Dr Tracey Bowden (née Gibson)

Overview

Dr Tracey Bowden is a Senior Lecturer in Cardiac Care and Adult Nursing at City, University of London, where she has served since 2005 after transitioning from full-time NHS practice. As an early career researcher who completed her PhD in 2023, she combines her academic role with serving as Programme Director for the Advanced Clinical Practice programme and Consultant Editor for the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing. Her doctoral research, supported by a prestigious Barts Charity Clinical Research Fellowship (2019-2023), focused on improving cognitive health after cardiac surgery.

Dr Bowden brings extensive clinical experience to her academic position, having worked in various cardiac care roles within Barts Health, including as a cardiac research coordinator and senior sister in coronary care and interventional cardiology. Her career began in Scotland, where she trained at Ayrshire and Arran College of Nursing and Midwifery before moving to London in 1998. She holds multiple qualifications including an MSc in Cardiology from the University of Brighton and a PGDip in Academic Practice. Her teaching portfolio spans pre-registration modules on evidence-based practice and clinical skills, as well as CPD modules in specialist cardiac care, reflecting her primary interests in cardiovascular care, research methods, and advanced clinical assessment.

Qualifications

• PhD Health, City, University of Nursing, United Kingdom, October 2019 - November 2023
• PGDip, City, University of London, United Kingdom, 2005 - September 2007
• Advanced Life Support Instructor (Generic Instructor), Resuscitation Council, United Kingdom, 2004
• MSc, University of Brighton, United Kingdom, February 2001 - September 2002
• ENB 254 Cardiac Nursing, City, University of London, United Kingdom, October 1999 - March 2000
• Diploma, Ayrshire & Arran School of Nursing and Midwifery, Scotland, 1994 - March 1997
• BSc, University of the West of Scotland, United Kingdom, January 2003

Employment

• Honorary Clinical Research Fellow, Barts Health, United Kingdom, January 2021 - January 2024
• Senior Lecturer in Cardiac Care and Adult Nursing, City, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2010 - present
• External Examiner, Teesside University, United Kingdom, April 2010 - April 2014
• Lecturer in Adult Nursing, City, University of london, United Kingdom, August 2005 - July 2010
• Senior Sister / Ward Manager, Barts & The London NHS Trust, United Kingdom, December 2003 - July 2005
• Cardiac Research Coordinator, Barts & The London NHS Trust, United Kingdom, January - November 2003
• Junior Sister, Barts & The London NHS Trust, United Kingdom, February 2002 - January 2003
• Senior Staff Nurse, Barts & The London NHS Trust, United Kingdom, May 2001 - February 2002
• Experienced Staff Nurse (E grade equivalent), St George's, University of London, United Kingdom, November 2000 - May 2001
• Staff Nurse (E Grade) CCU / Angiography, The London Chest Hospital, London, Barts & The London NHS Trust, United Kingdom, July 1999 - November 2000
• Staff Nurse (D Grade) cardiac rotation, Barts & The London NHS Trust, United Kingdom, November 1998 - July 1999
• Staff Nurse (D Grade) Ward 8 (CCU/cardiology),, Royal Alexandra Hospital, United Kingdom, March 1997 - November 1998

Administrative roles

• Deputy Programme Director MSc Advanced Clinical Practice, City, University of London, February 2024 - present
• Module leadership of pre registration and CPD modules
• University academic misconduct panel

Fellowships

• Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow, City, University of London / Barts Health, January 2019 - April 2023

Memberships of committees

• Member, Cardiovascular Research Outcomes Group, WHRI, QMUL, June 2023 - present
• Member, Cardiac Surgery International Nursing and Allied Professional Research Network, November 2021 - present

Memberships of professional organisations

• Silver, Association of Cardiovascular Nurses and Allied Health Professionals, September 2020 - present
• Member (Nursing and Allied Health Professionals), Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland, November 2019 - present
• British Association for Nurses in Cardiovascular Care (BANCC)
• Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
• Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC)

Awards

• Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland (2023). Best Nursing and Allied Health Professional Presentation
• City, University of London (2011). Support for students: Excellent contribution to the student experience

Teaching

Teaching and module leadership

Undergraduate teaching
HS2008 Critical use of evidence to inform decision making in practice
H2018 Practice 2: applying knowledge and skills for person centred care in practice
HS3018 Dissertation
HSM004 Integration of care for acute and long term conditions across health and social care
HSM016 Practice 2: applying knowledge and skills for person centred care in practice
HSM017 Practice 2: applying knowledge and skills for person centred care (adult and mental health)

Postgraduate teaching
APM039 Specialist core skills in cardiac care (module leader)
APM035 Specialist role development in cardiac care (module leader)
APM068 Cardiothoracic critical care (module leader)
APM052 Advanced clinical assessment, critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning across the lifespan
APM058 Leading and Evaluating Learning in Practice (Online, Module Leader)

Past research

Tracey completed a research module as part of her MSc in Cardiology. She then completed a project entitled Factors determining diagnosis and admission of Bangladeshis with coronary symptoms, for which she received a distinction grade. The results of this project have been published in the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing.

In her role as a Cardiac Research Co-ordinator, she worked on several projects within the department, although she was predominantly responsible for a specific trial entitled radial artery access for coronary angiography and percutaneous intervention. Within this role her responsibilities fell into 3 categories:
Clinical – Tracey was responsible for organizing patient recruitment, screening, and running outpatient visits on a day-to-day basis. She was also responsible for collecting data, completing case record forms, and ensuring that all projects were carried out according to established protocols.
Managerial – Tracey monitored finances of the project and coordinated follow-up clinics for studies and referrals to medical staff, clinical specialists, and other disciplines where necessary.
Education – Tracey educated staff on current research issues to enable them to assist with recruitment and data collection. The results of this trial were published in the BMJ.

In March 2009 Tracey was awarded £20,000 funding from the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) to undertake a project called 'Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Simulation: Evaluating the effectiveness of web-based video feedback'. As the lead for this project, Tracey developed the project protocol, gained ethical approvaland funding. Tracey was also responsible recruitment, gaining consent, coordinating the training sessions and focus groups. This research took place between 2009/10 and the results were published in Nurse Education Today.

More recently, Tracey has been involved in the conduct of several systematic review (see publications).

In April 2019, Tracey was awarded a Barts Charity Nurse / AHP Clinical Research Training Fellowship (Project Code MRC0229, £301,694.71) to undertake a programme to be carried out between St Bartholomew’s Hospital and City,University of London. The aim of this programme of work was to develop an intervention designed to improve cognitive function in patients recovering after cardiac surgery.

Research overview

Research Experience
Tracey completed a research module as part of her MSc in Cardiology. She then completed a project entitled Factors determining diagnosis and admission of Bangladeshis with coronary symptoms, for which she received a distinction grade. The results of this project have been published in the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing.

In her role as a Cardiac Research Co-ordinator, she worked on several projects within the department, although she was predominantly responsible for a specific trial entitled radial artery access for coronary angiography and percutaneous intervention. Within this role her responsibilities fell into 3 categories:
Clinical – Tracey was responsible for organizing patient recruitment, screening, and running outpatient visits on a day-to-day basis. She was also responsible for collecting data, completing case record forms, and ensuring that all projects were carried out according to established protocols.
Managerial – Tracey monitored finances of the project and coordinated follow-up clinics for studies and referrals to medical staff, clinical specialists, and other disciplines where necessary.
Education – Tracey educated staff on current research issues to enable them to assist with recruitment and data collection. The results of this trial were published in the BMJ.

In March 2009 Tracey was awarded £20,000 funding from the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) to undertake a project called 'Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Simulation: Evaluating the effectiveness of web-based video feedback'. As the lead for this project, Tracey developed the project protocol, gained ethical approvaland funding. Tracey was also responsible recruitment, gaining consent, coordinating the training sessions and focus groups. This research took place between 2009/10 and the results were published in Nurse Education Today.

More recently, Tracey has been involved in the conduct of several systematic review (see publications).

In April 2019, Tracey was awarded a Barts Charity Nurse / AHP Clinical Research Training Fellowship (Project Code MRC0229, £301,694.71) to undertake a programme to be carried out between St Bartholomew’s Hospital and City,University of London. The aim of this programme of work was to develop an intervention designed to improve cognitive function in patients recovering after cardiac surgery.

Acute and critical care research group

Tracey is the ACCR group co-ordinator

Publications by category