Fiona worked as a Paediatric Nursing for over 40 years.  She trained at Great Ormond Street hospital for Children, UK, one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals, undertaking the combined Registered General Nursing and Registered Sick Children’s Nursing Programme, following which she worked in Nottingham as a nursing officer in the children’s emergency care, trauma and orthopaedics.  During this time, Fiona was involved in setting standards, as well as publishing several books regarding children’s emergency care and the care of children.  The latter included the Nottingham Model which still underpins nursing practice across children’s services today.

Fiona has worked as the Advisor and Professional Lead for children and young people’s nursing at the Royal College of Nursing, UK, for the last 20 years.  The role involved advising over 500,000 members about professional nursing practice across the UK and those working internationally, setting professional service standards, influencing politicians and national and UK policy, as well as European standards about service provision and in the care of neonates, children and young people.  During her time at the Royal College of Nursing, Fiona contributed and led the publication of many Royal College of Nursing standards, including that related to safe staffing levels for neonatal and children’s nursing which are still used today by service inspection bodies such as the Care Quality Commission.  Fiona supported over 40 professional forums including children and young people’s mental health, safeguarding children and young people, neonatal and children’s oncology, specialist nursing such as children’s cardiac and cardiology, theatres and recovery.

In 2003, representing Royal College of Nursing, Fiona established the Paediatric Nursing Associations of Europe, acting as the Chair until 2018.  The paediatric Nursing Associations of Europe was established to bring together professional organisations for nurses working with children and young people in Europe.  By 2017 there were over 33 European countries involved, and connections made with many other countries well beyond Europe.

Fiona has made significant contributions in the development of Paediatric Nursing in Hong Kong since 2012.  She was the invited speaker at the inaugural Asia Pacific Paediatric Nurses Association held in Sarawak, Malaysia with Ms. Susanna LEE from Hong Kong as the Founding President in 2012.

Fiona provided tremendous support to Paediatric nurses in the setting up of Hong Kong College of Paediatric Nursing (HKCPN) through consultation, education and lectureship.  She accepted the invitation from HKCPN as the honorary Adviser since 2012.  She came to Hong Kong and conducted numerous lectures and workshops to Paediatric nurses on the core competence and standard of practice of advanced nursing practice in Paediatric Nursing and shared the knowledge and information from the Royal College of Nursing, UK.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions and influencing work, Fiona was recognized by paediatricians and induced as Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, UK, in 2013.