Richard Breakwell is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences.
Richard has been a registered nurse for over 20 years and during this time he has maintained a keen interest in research and teaching related to the care of patients in the acute, hospital setting.
Richard’s research focus is on student learning in both university and clinical practice. His doctoral study explored the factors that influence student progress and how these affect student retention, attrition and overall course satisfaction.
Working closely with practice partners and other local HEIs, Richard develops quality assurance and placement management systems to ensure the quality of learning environment in practice. In partnership with a range of stakeholders across Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell, he designs, implements and coordinates support processes for students and practice assessors. Richard has led several, funded projects to develop placement availability and student support, and he has helped coordinate the introduction of placement circuits, regional practice assessment documents, and placement audit and risk management processes.
With a background in nurse education and theory, Richard is particularly interested in the pedagogy that underpins student learning and how this influences curriculum development.
Richard’s continuing aspiration is to develop the quality of the learning experience in both the university and the clinical setting for the benefit of students, staff and patients.