Shauna Gnanapragasam

Shauna qualified as a Registered Adult Nurse in 1993 before gaining registration as Midwife in 1999. She has an interest in teaching clinical skills and widening participation in midwifery education.

[email protected]

Twitter: @shaunaac_shauna

Background

Shauna worked in the North East of England as a nurse and then midwife for 9 years before moving to Cambridge in 2008, where she continued to work as a midwife. She has extensive midwifery experience working in different maternity settings, and has an interest in both promoting normality, and care for those experiencing complexities in their pregnancies. Throughout her career Shauna has always enjoyed teaching and supporting junior members of staff and students.

In 2014 she became a member of the Practice Development team in a large teaching hospital. This role involved supporting students, junior members of staff and colleagues within the multidisciplinary team, to gain confidence with evidence-based midwifery practice. Since 2015 Shauna has worked in Higher Education both as a Clinical Skills Tutor and Senior Lecturer in Midwifery.

Research interests

Shauna achieved an MSc in Advanced Midwifery Practice in 2012. She conducted a qualitative study exploring ‘the experience of midwives caring for mothers who misuse substances in pregnancy’.

Now working towards a Professional Doctorate in Education Shauna is exploring different entry routes into midwifery and overall achievement on the course. This quantitative study has led to an interest in widening access to midwifery education.

Teaching

• BSc (Hons) Midwifery – all fields of Midwifery

Qualifications

• MSc Advanced Midwifery Practice – Anglia Ruskin University
• Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning (Higher Education) - Anglia Ruskin University
• BSc (Hons) Midwifery – University of Northumbria at Newcastle
• RN Diploma of Nursing – University of Northumbria at Newcastle

Memberships, editorial boards

• NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) Qualified Teacher status
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Selected recent publications

Gnanapragasam, S. 2024. The influence of ethnicity on assessments and academic progression in a midwifery degree. British Journal of Midwifery, 32 (2) pp58-63.

Gnanapragasam, S. 2024. Ethnicity and Academic Success in a Pre-Registration Midwifery Education Programme. The Practising Midwife, 27 (2) pp22-26.

Gnanapragasam, S. 2023. The influence of route of entry on a pre-registration midwifery education programme. The Practising Midwife. 26 (2) pp26-30.

Gnanapragasam, S and Wallis-Redworth, M. 2017. Neonatal Drug administration. In Lindsay, P., Bagness, C., Peate, I., (Eds). Midwifery skills at a Glance. London: Wiley Publications.

Gnanapragasam, S and Wallis-Redworth, M. 2017. Neonatal Capillary Blood Sampling. In Lindsay, P., Bagness, C., Peate, I., (Eds). Midwifery skills at a Glance. London: Wiley Publications.

Recent presentations and conferences

Gnanapragasam, S. 2022. The influence of route of entry on academic achievements and attrition in a Pre-registration Midwifery Higher Education Programme. University of Hertfordshire, HSK Research Conference 2022. Awarded First Prize.