Northumbria nursing lecturer named Nurse Educator of the Year at prestigious national awards

A Northumbria University academic has been named Nurse Educator of the Year at the British Journal of Nursing Awards 2026 — one of the most prestigious honours in UK nursing.

Dominic Simpson, Assistant Professor of Nursing at Northumbria's School of Healthcare and Nursing Sciences, received the accolade at the national ceremony, which took place at BMA House, in London.

What makes the achievement particularly special is that Dominic is himself a Northumbria graduate — a fact that speaks volumes about the University's commitment to developing healthcare leaders from within its own communities.

A registered nurse with a clinical background in intensive care and emergency medicine, Dominic said the recognition meant a great deal.

"I'm honestly still processing it," he said. "To be recognised in this way, in a field full of so many dedicated and talented educators, means more than I can really put into words. Awards like this don't happen in isolation though — this is a reflection of the students I get to learn alongside every day, and the mentors who have shaped me throughout my career."

Central to Dominic's practice is a belief that education should be genuinely enjoyable. His teaching philosophy is guided by a simple question: what would this look like if it was fun? That ethos is particularly evident in his approach to simulation-based learning, where students are encouraged to be curious, take risks, and learn from mistakes in a safe environment.

"When you design that experience with creativity and playfulness at its core, something shifts," he said. "Students lean in. They engage differently. And the learning sticks."

Among the innovations that have defined his teaching career is the Acute Care Escape Room — a simulation exercise now adopted by three universities and experienced by more than 500 students, with 93 per cent rating it highly effective and reported confidence scores rising from 6/10 to 9/10. A redesigned pharmacology module produced summative assessment scores 28 per cent higher than those of previous cohorts, while the nursing apprenticeship programme he co-leads with Dr Julie Derbyshire has achieved a 99.5 per cent retention rate, with 95 per cent of graduates attaining first class honours.

The impact of that approach can be felt well beyond the lecture theatre. Following the announcement, Dominic received a message from a former student — now an advanced practitioner in Leeds — who told him that a 2019 lecture on non-judgmental care for people living with addiction had shaped the way she practises as a nurse.

"That email was a reminder that what we do in the classroom travels far beyond it," Dominic said. "It reaches into wards, clinics and communities in ways we will never fully know. That is why this work matters so much."

Dominic’s research explores how systems and people can work together to deliver consistently excellent care across the NHS, with particular interests in civility as a foundation for safe, effective teams and in the experience of organ donors and their families.

Beyond the classroom, he is a key collaborator with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), delivering high-stakes simulation programmes for nurses and medics across the country. These include the national three-day Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation simulation and a Donor Management and Optimisation programme for qualified specialist nurses. He also co-edits the NHSBT Donation and Transplant series in the British Journal of Nursing alongside NHSBT Chief Nurse Olive McGowan, and serves as Consultant Editor of Transplant & Transfusion, a Mark Allen publication.

Professor Alison Machin, Head of the School of Healthcare and Nursing Sciences, said: "We are absolutely delighted for Dominic — this is so thoroughly deserved. What makes him such an exceptional educator is that his passion for the work is completely genuine. He cares deeply about his students, about nursing education, and about the communities we serve, and that comes through in everything he does. Nurse education is foundational to the future of healthcare in this country, and Dominic is one of the finest examples of it. To see that recognised at a national level is a real moment of pride for the whole School."