Sharon Haughey

Dr Sharon Haughey qualified as a pharmacist in 1999 and joined the School in 2001 as a part-time Lecturer (Education) in Pharmacy Practice. During the start of her time at the School, Sharon facilitated an 18-month project developing a continuing professional development (CPD) system for pharmacists in Northern Ireland within the Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD) in 2004/2005.

After completion of this project, Sharon returned to the School as a full-time Lecturer (Education) in 2005. Sharon’s research was initially centred on CPD for pharmacists and initial publications and conference contributions were directly related to her PhD in developing a CPD portfolio and evaluation system specifically for pharmacists.

Following the completion of her PhD, Sharon has continued to develop her knowledge and expertise in the areas of reflective practice and assessment methods. Sharon has developed a particular interest in OSCEs (objective structured clinical examinations). She has collected data from students exposed to this type of assessment in order to gain an understanding of how we can improve the process and support students.

With the move towards an integrated MPharm degree across the UK, Sharon has also established an interest in integration and has completed research projects looking at integrated assessment and Criterion Referenced Assessments (CRAs). Working together with colleagues in the Pharmacy Practice and Teacher Practitioner teams at the School of Pharmacy has proven to be beneficial in exploring all areas of pharmacy education.

Other areas of research which Sharon has an interest in include:

• Simulation and experiential learning
• Work based learning
• Inter-professional learning
• Pharmacist prescribing

Overall, Sharon’s research in education aims to find ways to improve the student experience and help prepare students for the world of work and patient care. This involves looking at how students learn in practice with patients (placements), simulated environments and at an inter-professional level. Collaboration with expert patients, placement providers, stakeholders, clinical practice teams and colleagues in the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Law here at Queen’s has been crucial in developing the MPharm course.

RESEARCH PARTNERS

• Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development
• Association for Simulated Practice in Medicine
• Pharmacy Law and Ethics Association
• Scholarly Educational Research Network