Introducing Ms. Sarah Hillery

My name is Sarah Hillery. I live and work in York, which is one of the most beautiful and ancient cities in England, UK.

My practice focuses on benign and diagnostic urology, and I lead the Urology Specialist Nursing team across our several hospital sites. I hold a Master’s degree in Advanced Clinical Practice, a Bachelor’s degree in Adult Nursing and I qualified as an independent prescriber in 2016.

I see patients independently from the Consultant Urologists and perform flexible cystoscopy, bladder botulinum toxin injections and a range of other clinical activities as well as running my own outpatient clinics. I also lead a one-stop urology diagnostics unit in Malton, North Yorkshire where patients can have a consultation and all their investigations on the same day.

It is a great honour to join the EAUN as a board member now I have completed my term as President of the British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN). I bring several years’ experience in leading a successful and growing professional association. My time with BAUN has allowed me to learn from colleagues all over the UK and beyond as we presented our study days, workshops and educational conferences.

I have worked on many UK based improvement boards including NICE, BAUS, GiRFT and other national projects to benchmark urology nursing and improve standards of care. Working closely with EAUN, ANZUNS and NZUNS, it has been my privilege to be part of the project to deliver an expert framework for urological nursing education – The Educational Framework for Urological Nursing (EFUN).

In attending EAUN conference in previous years, I have enjoyed meeting nursing colleagues from around Europe. There is so much inspiring talent, commitment and motivation among urology nurses that I felt I had to become a part of it. As urology nurses we all have our challenges, wherever we may work, but what unites us is our dedication to improving care for the people we look after.

My mission is to support the EAUN and urology nursing colleagues in every country we represent. As part of our global community, we have the power to change things for the better, even if only the tiniest of steps towards our goal is taken each day.

By joining the EAUN board I will strive to encourage nurses to take their first step towards presenting and writing and towards reaching their aspirations and potential. When we share our work at conference, at study days and in publishing, we share with other urology nurses who understand us and want us to do well. We are amongst friends.