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Meet the Team

Tendai Gwenhure

Tendai Gwenhure

Ophthalmic Clinical Educator

Tendai Gwenhure trained as an ophthalmic nurse at Moorfields Eye Hospital in 2001. Prior to this, she worked abroad as a nurse manager at a private eye centre. In addition to managing staff and overseeing the clinical and surgical activities, she was also involved in charity work, collaborating with local and international charity organisations to run rural eye camp programmes to underserved communities. Upon completion of the ophthalmic course, Tendai worked in the Ophthalmic Accident and Emergency department, starting off as a D grade staff nurse, then progressing to become an ophthalmic emergency nurse practitioner and an A&E sister in 2005. Within this role, she was actively involved in the delivery departmental teaching sessions and staff training.

Because of her passion for staff education and training, Tendai moved into the Clinical Educator role at Moorfields Eye Hospital in 2014. With the introduction of the PGCert in Clinical Ophthalmic Practice programme at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology in 2014, Tendai has been a faculty member and she is currently the programme lead. She holds an MA in Practice Education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is an advocate for lifelong learning and nursing research. Her research interests are mainly around workforce development and enhancing student learning experience. She has received nominations from UCL for Student Choice Award for Excellent Personal Tutoring and Inspiring Teaching and Delivery. In 2019, she won the Student Choice Award for best lecturer for the PGCert Ophthalmic Practice programme for 2014-2018.

Tendai has been involved in Nurse Practitioner and GP training programmes for managing eye conditions. She has also been involved in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering Arts and Maths) projects and youth employment schemes with local schools to promote careers in healthcare. She has presented at several conferences both nationally and internationally and has had multiple journal publications. As part of her master’s programme, she has conducted a research project to evaluate a local induction course and she is currently undertaking her DProf.

Tendai has global networks, working with charities including Abalon Trust, Eye Health Africa and Global Health Lecturers’ Network to promote eye health and support ophthalmic education in marginalised communities. She is also a member of the World Association of Eye Hospital (WAEH) communities of practice for nurses, sharing best clinical practice and best strategies for ophthalmic nurse training and education. Locally, Tendai is involved in community engagement activities focusing on the promotion of eye health and empowering nurses through education and training.


Grace Eni

Grace Eni

Advanced Ophthalmic Emergency Nurse Practitioner (AOENP)

Grace is an Advanced Ophthalmic Emergency Nurse Practitioner (AOENP) at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London. She is the first AOENP in Moorfields and the United Kingdom. Grace joined Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London in 2004. She has a military nursing background and worked as a matron in the private sector in south London. She has over 20 years of experience in clinical ophthalmology, specifically in ophthalmic accident and emergency. 

She was appointed in February 2019 and is a Non-Medical (Independent) Prescriber. She holds a masters (MSc) degree in Ophthalmic Clinical practice, a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Health Sciences, and a Professional Certificate in Medical Retina. Grace is also an Honorary Lecturer and Module Lead at University College London (UCL) and a faculty member of the Ophthalmic Practitioner Training program, Train-The-Trainer, at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth). 

As an AOENP, Grace works autonomously alongside ophthalmologists to examine and treat ophthalmic patients who present to the accident and emergency department of the hospital. She is trained to assess and manage a wide range of eye-related emergencies, including injuries, infections, and acute vision problems. Grace collaborates closely with the ophthalmologists to provide comprehensive care to the patients and ensure the best possible outcomes. 

Grace is passionate about education, implementation science, innovations and processes which aid autonomous role expansion for advancing emergency nurse practitioners and technicians locally to promote clinical excellence in care and positive patient experience. She was recently awarded The Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 2021 and has presented her work nationally and internationally including community and professional projects like 'The Eye Envoy' London 2023, and 'Vision China, Beijing, 2018.

Grace is currently a member of the Ophthalmic Nursing Forum committee at the Royal College Of Nursing.

Email: g.eni@nhs.net

Rebecca Turner

Rebecca Turner

Nurse Consultant,  Oxford Eye Hospital

Rebecca has been a Consultant Nurse at the Oxford Eye Hospital since October 2015. Prior to this she held many senior nursing and leadership roles including Matron in both Ophthalmology and beyond.

As a Consultant Nurse Rebecca had numerous opportunities for clinical and professional development, from membership on NICE guidance committees to leading an implementation of AI systems within the cataract pathway. She has been enabled to network and provide training and education events both in the NHS and private sector. Furthermore, she has been part of a small team traveling to the Falklands Islands to provide specialist clinics and cataract and oculoplastic surgery. 

Rebecca is passionate about patient care within Ophthalmology and the advancement of the clinical workforce in this field. Her interest is in the promotion and delivery of a diverse, inclusive, and flexible workforce which maximises the skills and knowledge of each team member, registered and non-registered practitioners, alike.

She is the current President of the United Kingdom Society of Ophthalmic Practitioners (UKISOP) which offers didactic, theory and skills-based training and education for all professionals allied to Ophthalmology. More recently she is delighted to have been appointed to the RCN Ophthalmic Nursing forum committee.

As a nurse consultant Rebecca's current place of practice is within the nurse-led cataract pre-operative assessment service in which she assesses, examines, and lists patients for cataract surgery. She is also a committee member of the Royal College of Nursing’s Ophthalmic Nursing Forum.

Outside work, Rebecca is studying for a part time degree in the History of Art through Oxford University Continuing Education department.

Contact

Professional Lead: Carmel Bagness

Follow the RCN Ophthalmic forum on Twitter- @RCNophthalmic

Page last updated - 22/01/2024