University of Surrey awards honorary doctorate to Professor Jean Hooper CBE
Wednesday 25 June 2008
The University of Surrey is proud to confer the honorary degree of Doctor of the University to Professor Jean Hooper CBE for services to nursing. The award was made on Wednesday, June 18 at Guildford Cathedral.
Professor Jean Hooper has influenced some of the biggest changes in the field of UK nursing including the establishment in 1970 of the very first part-time programme for mature nursing students. In 1991 she was appointed Head of the Portsmouth, Royal Naval and Isle of Wight School of Nursing and in 1993 became the first Professor of Nurse Education when the School joined the University of Portsmouth. In the same year she was awarded a CBE in recognition of services to Nurse Education.
As Chair of the English National Board for Nursing and Midwifery Professor Hooper supported and lead nursing’s move into higher education. While at the English National Board and during 20 years as a Trustee and Chair of the General Nursing Council Trust Professor Hooper supported exemplary research in nursing and midwifery education.
Her research in the care of older people raised awareness of their needs, the specialist nursing skills required to meet them and contributed to the development of the National Service Framework. Professor Hooper continues to demonstrate her commitment to practice by working weekly at her local hospice where she is also a trustee and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees.
Professor Hooper’s association with the University of Surrey is longstanding. As the first part-time Research Fellow of the Department of Health, she undertook her MSc in Social Research at the University. She was also one of the key players in supporting the establishment of the General Nursing Council Trust Endowed Chair in Nurse Education and the Centre for Research in Nursing and Midwifery Education.
