Karen Stenner

Dr. Karen Stenner is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Health Research (IHR) within the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at the University of Bedfordshire. She specializes in qualitative and mixed-methods case study approaches to evaluate health services, focusing on service innovation, equity of access to healthcare, and extended roles in health/social care. Her work includes projects on social prescribing, non-medical prescribing, and delegation of medical tasks in community nursing. She has collaborated with institutions like the University of the Highlands and Islands and the University of Surrey. Dr. Stenner holds a PhD from the University of Surrey (2011) and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Bristol.

Her research portfolio includes studies on insulin administration delegation in community nursing, optometrist therapeutic prescribing, and paramedic independent prescribing practices. She has secured funding from NIHR, NHS England, and the Dunhill Medical Trust, among others. Dr. Stenner’s publications span journals like Journal of Advanced Nursing, International Journal of Nursing Studies, and Radiography.

She has supervised undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students and contributes to academic mentorship through the IHR Research Mentorship Scheme. Her work emphasizes translating research into policy and practice improvements for underserved populations.