The Richard Wells Research Centre at Thames Valley University

Heather Loveday

RN RNT PGDARM DN(Lond) MA 
Principal Lecturer - Research 

Heather Loveday qualified as a Registered Nurse at  the Middlesex Hospital, London in 1979.  In 1984 she qualified as a Registered Nurse Tutor at the University of Surrey and completed masters studies in the philosophy of health care at University College, Swansea (University of Wales) in 1990.

Heather joined the Richard Wells Research Centre as Principal Lecturer (Research) in 1995. Since that time she has been closely involved in the Department of Health funded epic project for the Development of Evidence Based Guidelines for the Prevention of Hospital Acquired Infection and NICE Guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infection in the community and primary care.  In 2000 she led a Department of Health funded project reviewing the Roles and Responsibilities of Community Infection Control Nurses and Communicable Disease Control Nurses producing a report to inform the future development of these roles within the new Health protection Agency.  Heather is particularly interested in changing and developing practice in infection prevention and control and works with the Clinical Governance Development Programme for Preventing Healthcare-associated Infection.  Other projects have included research into adherence to therapy in people with HIV infection, and perceptions of infection related to antiretroviral therapy and evaluation of HIV Living Well initiatives in Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow. Heather has co-authored teaching materials for the Health Education Authority, for use in the NHS, aimed at preventing the transmission of blood borne pathogens in health care settings and is the Higher Education Adviser to the Infection Control Nurses Association Education Committee.

In addition to her research interests, Heather's principal fields of expertise include biomedical ethics, teaching research methods and clinical leadership. She is member of the Royal College of Nursing Ethics Forum and is the Chair of the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences Research Ethics Committee.