Sigma award given to Professor Steven Ersser
Posted on 9 February 2018
Professor in Clinical Nursing Research and Interim Deputy Head of Department (Nursing & Midwifery), Steven Ersser has been awarded the International Nurse Researchers Hall of Fame Award from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Sigma inducts researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national and/or international recognition for their work; and whose research has impacted the profession and the people it serves. It is the highest international research award for nurses and Steven is one of a small group of nurses recognised worldwide for 2018. Following the 2017 induction, STTI will have recognized 156 nurse researchers from 13 countries.
Steven has been a full professor since 2007 and currently the inaugural Professor in Clinical Nursing Research at the University of York, UK. In addition he is an Adjunct Professor of Nursing at Memorial University, Canada and a Visiting Scholar in nursing at the National University of Singapore. He has been engaged in research relevant to nursing for over 30 years which spans his years in clinical practice and subsequent academic work. His clinical area is dermatological and skin care nursing. He has been a pioneer in the field of dermatological nursing and the application of evidence to improve skin care internationally. In 2006, Steven received the Stone Award by the British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG) in recognition of his pioneering work. He is believed to be the first nurse internationally, to hold a nursing chair dedicated to the field of dermatological/ skin care nursing; firstly, in 2007 at the Universities of Bournemouth, then at Hull (as Dean and Professor of Nursing & Dermatology Care) from 2011-2014, then at the University of Leeds (as Dame Kathleen Raven Professor of Clinical Nursing) from 2014-2017 and since 2017 at the University of York. He has been a Visiting scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge, the St John’s Institute of Dermatology King’s College, London and New York University; and Honorary Professor of Nursing at the University of Cape Town. Professor Ersser currently serves as a nurse member of the Dermatology National Specialty Group, NIHR Clinical Research Network Specialty Cluster.
Steven has made a substantial contribution to the fields of dermatology and nursing through his work on developing theory-based interventions to support those living with long-term skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. This work extends to people living in resource -poor countries with neglected tropical skin diseases. He has also promoted the development and evaluation of skin care for adults and children in general care settings to improve their skin barrier function. His current work on supporting self-management aims to investigate effective methods of helping the public at higher risk of skin cancer to engage in skin self-examination, to promote its early detection.
The award also gives recognition to Steven's substantial contribution to mentoring nurses and other health professionals on research methods and issues related to enhancing and evaluating skin care and dermatology practice.
The University of York also offers a range of Health Sciences courses.