In this interview, we sit down with Dr Tracey Bowden, Programme Director for our MSc Advanced Clinical Practice and its apprenticeship pathway.
Academic interests and expertise
Can you tell us about your academic and research background?
I have a diverse academic foundation that combines clinical expertise with rigorous research training. I hold a PhD in Health from City, University of London, which was supported by a prestigious Barts Charity Nurse/AHP Clinical Research Training Fellowship. My PhD focused on developing interventions to improve cognitive function in patients recovering after cardiac surgery, an area that has become central to my research identity.
My earlier qualifications include an MSc in Cardiology from the University of Brighton, where I achieved a distinction for my dissertation examining factors determining diagnosis and admission of Bangladeshi patients with coronary symptoms. This work was subsequently published in the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing. I also hold a BSc in Health Studies and a PGDip in Academic Practice, which underpinned my transition into higher education in 2005. I have now been working as an academic for almost 21 years.
My research portfolio spans both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. I've successfully secured competitive funding, including a CETL grant to evaluate CPR simulation with web-based video feedback, research published in Nurse Education Today. Throughout my career, I've maintained an active publication record with over 40 peer-reviewed articles focusing on cardiac nursing, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and advanced clinical practice.
I currently co-lead the Acute and Critical Care Research Group at Clerkenwell, supervise MSc students, am a Category B PhD supervisor, and serve as Consultant Editor for the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, a role that builds on my 20 years as an Editorial Board member since the journal's inception. My research continues to bridge the gap between clinical practice and academic inquiry, particularly in optimising recovery outcomes for cardiac surgical patients.
How do you see your field evolving over the next decade?
Over the next decade, I anticipate several transformative developments in cardiac nursing and advanced clinical practice, many of which are explicitly outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan.
The evolution of Advanced Clinical Practice itself will be fundamental. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan positions advanced practitioners as essential to service sustainability and transformation. I expect continued expansion in scope, autonomy, and leadership responsibilities. Advanced practitioners will increasingly work at the top of their license, leading complex case management, driving service redesign, spearheading quality improvement initiatives, and taking on expanded prescribing and diagnostic responsibilities. This isn't simply about individual role development; it's about fundamentally restructuring how healthcare teams function, with advanced practitioners as pivotal leaders bridging clinical excellence with strategic service delivery.
Secondly, artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape how advanced practitioners work. The NHS 10 Year Plan commits to making all hospitals fully AI-enabled, positioning the NHS as the most AI-enabled health system globally. For advanced practitioners in cardiac care, AI is moving beyond familiar diagnostic support tools into areas that directly affect clinical communication, documentation, and patient education. My research on cognitive dysfunction post-cardiac surgery exemplifies the potential: machine learning could enable us to predict which patients are at highest risk and intervene preventively, shifting from reactive to truly predictive care.
However, this transformation raises critical questions about professional development. Advanced practitioners must develop AI literacy, not as passive recipients of imposed technology, but as informed professionals actively shaping how AI integrates into practice. We need to determine what AI can genuinely enhance while preserving clinical judgement, professional responsibility, and the therapeutic relationships fundamental to advanced practice. The NHS plan commits to AI training in curricula and workforce upskilling programmes, work that directly connects to my role in advanced practice education, ensuring our graduates are equipped to navigate and shape this technological landscape.
Thirdly, digital health and remote monitoring technologies will transform care delivery models, with advanced practitioners at the forefront. Wearable devices and AI-enhanced analytics will shift care toward community and home-based approaches. Advanced practitioners will increasingly manage complex patients across virtual and physical care settings, requiring sophisticated competencies in digital health literacy, remote assessment, and virtual therapeutic relationships - skills we're already integrating into our curricula.
Finally, the focus on holistic, person-centred outcomes will intensify. For advanced practitioners in cardiac care, this means cognitive and psychological outcomes gaining recognition as key quality indicators alongside traditional physiological metrics. The NHS emphasis on personalised care aligns with advanced practice philosophy - treating the whole person, not just the condition.
The next decade demands advanced practitioners who combine clinical expertise with digital competence, research literacy, leadership capability, and critical engagement with emerging technologies. As educators, our responsibility is ensuring the advanced practitioners we're developing now will be the confident, capable leaders who shape services, drive innovation, and ensure that technological advancement enhances rather than replaces the skilled, relational work at the heart of excellent care.
What do you enjoy most about teaching and mentoring students?
What I find most rewarding about teaching and mentoring is witnessing students' transformative journeys - those moments when clinical practice, theoretical knowledge, and personal insight converge, and you see the practitioner they're becoming. I particularly appreciate working with students at the postgraduate level, especially those on our MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme. These are experienced clinicians bringing rich practice wisdom yet approaching their learning with humility and hunger to develop further. There's something profoundly gratifying about creating spaces where they can critically examine their practice, challenge assumptions, and emerge as more reflective, evidence-informed practitioners.
As a dissertation supervisor, I've had the privilege of supporting students through rigorous inquiry into topics they're passionate about, watching them grapple with complex research questions, develop methodological rigor, and ultimately produce work that contributes meaningfully to practice. The supervision relationship is intensely collaborative; I learn from them as I guide them. What I find particularly rewarding is supporting students through their first publication. Taking dissertation work and transforming it into a peer-reviewed article is a significant milestone. It requires learning to write for different audiences, responding constructively to reviewer feedback, and developing confidence as a scholarly voice in the profession. Seeing a student's name in print for the first time, knowing they've contributed to the evidence base and can now call themselves a published researcher, is genuinely rewarding. It's a tangible demonstration that their work matters beyond the classroom.
Ultimately, I'm mentoring the next generation of advanced practitioners who will lead services, innovate care delivery, advance the evidence base, and advocate for patients. That's an enormous privilege and responsibility, one I take seriously but approach with genuine joy and optimism about the future of our profession.
Why this course?
What makes this postgraduate programme unique within its field?
What sets our MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice apart is its deliberate integration of the four core pillars of advanced practice: Education, Leadership and Management, Research, and Advancing Practice. The curriculum is structured to ensure students develop competencies across all these areas, and students are taught and mentored by senior academics and experts in each field.
Additionally, students benefit from a variety of assessments designed to cultivate their critical thinking, literature evaluation skills, presentation abilities, and competence in poster creation. Lastly, I believe that our programme uniquely positions students to become well-rounded healthcare professionals with a strong foundation in research principles, leadership skills, and enhanced educational abilities.
Witnessing their growth in each of these domains is truly rewarding.
What support is offered to help students transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study?
Students who enter our programme are introduced to the support available to them from their induction. During induction, students have dedicated sessions on academic skills and librarian’s support. The aim of the sessions is to enhance students understanding on what is expected of them whilst studying at level 7.
Moreover, in terms of their academic development, students can book 1:1 appointments with the university’s Academic Skills team. The team provides expert feedback on students work and offers support in developing level 7 writing skills. Additionally, students can book 1:1 sessions with librarians who support them with library and database searches. Last but not least, students are given the opportunity to submit formative work and receive feedback from their module leader on the development of their work. In this way, we ensure a smooth transition to postgraduate studies for students who haven’t studied at level 7 before.
Are there opportunities for students to tailor the programme based on their specific academic or career interests?
The MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice curriculum comprises core modules directly aligned with the four pillars of the Advanced Clinical Practice framework. In addition to that, students have the opportunity to choose an elective module aligned with their practice or specialty. We offer a diverse range of electives, aiming to optimize students’ academic learning and ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills so that they can grow in their roles.
Students of the MSc ACP apprenticeship pathway do not have this option, as they have to complete an End Point Assessment which is tailored to their clinical role.
Career paths
How does the programme help students develop skills for their future careers, whether in academia or industry?
Students on the MSc ACP programme often have a predefined career trajectory, frequently involving progression to a Band 8a clinical role, as discussed with their managers. Nevertheless, as their skills in research, leadership and education develop throughout the programme, diverse professional avenues become accessible to them.
Many students choose to pursue further academic studies through research or by applying for PhD or Professional Doctorate opportunities. Others cultivate an interest in senior managerial roles within healthcare and decide to follow this career path; while some gravitate towards senior educational roles in healthcare or pedagogical roles in academia. Consequently, the programme offers a diverse range of career trajectories as students cultivate skills across various fields
What career paths have graduates from this programme typically followed?
As I have mentioned in the previous answer, the primary trajectory for many students involves growth within their predefined roles, centred on their advanced clinical practice expertise, with secondary development in leadership, education, and research. However, a few of our students have pursued career in the aforementioned fields.
Tips for offer holders
If you could highlight one thing that students should look forward to in this programme, what would it be?
I would say that this would probably be the diversity of the programme in terms of its interprofessionality. Our students come from various professional backgrounds such as nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, paramedicine science, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and radiography, and this creates a vibrant learning environment. Sharing their professional experiences enriches discussions and critical thinking during teaching. Also, students get the opportunity to further understand other fields or areas of practice.
What advice would you give offer holders as they prepare to join this course?
I believe that it is of great importance for applicants to have understood the nature and requirements of the programme. Supervision arrangements and clinical support are key in ensuring success. For applicants who are keen to start their reading or studying early, I would encourage them to polish their pathophysiological knowledge and familiarise themselves with level 7 writing.