advanced nurse practitioner, is implementing a project enabling trained family members to administer injectable medications with structured support across Suffolk. Supervised by Ben Bowers and Ben Jackson (Health Innovation East).
Nancy Burridge – ARC Impact Fellow
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH)
Nancy, a palliative care clinical nurse specialist, is implementing virtual reality (VR) technology for symptom control in palliative care at CUH, exploring its potential to enhance patient comfort. Supervised by Simon Etkind and Anna Spathis.
Sarah Thompson – ARC Research Fellow
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Sarah, a clinical lead for community palliative care, is conducting a qualitative research project to understand community nurses’ perspective and co-refine an existing clinical decision aid for using injectable symptom control medications in Hertfordshire community nursing services. Supervised by Ben Bowers.
Sian Taylor-Caitens – ARC Research Fellow
Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridgeshire
Sian, a palliative care clinical nurse specialist, is evaluating the Cambridgeshire-wide palliative care hub, assessing its impact and effectiveness. Supervised by Simon Etkind and Richella Ryan.
Our Fellowships
These fellowships demonstrate the increasing presence of clinical academic nurses within the PCU and the positive impact of mentorship and collaboration in securing competitive research funding. We look forward to seeing the progress of their innovative projects and the benefits they will bring to patients, families, and healthcare services.
If you would like more information on how to apply for an ARC Fellowship, read more here.