Donna Little - Forum Chair

Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Donna currently works as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner within the Trauma and Orthopaedic department of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust..

Initially starting in the NHS as a cleaner Donna became a nursing auxiliary in mental heath and then undertook Dip He-Adult Nursing at Glasgow Caledonian University.

She came to North Bristol NHS trust in 1999 where she worked in various specialties becoming a grade E in post op recovery and elective orthopaedics. Following this she moved to RUH Bath in 2009 as junior sister in trauma orthopaedics. During this time she completing her BSc with the support of RCN Foundation Bursaries and presented posters at several SOTN conferences. She then went on become a ward manager and completed an MSc.

Since then she joined Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS as Advanced Nurse Practitioner specialising in hip fracture care and ortho-geriatrics and progressed to Advance Clinical Practitioner at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust specialising in Silver Trauma after a spell looking after front door frailty.

She is a NHS FAB Academy ambassador advocating the #PinchWithPride methodology of Quality Improvement and joined the SOTN Committee in January 2019.

David Raynsford-Dyer - Vice Chair

David qualified in 1999 from Kingston University London and spent 4 years working in the Emergency Department of St George's Hospital London then moved to Sussex and continued working in the Emergency Department at Chichester Hospital for another 4 years. 

David then left and worked for NHS Blood and Transplant for 12 years. He currently works in the trauma and orthopaedic ward at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (Worthing Hospital).

David is currently a committee member of the Royal College of Nursing’s Trauma and Orthopaedic Nursing Forum.

Helen Scott

Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Helen qualified in 2007 from Northumbria University and took her first post at Yeovil District Hospital as a staff nurse in trauma and orthopaedics, moving back to the Northeast 3 years later to undertake a ward sister role at South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust (STSFT). In 2015 Helen commenced a Nurse practitioner role and undertook post graduate training such as clinical skills and non-medical prescribing qualifications.

Helen continues to work for STSFT as an advanced clinical practitioner undertaking a master’s in advanced clinical practice, due to complete in 2026.

A member of the Army reserves, this role provides many transferable skills within trauma nursing and provides many leadership/educational opportunities.

Helen is committee member of the Royal College of Nursing’s Trauma and Orthopaedic Nursing Forum.

Helen is Married to Andy who is also a nurse and a Mammy to India and Tristan.

Kirsteen Smith

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip Service – Orthopaedics, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Kirsteen currently works as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, Regional Service in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Kirsteen qualified as a Registered Nurse – Adult Branch in 2007 through Queens University, Belfast gaining her BSC Hons. Following qualification she worked in a District General Emergency Department, for 8 years. During this time, she obtained her post graduate Diploma in Advanced Standing, Children’s Nursing qualifying in 2013, at QUB. It was working within the ED environment that Kirsteen’s love and enthusiasm for Trauma and Orthopaedics was nurtured, specifically the most vulnerable children in society.

Between 2016 - 2017, Kirsteen continued to enhance her knowledge and skills by successfully obtaining her Non-Medical prescribing (V300) and Health Assessment at UUJ, while working in the Hospital at Night as a Senior Clinical Practitioner. Kirsteen commenced in her current post in the DDH service in 2021. Kirsteen has worked tirelessly during this current tenure successfully completing the GRAF Ultrasound course and undertaking the Short Programme in Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing across the Lifespan. She has an active role facilitating teaching and an OCSE examiner for Midwives, Health Visitors, GP’s, Physicians Associates and Nurses in her Orthopaedic role developing their skills and knowledge of DDH and the appropriate treatment plans, within the main Universities of Belfast, Queens University of Belfast and University of Ulster.

As a newly appointed member of the SOTN committee, Kirsteen strives to have an instrumental impact in developing Paediatric Orthopaedic and Trauma especially in introducing Universal Hip Screening for all infants for DDH in Northern Ireland.