Skip to main content

07 September 2021

Dr Mary Malone appointed as Vice Dean (Education) in Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care

Dr Mary Malone will be joining King’s as Professor of Nursing and lead the Faculty’s education from January 2022.

Graphic of education activities

Dr Mary Malone has been appointed as the new Vice Dean (Education) and Professor of Nursing at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care. Over the next five years, Mary will lead a vibrant Education Strategy for the Faculty as part of King’s Strategic Vision to 2029.

Mary Malone

This appointment is a return to King’s for Mary, who will re-join the Faculty following three years as Director of the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery at Oxford Brookes University, which is a partnership between Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Brookes University. 

There she has established ‘Director Rounds’ to meet with students, worked closely with NHS Trusts to champion collaborations between partners, refreshed the curriculum based on student feedback, widening access, and improving equality, diversity and inclusion. Prior to this, Mary was Head of the Department of Adult Nursing and had been at King’s for 20 years.

I am delighted to be welcoming Mary back to King’s in this wonderful development for our Faculty. Mary brings with her a huge amount of experience and a fresh perspective on how we can embrace the challenges and opportunities in health care and education, the integration between research and education and ensure our students, in all sections of our Faculty, and from nursing, midwifery and palliative care are given the very best support and opportunities as they start out and develop in their careers.

Professor Irene Higginson, Executive Dean, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care

Mary’s expertise spans nurse and health visitor education, child and family health promotion, child and family public health and health. She is currently Principal Investigator on the COV-ed Nurse study, a UK-wide investigation into the extent to which nurse education prior to the pandemic prepared nurses for their role in COVID, analysing what works. Mary is a Fellow of the Institute of Health Visiting and is involved in research in this area, including a current study on effective parenting support for vulnerable families, funded by Public Health England. At King’s, Mary was a Research Fellow of the National Nursing Research Unit, which was active between 1977-2015 and produced health service research for policymakers and healthcare leaders.

I am really looking forward to working with Faculty colleagues, our students and NHS partners to prepare excellent clinicians for the 21st century and to deliver the King's Strategic Vision to 2029. I’ve had a great experience as Director of the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery, and I am extremely grateful to my colleagues at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust for the many experiences that role has offered me and for their ongoing support.

Dr Mary Malone, Director of the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery and appointee Faculty Vice Dean (Education)

As Vice Dean (Education), Mary will lead on refreshing the Faculty’s education strategy to maintain and increase the quality and sustainability of education offered. Mary will lead on supporting and encouraging stronger integration between research, education, and care services for the benefit of students, staff, and care practice and boosting our student experience. As well working collaboratively with colleagues and students in the Faculty and wider university, Mary will work closely with hospital and community healthcare services as part of King’s Health Partners and across the Faculty’s broader network of healthcare partnerships. Mary’s role will also involve close working with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and other relevant legislative and statutory bodies, nationally and internationally.

We are delighted to have attracted Mary back to King’s to take on the role of Vice Dean for Education in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care. We are at a critical point in healthcare education and training in general, and nursing and midwifery education in particular and, as such, Mary’s extensive experience and innovation in this field will greatly enhance our ability to offer an outstanding experience to students choosing to come to King’s and our broader healthcare partnerships.

Professor Richard Trembath, Senior Vice President & Provost (Health) and Chief Executive, King’s Health Partners

Mary will take up the role of Vice Dean (Education) in January 2022. You can find out more about her research and activities through the links listed below.

In this story

Richard Trembath

Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners

Irene Higginson

Director of Better Health and Care Futures