The BAUN Executive consists of a maximum of 11 members representing England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The Executive Officers of the association are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The President's post is held for a period of two years and Trustees are elected for a period of three years. Trustees may stand for a second term of office.
Current Trustees
Sarah Hillery
BAUN President, 2022 - 2024
BAUN Trustee, since 2019
Lead Nurse Urology & Advanced Nurse Practitioner
York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sarah Hillery is Urology Lead Nurse and ANP at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She has worked in urology for over 20 years. Sarah’s clinical activities comprise a range of urology diagnostic services including prostate biopsy, flexible cystoscopy and Botox intravesical injections. She has specialist interests in continence, bladder pain syndrome and recurrent UTI. Holding an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice, Sarah is an RCN credentialed ANLP and independent prescriber.
Dedicated to service improvement for patients, Sarah was nursing clinical and strategic lead in creating an award-winning diagnostic urology unit, fully designed around the patient experience. She is a published academic writer, presenter and a guest lecturer at the University of York. Sarah is an enthusiastic advocate for advanced practice, professional development, networking, leadership and information sharing.
Contact: BAUNPresident@fitwise.co.uk
Emma Chappel
Role: Vice President
BAUN Trustee 2023 - 2024
Urology Clinical Nurse Specialist
Emma has worked in Urology at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since 1997. Initially on the Urology Ward and since 2009 in her current role as Benign Urology Clinical Nurse Specialist. Her clinics include Nurse Led Urodynamics, Erectile dysfunction, ESWL, Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation and teaching of Clean Intermittent Self-Catheterisation and Dilatation. Emma has her MSc in Health Care Practice and is also a non-medical prescriber.
Kelly Leonard
Role: BAUN Honorary Secretary
BAUN Trustee 2021 - 2024
Senior Research Nurse, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Trust
Kelly has been a member of BAUN for the past 8 years after becoming a urology research nurse in 2011 and going on to manage a team of research nurses, research associates and project managers. She has a total of 23 years nursing experience where she worked within oncology (palliative care, chemotherapy and specialist nurse roles) in both clinical and charity settings prior to her move into urology research. Kelly was particularly interested in the vacancies available to become a BAUN trustee due to the ethos of the charity. She has a particular passion for education, taking a proactive approach with her colleagues and patients alike and when the opportunity arises, research. This ensures continued development for all stakeholders and enables her continued personal development. Through education, real change can happen, empowering patients and colleagues alike who commit so much time to research. BAUN promotes high standards of development, something she endeavours to endorse in her own practice as a research nurse, where she is excited to be part of the future of clinical findings. Kelly is a dedicated person who is always eager for a challenge. She has extensive urology knowledge base which in her current clinical role involves working in all areas of urology research (inclusive of reconstructive urology, urological cancers and stone disease). Working closely with the clinical teams she enjoys the camaraderie and being part of a team and working together generally gives better results delivering a better experience for all involved. Contact secretary@baun.co.uk
Tina Gehring
Role: BAUN Honorary Treasurer
BAUN Trustee 2018 - 2024
Urology Nurse Practitioner
Hampshire Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust
I have worked within the field of urology since 1995. I’m currently working as a Urology Nurse Practitioner at Hampshire Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust, I run independent nurse led clinics across 2 trust hospital sites, I’m a non-medical prescriber; my area of practice is mainly in benign urology running clinics within Men’s Health; Urodynamics and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms. On one of the sites I lead the urology clinical nurse specialist team, delivering nurse led clinics in prostate; bladder; renal and testicular cancers. Also other benign services such as the renal colic pathway, intra vesicle treatments and flow rate clinics. I run the corporate training for male catheterisation on one site and have talked at some of the benign BAUN study days, and other company meetings.
Pauline Bagnall
Role: Deptuy Treasurer
BAUN Trustee 2023 - Present
Uro-oncology Nurse Specialist
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Pauline has been a urology specialist nurse for over 25 years. Initially a general urology nurse specialist then later becoming a uro-oncology nurse specialist., her specialist area of interest is prostate cancer.
Pauline has been performing flexible cystoscopies for over 20 years and last year she undertook further training and now perform diagnostic cystoscopies. Pauline was hoping to undertake training to perform intravesical botox but unfortunately this has been deferred due to COVID-19 restrictions. Pauline also hopes to train 'to perform laser diathermy and start non-medical prescribing training in the near future.
As a founder member, Pauline has supported and been supported by BAUN since it started twenty five years ago. During this time, Pauline has benefitted from the support and educational opportunities offered by the organisation and the experience of being an active BAUN member has given Pauline the opportunity to develop a range of skills that she would not have done as part of her working role. These skills include being part of developing and leading BAUN Guidelines, leading the Education Group, representing BAUN on various national committees and as experience as a Trustee of the charity.
Pauline also has experience and knowledge of the role of a charity Trustee, including the legal responsibilities and believes that her previous tenure as a BAUN Trustee will be useful during the challenges of the next few years.
Pauline strongly believe in the value of BAUN's role in supporting urology nurses, particularly in terms of their educational activities and networking.
Anthony Laurence Shanahan
Role: Fundraising, Social Media & Newsletter Lead
BAUN Trustee 2021 - 2024
Urology Care Practitioner, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, University Health Board, Wales.
Anthony is a qualified Urology SCP, with over 15 years experience within a hospital surgical environment within the NHS in Wales. Anthony undertakes a variety of roles, within the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative phases of the urology surgical patients. He works as part of a multi-disciplinary team, but also works on his own initiative to enhance and support the urology team, whilst ensuring that at all times patient care procedures and practices are adhered to.
Anthony hopes to support and enhance the committee with experiences and knowledge within a vast list of urology fields, such as Pre-assessments, Haematuria, Flexible cystoscopies, LUTS, ED, PSA and stones clinics. He has helped set up departmental protocols and policies enhancing the pathways for urology patients.His specialised areas consist Theatres, Benign Penile conditions/ Andrology and Penile cancer. He is a member of the South Wales supra-network MDT team treating patients with buried penis’s, peyrone’s disease and fertility. He is also a Penile Cancer keyworker, providing support to all patients in South East Wales through their penile cancer diagnosis, treatment and surveillance.
Anthony suggests that a new supportive dimension that could be brought to the committee, would be theatre and theatre skills. Although a fully trained first assistant, he is also competent at minor operation surgery, where he performs procedure such as circumcisions, hydroceles and penile biopsies. If there were an increase number of SCP’s, his knowledge with training could help support the committee into training and knowledge based evidence for future urology SCP’s.
Adele Brodie
Role: Conference Lead
BAUN Trustee, 2022 - present
Coloplast Clinical Nurse Specialist
I have practised in urological nursing since nurse qualification in 1994. I worked in urology up to ward manager, moving into the commercial nurse role in 2003 where I worked for Coloplast as a nurse specialist supporting patients requiring urological devices. I developed an interest in stricture management, the use of self-catheterisation in managing LUTS and neurogenic bladder dysfunction. I developed training days to share good practice. I wrote an article on assessment and fitting of urinary sheaths published in the nursing Times.
In 2006 I became full time NHS urology nurse practitioner role at Surrey and Sussex NHS Healthcare Trust running nurse led erectile dysfunction clinics, TWOC and ISC clinics. Developing a Community TWOC pathway in response to demand and patient need. I have supported intravesical chemotherapy, bladder instillations and prostate assessment clinics.
In 2008 I was invited back to work at Coloplast and became the Clinical research nurse and was part of the clinical process of bringing a variety of new urological devices to the market. Running clinical trials alongside NHS colleagues, developing patient literature, running and developing educational resources both online and study days and symposiums for self-catheterisation, indwelling catheter care, anal irrigation and clinic and pathway development workshops. I have managed a team of specialist clinicians in this role and support ted corporate charity events and charity and professional exhibitions. I also initiated and led a 3-week sabbatical to Sri Lanka with a team of colleagues to support and rehabilitate a school and the families affected by the tsunami. We organised health and well-being clinics, carried out vaccinations and first aid training. I have also raised money for my local children’s hospice through being sponsored to abseil down Arundel castle.
Joining Clinisupplies in 2018 where I had a full-time honorary contract to support Surrey and Sussex as a Clinical nurse specialist in benign urology, I have continued to work as a core member of the nurse and clinical team at the Trust, providing nurse led clinics in stricture management, BPH assessment, TWOC and cystistat and iAluRiL instillations.
As a commercial nurse I have gained much insight into a variety of NHS organisations in the field of urology and developed relationships with many professionals giving me confidence and credibility to be an asset to the BAUN council. I have worked with many of the council members/presidents previously. I have presented on stage at symposiums and BAUN conference, helped develop online e-learning platforms, developed electronic nurse documentation, so I feel confident to be able to work within the role of a council member.
I would like to see Urology nursing become attractive to new nurses who want to develop their skills and confidence in specialist practice, I was lucky to find the right influencers and role models early on which set me up on my lifelong commitment to urology. I have ideas around electronic patient support, using phones apps, training and resources electronically that fit in with the modern fast pace of healthcare. Information snippet apps for professionals.
In November 2022 I am proud to have achieved successful nomination and have become a trustee of the British Association of Urological Nursing. This is an honour to be part of a small team of like-minded professionals who are championing the way forward in the development of urological nursing practice. My role as a trustee is the conference lead in the organisation of the BAUN annual conference. Planning and managing the components that make up the agenda, exhibition, hospitality trustee contributions, roles and responsibilities as we work together to bring a face-to-face conference . Recruiting and Supporting guest professional speakers, organising agenda and topics, running and co-ordinating sessions, workshops and delegate attendance. As well as supporting the Trustee team in the general business of the charity, membership recruitment, advertising and promotion and the organising and running of educational events; webinars, Facebook live, face to face workshops through a variety of social media platforms.
On 26th June 2023 I have started my role as a Coloplast Nurse at Coloplast Limited where I will continue to support NHS colleagues with urology nurse support; assessing, planning and providing specialist care. Supporting service development and evaluation. Delivering information, training and support to patients and their families, using intermittent self-catheterisation, Peristeen irrigation. I am currently working with 2 hospital trusts (Kings College and Surrey and Sussex) through long term honorary contracts.
Leann McLaughlin
Role: Education Lead
BAUN Trustee, 2022 - present
Uro-Oncology CNS, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Leann has been a nurse since 2011, starting her career at Scarborough General Hospital with a background predominantly in endoscopy. She has had a varied experience having been a junior sister, trainee nurse endoscopist and latterly a Colorectal CNS however frequently assisted in urology flexible cystoscopy and TRUS biopsy lists in her time at Scarborough and maintained an interest in the field. She started in her role as a Uro-Oncology CNS just under two years ago. Her role is prostate focused, carrying out TRUS prostate biopsy and clinics in oncology follow up, prostate assessment, robotic surgery follow up and more recently rapid prostate/two week wait clinic. She previously undertook clinics in bladder dysfunction teaching Intermittent Self Catheterisation/Intermittent Self Dilatation and delivering benign bladder treatments as well as an intravesicle bladder chemotherapy clinic.
She is highly passionate about her role, patients and their experiences and is excited at the prospect of having the opportunity to contribute to the future of urology nursing through working with BAUN. Leann has completed an MSc in Advancing Healthcare Practice and is an independent non-medical prescriber also. She has gained one of the Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Champion places for 2022/23 as she is aiming to create better patient experiences by working on an improvement project to improve patient safety, provide better patient outcomes and decrease cancer wait times for biopsy procedures by training to undertake transperineal prostate biopsies.
Leann is passionate about nurse education having always sought to undertake education whenever the opportunity arises and enjoys teaching and training others. She is currently completing an MSc in Prostate Cancer Care having so far gained her Post Graduate Certificate. She strives to improve patient experiences and care as she has a strong interest in improvement and hopes through being a BAUN Trustee she will have opportunity to do this as well as develop her own knowledge further.
Carmen Hayes
Role: Conference deputy
BAUN Trustee, 2023 - present
From there, I worked on a surgical high dependency unit and then urology outpatients. I now work for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust as a senior urology specialist nurse on a urology assessment unit. I have been in this role for 5 years now and I absolutely love it, of course it is not without its challenges, but I truly enjoy it and continue to learn every day. I work in a small community hospital, where everybody knows each other – it is a pleasure to get up and come to work each day and I work with a fabulous team.
My role is now mainly working in the one stop haematuria clinic, performing flexible cystoscopy, and assessing patients who have been referred with a suspected bladder cancer. Having been on the other side of things having had a cancer diagnosis myself in the past, I know the importance of ensuring that we get this right for patients, you never forget the day you were told that you may have cancer, and how this is delivered will be remembered by the patient and will impact them for rest of their lives. I also see patients who have been referred with UTI’s, LUTS and for those on the surveillance cystoscopy protocol - who have had a previous bladder cancer. I also see patients in a nurse-led clinic who have been referred with LUTS or a raised PSA and I deliver intravesical treatment for bladder cancer. I have a special interest in Bladder Cancer and the impact this disease has on patients, I am also interested in female urology, recurrent UTI management and benign LUTS. I am going to be undertaking training on how to perform intradetrusor Botox in the future.
I enjoy networking and talking to people, I am particularly interested in the development and support of early-career urology nurses, and the futureproofing of urological nursing is something that I feel very passionate about. I hope that during my time as a BAUN trustee I can positively influence this area of the membership, and encourage all urology nurses no matter where you work or what stage you’re at in your career to join BAUN or become involved and put yourself forward for opportunities within BAUN. For those aspiring urology nurses who are just starting out and wish to specialise in urology there are a wealth of opportunities available to further your development, so please get in touch with BAUN and ask how we can support you.
Debbie Victor
BAUN Co-Opted Trustee, 2024
Debbie started in urology in June 1991, and went through to Ward Manager level, but decided she preferred more patient contact, so became a uro-oncology clinical nurse specialist at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust in 2004. Being a CNS legitimately gave her more time with the patients, helping them to understand their diagnosis and help with decision making.
Over the last 20 years Debbie has introduced supported self-management for men who have had treatment with curative intent, or those with stable disease on active surveillance or on hormone manipulation; initially trained to perform TRUS biopsies in 2007 but in 2020 introduced a nurse led LATP clinic. Debbie is also a non-medical prescriber and run a nurse led clinic for men on rogen depravation tablets both for the castrate sensitive and castrate resistant metastatic and non-metastatic disease patients. In 2020 Debbie became an oncology only based CNS and now no longer involved in the surgical pathway for patients.
In 2019 Debbie was the BJN Urology Nurse of the Year and in 2021 won the TUF/BAUN Urology Nurse of the Year. Debbie has recently been a Prostate Cancer UK Champion, her project being to improve the links between the practice nurses administering hormone manipulation and secondary care in an attempt to reduce the hormone manipulation side effect burden. As a follow on from this she has set up a ‘Healthy on Hormones’ workshop for men on androgen deprivation therapy. Debbie is also the clinical advisor for the prostate cancer pathway on the MySunrise Cancer Companion App.
Debbie has been a member of BAUN for a long time, she found the expertise from the conference and educational opportunities, plus the networking, invaluable as a someone working in relative isolation back when she first joined. Debbie was secretary for the BAUN Section of Oncology for several years, but then this was absorbed into the board of Trustees. She was a Trustee in 2018-2021. She is happy to have been asked to join again and looks forward to serving our community of urology nurses.
Kelly Kusinski
BAUN Co-Opted Trustee, 2024
Kelly Kusinski is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. Kelly began in 2001 as a staff nurse and progressed to ward manager, Benign CNS, and Advanced Nurse Practitioner. Her passion for education and audit led Kelly and her team to winning The Nursing Times Cancer Nursing category 2020 and being the 2nd place finalist for the British Journal of Nursing for Urology Nurse of the year 2021.
Kelly’s passion is the management of men with prostate cancer. She has created guidance on personalised stratified follow-up for the West Midlands Caner Alliance as well as assisting in the creation of the Infopool for The Prostate Cancer research organisation. Kelly is the lead administrator for the Urology NHS Futures platform which was created to share information and best practice regarding the fasttrack suspected prostate cancer pathway. Working in urology for 22 years, Kelly has completed her MSc in Advancing healthcare practice and is an independent non-medical nurse prescriber. Her current role involves undertaking TRUS and LATP prostate biopsies, managing GP referrals for men with suspected prostate cancer, prostate cancer follow-up, LUTS assessment and treatment as well as managing men with erectile dysfunction.
Lizzy Rowland
BAUN Co-Opted Trustee, 2024
Lizzy qualified in Adult nursing from Kingston University in 2014 and then worked for 3 years in Kingston Hospital in an elective surgical / urology ward before transferring Surrey and Sussex healthcare as a ward sister in the surgical short stay unit. During this time Lizzy completed individual modules in urology courses which is where she found her love for the subject and knew this is where she saw her career progressing.
In 2019 Lizzy undertook a flexible cystoscopy course to become independent in undertaking cystoscopies and in 2020 Lizzy landed her dream job as a Urology Nurse Specialist at Surrey and Sussex healthcare NHS trust.
Fast forward four years Lizzy has now completed her Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice and is a independent Prescriber, she is independently running flexible cystoscopy lists including intravesical injections of Botox, and in the last 12 months has introduced a new female recurrent UTI service to the Trust. Lizzy also supports the urology department with prostate assessment clinic and TWOC clinics, she runs a two week rule haematuria clinic and supports the urology one stop clinic. In the future Lizzy is looking to continue to expand the nurse-led services at Surrey and Sussex healthcare and is working closely with both the urology and gynae departments in the trust to see how to continuously improve their services.
Additional Post Holders:-
Journal Editors: Jerome Marley, Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Urological Nursing
