Role and expertise
I work as a staff member for care at Wit-Gele Kruis Antwerp, where I contribute to policy development and innovation in care. My work centres on three key domains: clinical placements and coordination for nursing students, mental health and dementia care, and the ongoing reform of the nursing profession. Alongside this, I am affiliated part-time with the University of Antwerp as an adjunct academic staff member and PhD researcher within the Master of Nursing and Midwifery. My expertise focuses on professional identity and readiness to practice among nurses.I am actively involved in the bridging programme and the Advanced Nursing Practice track, where I contribute to teaching and supervision in areas such as role development, ethical decision-making, and reflective clinical supervision.In addition, I engage with professional organisations including Netwerk Verpleegkunde, the Belgian Association of Advanced Practice Nurses, and the ANCC Transition to Practice Program (PTAP), and I bring experience in accreditation trajectories such as PTAP® and Magnet®.
Motivation
I am driven by the belief that strong, reflective, and ethically grounded nurses are essential to delivering high-quality care. My goal is to better understand what enables nurses to confidently shape and perform their roles, and to translate these insights into meaningful improvements in education, practice, and policy.
Research focus
My research focuses on how professional identity and readiness to practice are developed among early-career nurses, and which factors influence these processes. I investigate how they relate to retention and job satisfaction, and how they can be effectively embedded in transition to practice programmes. Through my involvement in the ANCC Transition to Practice Program, I integrate international perspectives on standards and programme development. Combined with my experience in Magnet and accreditation trajectories, this enables me to contribute to the development of robust, evidence-informed transition models. My professional background - spanning more than 26 years in nursing across acute hospital care and home care - provides a strong foundation for translating research into relevant and applicable practice.
Teaching contributions
I contribute to teaching within both the bridging and master’s programmes in Nursing and Midwifery, with a focus on care projects, advanced nursing roles, and clinical supervision through intervision.
Services and collaboration
I collaborate with educational institutions and healthcare organisations on curriculum development, clinical placement programmes, and the design of nursing role profiles, including advanced practice roles. I also support professionals and teams in ethical decision-making, navigating complex care situations, and implementing reflective and intervision-based learning processes. Additionally, I provide policy input and expertise on professional identity, transition to practice, retention, and workforce development.