Sophy Chacko

Trained to be a nurse in India, completed my Diploma in General nursing and Midwifery in 2008. My first job was in an oncology specialist hospital which was short lived as I did not think I wanted to do oncology in the long run. Dabbled a bit in Maternity and neonatal and then moved as a nurse in Critical care. In 2010 I enrolled myself to top up my diploma into a degree in nursing, successfully completed the two year course in 2012. I continued with Critical care nursing after my degree before moving jobs in 2013 to a public health sector which required staff to rotate between departments to have an overview of how each of these areas worked. There I worked with Postnatal mothers and new-born babies, Renal and dialysis. In August 2014 I moved to the UK to work with Imperial College NHS trust in London as a Critical care nurse.
I always had a passion to mentor new staff and students and thus wanted to move into nursing education from a very early stage in my career, in 2020 I moved to Kent to work as clinical educator for the general and specialist medicine within an acute trust. I led training on fundamentals of care for the nursing workforce which was developed as an action plan based on the CQC review of the department. This training included caring for acutely unwell and deteriorating patients, A-E assessments, Nutrition, safeguarding with mental capacity assessment. falls prevention and care and tissue viability training. This role helped with development of the workforce and enabling to improve the quality of care being provided. I then had a lovely opportunity to work part-time as a lecturer in adult nursing with Canterbury Christ Church university, while still continuing my clinical educator role in the NHS.
Having experienced both aspects of nursing education I ventured full time into my role in the University, as that had been my aspiration all along. I started in LJMU in September 2024 as Lecturer in Practice Learning after relocation to Liverpool. In my current role I work to support student nurses out in practice areas with no NMC registrant to supervise and guide them. Also part of my role to ensure the practice standards are met in the placement areas, we link with Practice education facilitators (PEF) and other student nominated persons to ensure this.

I have completed my UCAP (undergraduate certificate in academic practice) and am an Associate Fellow with Advance HE.
Education was always something that I wanted to do from a very young age as I have always liked the quote by Joseph Joubert 'To teach is to Learn twice'. If not a nurse I would have been a teacher. It was mum who was a nurse, who encouraged me to pursue nursing and once in nursing I realised I could do both become a nurse and an educator. I believe from experience that every time I share my knowledge and skills I reinforce my learning, also learn something new from their experiences. The other aspect of healthcare that interests me is the medico legal aspect of health; Ensuring Patient safety and rights, at the same time making sure that nurses are protected is important as I feel everyone wants to feel safe.

My teaching interests include health promotion, care of deteriorating patients, end of life care, the nursing process.

Languages

Hindi
English
Malayalam
Marathi

Degrees

2012, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India, Bachelors in Nursing

Certifications

2023, Advance HE, United Kingdom, Associate Fellow

Academic appointments

Lecturer in Practice Learning, Liverpool John Moores University, 2024 - present
Lecturer in Adult Nursing, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2022 - 2024

Postgraduate training

Critical Care course, United Kingdom, University of West London, 2018 - 2018