Ballymoney lecturer receives PhD after leading NI’s first domestic abuse training for nursing students

Dr Steph Craig, who graduates from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, believes her career path from student to nurse lecturer in a short span of time has been rooted in a true passion for caring for others and for improving patient care in Northern Ireland.

Early on in her studies, Steph began to work closely with leading organisations and charities, opening doors that led her directly to people living with dementia, an experience that she describes as “truly transformative” for her.

She feels the most powerful lesson she has learned at Queen’s is how research has the incredible potential to create lasting, life-changing impact.

An example of this is her work with Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer Charity (NIPANC) on an educational game to support survivors and bereaved family members, which she looks forward to showcasing in Beijing later this year.

However, it is Steph’s most recent work that is making great impact closer to home and changing the nursing curriculum at the university through a pioneering programme, The Unlock Safety Initiative, with her director of education.

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Launched recently at Stormont, this project will mean nursing students at Queen’s will be the first to receive dedicated training on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls as part of their degree.

This is something that Steph has been advocating for alongside Royal College of Nursing, Women’s Aid Federation NI and the End Violence Against Women and Girls Change Fund at The Executive Office.

Talking about the importance of this programme, Steph says: “Standing at Stormont alongside First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, during the official launch was a surreal and powerful moment for me.

“For me, education isn’t just about textbooks and exams it’s about creating a safer, more informed Northern Ireland where people feel seen, supported, and empowered.”

Currently teaching the Year 1 undergraduate BSc Professional Nursing programme, Steph is passionate about mentorship and listening to students: “I want my students to feel seen and heard, and to know that they are capable of more than they sometimes believe.

“Queen’s has given me so much not only academically, but in shaping the kind of nurse, researcher, and educator I’ve become. And if I can help students take just one thing forward with them, I hope it’s the understanding that empathy is not a soft skill it’s a powerful, transformative force in both healthcare and in life.”