Kingston University and St George's, University of London professor elected fellow of American College of Cardiology

Posted Wednesday 12 October 2016

A leading British expert in cardiology care has been elected as a fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). Professor Tom Quinn, Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Centre for Health and Social Care Research at the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education run jointly by Kingston University and St George's, University of London, joins an elite group of nursing specialists to have received the prestigious recognition.

Professor Quinn described himself as being very proud to have become an ACC fellow and especially to have the honour of being one of the few nurses to do so. "I see it as an achievement and recognition for all cardiac nurses - this is as much for the staff nurses I worked with in the 1980s as it is for me now as a professor of nursing," he said.

The mission of the American College of Cardiology is to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health. Fellowship is one of the most distinguished titles the College offers its members and it is seen as the ultimate recognition of professional achievement.

Professor Stephen Brecker, Chief of Cardiology at St George's Hospital, said: "Fellowship of the College as a Professor of Nursing is a remarkable achievement and one for which Tom can be rightly proud."

Professor Quinn is well known for his published research on cardiac care and was part of a team of experts from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) which recently launched the first European standards for the management of heart attack patients. These are quality indicators for the treatments of patients with acute heart conditions.

Professor Quinn explained that patients suffering from a heart attack, particularly those in an immediately life-threatening condition, were treated by a range of people - from the paramedics who have the first contact with them, through to emergency department doctors and nurses, and cardiologists and cardiac nurses, radiographers and specialist technical staff. "The working group from the ESC's Acute Cardiovascular Care Association who developed the new standards for management are from a variety of clinical and research backgrounds, covering the whole of the cardiac patient's journey," he said. "The published paper includes justification for each of the quality indicators and the clinical and scientific rationale for them."

Professor Quinn hopes his appointment as fellow of the ACC and his continued role in conducting research in collaboration with colleagues from other professions and disciplines will be a positive influence for future nurses. "Throughout my career I have benefited from great leadership and mentors," he said. "I see part of my role as a mentor to the next generation of cardiac nurses, paramedics and other colleagues and I am hopeful that by raising the profile of nurses in cardiac research, it encourages more nurses to aspire to these levels and know the door is open to them."

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