Mrs Daniela Collins

I am a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at London South Bank University (LSBU), a Registered Mental Health Nurse, and a Registered Lecturer/Practice Educator. Currently, I lead the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Mental Health) programme, the distance-learning MSc Mental Health Practice programme (delivered via LSBU Global and iheed Dublin), and various short courses in mental health and learning disability nursing. Additionally, I am the Cohort Leader for the 2025 BSc Mental Health Nursing intake, co-chair the LSBU Research Group on Mental Health, Neurodivergence and Vulnerable Groups, and sit on the LSBU Academic Board as an elected representative for the School of Nursing and Midwifery. 

My dedication to teaching excellence, curriculum innovation, and student success was recognised with the LSBU Lecturer of the Year Award 2023, a student-nominated accolade reflecting high student satisfaction across three LSBU campuses. Dedicated to fostering inclusive environments, I focus on continually improving the student experience and supporting diverse learners to thrive. I am also a Senior Teaching Fellow (SFHEA) and an Advance HE Aurora Champion for Equality and Leadership in Higher Education.

My doctoral research explores professional identity in nurse education. To ensure my teaching and research stay relevant, I work directly with fellow academics, service users, and healthcare partners to design and deliver shared projects. Over the past decade, this collaborative approach has driven initiatives alongside organisations including Barnet Voice for Mental Health (a charity run by and for people with lived experience of mental health services), Together for Mental Wellbeing (the UK’s oldest community mental health charity), various NHS Trusts, WHO Europe, the European Commission, Erasmus+, and the RCN.

Key Achievements

• May 2024: Accredited HEI External Examiner (Advance HE)
• June 2023: Lecturer of the Year Award (London South Bank University)
• June 2021: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) 
• July 2020: Aurora Champion Leadership & Gender Equality (Advance HE)
• July 2018: Senior Teaching Fellow (SFHEA) (Advance HE)

Languages

• English: Academic Mastery / Near-Native Proficiency (CEFR C2+)
• Macedonian: Native speaker (CEFR C2+)
• Serbo-Croatian: Full professional proficiency (CEFR C1)
• Modern Greek: Independent user (CEFR B1)

• Nurse Education and Nursing Leadership Development
• Mental Health, Addictions, and Recovery
• Higher Education Student Mental Health and Well-being
• Ethical Nursing Practice, Advocacy, and Social Justice

Research Groups 

• Co-Chair: LSBU Research Group on Mental Health, Neurodivergence and Vulnerable Groups
• Doctoral Student Researcher: LSBU Building Future Communities Research Centre

Editorial Roles and Peer Reviewing (Journals)

• Journal Editor: Student Engagement in HEI Journal (RAISE Network)
• Peer Reviewer: Journal of Advanced Nursing (2023– to date)
• Peer Reviewer: Advances in Dual Diagnosis  (2010–to date)
• Peer Reviewer: Journal of Social Work Education (2018–to date)
• Peer Reviewer: Journal of MH Training, Education &Practice (2010–2016)

Conference Committees

• Conference Abstract Reviewer: 8th Sigma Nursing European Regional Conference (24–26 June 2026), University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

• Conference Abstract Reviewer: British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual International Conference (8–12 September 2024), University of Manchester, UK

• Conference Organising Committee Member & Abstract Reviewer: 7th Sigma Nursing European Regional Conference (26–28 June 2024), Bournemouth University, UK

Research Projects

• March 2026–March 2027: Co-Investigator | Comparative Analysis of Nursing Education Pathways across Europe. Collaborative research with the European Region Sigma Nursing Research Interest Group (NEIG), spanning 12 nations: England, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Italy, Slovenia, Czechia, Finland, Israel, Switzerland and Portugal.
• August 2025–July 2026: Co-Investigator | Independent Evaluation of the RCN’s Psychosocial Interventions (PSI) Programme. Royal College of Nursing commissioned project, alongside Prof. Chris Flood, Prof. Patrick Callaghan, and Dr Dan Kolubinski (LSBU).
• September 2024–April 2026: Co-Investigator | Dimensions of Clinical Leadership. Collaborative 12-country European study with the Sigma Nursing Research Interest Group (NEIG).
• September 2023–Present (Expected 2027/28): Doctoral Research | Professional Identity and Nurse Education.

Postgraduate Research Supervision

• MSc Supervision (LSBU, 2022–2026): Supervised 15 master's students to successful, timely completion across MSc Mental Health Nursing, MSc Practice Education, and MSc Leadership and Service Improvement in Healthcare.
• Methodologies & Topics: Guided qualitative and quantitative dissertations on critical issues including trauma-informed care, the role of the mental health nurse in physical health and health promotion, lateral violence in the NHS, digital mental healthcare, LGBTQ+ inclusive practice, COVID-19 isolation, and the integration of internationally educated nurses.
• External Experience (2004–Present): Extensive history of supervising MSc Mental Health (Graduate Mental Health Programme), MSc Nursing (Adult) and MA Social Work dissertations during previous Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor tenures.

Nursing Leadership, Complexities in Advanced Clinical Practice in Mental Health Nursing, Clinical Decision Making, Risk Formulation, Nursing Ethics, Research Methods, master dissertation supervision, Mental Health and Addictions (Dual Diagnosis), Pharmacology, Therapeutic Interventions in Mental Health, Team Building, Assessing and Supervising students in practice placements (SSSA), Coaching for Healthcare Professionals, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care and Solution Focused Interventions in Mental Health.

Academic Leadership

• Course Leader: MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Mental Health). This is a high-value programme commissioned by NHS England and sponsored by NHS Trusts to train advanced mental health practitioners.
• Course Leader / Global Transnational Education: MSc Mental Health Practice by distance education, managing international delivery partnerships across LSBU Global,  and iheed Dublin /Cambridge Education Group.
• Course Leader / Workforce Development: I lead the strategic design and execution of Continuous Professional Development (CPD)   short courses and study days in Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing.
• Cohort Leader: BSc Mental Health Nursing (2025 intake), driving student retention, academic progression, and professional engagement.

Mentorship & Coaching

• Strategic Onboarding: Act as official institutional mentor to successfully transition and integrate newly appointed academic nursing staff.
• Accreditation Leadership: Coach faculty through complex professional pathways, including Advance HE Teaching Fellowships and Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) Nurse Teacher Registrations.
• Sustained Impact: Deliver continuous development support, maintaining a proven track record of faculty success from September 2007 to the present.