Queen’s lecturer earns PhD after pioneering domestic abuse training for NI Nursing students

Dr Stephanie Craig

A Queen’s University Belfast lecturer has been awarded a PhD from the School of Nursing and Midwifery after leading a pioneering initiative that makes domestic abuse training a core part of nurse education in Northern Ireland.

Dr Stephanie Craig graduated on Tuesday 1 July, marking a major milestone in a career dedicated to compassionate care, student mentorship, and research-led reform.

Originally from Ballymoney, Dr Craig began her journey at Queen’s as an undergraduate and quickly advanced to become a Nurse Lecturer.

Her professional interests span dementia, cancer, bereavement and, more recently, domestic abuse—a subject she is now helping to embed into the core curriculum for nursing students.

A transformative journey in care and education

Early in her studies, Dr Craig worked closely with charities and leading healthcare organisations, gaining first-hand experience with people living with dementia—something she describes as “truly transformative”.

Now a passionate educator and mentor, Dr Craig believes her most powerful lesson has been learning how research can drive real and lasting change.

“I want my students to feel seen and heard, and to know that they are capable of more than they sometimes believe,” said Dr Craig.

“Queen’s has given me so much not only academically, but in shaping the kind of nurse, researcher, and educator I’ve become. And if I can help students take just one thing forward with them, I hope it’s the understanding that empathy is not a soft skill – it’s a powerful, transformative force in both healthcare and in life.”

Driving change through research and advocacy

Her recent work includes collaboration with NIPANC—the Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer Charity—on an educational game supporting survivors and bereaved families, which she is set to present later this year in Beijing.

But it is her groundbreaking work on the Unlock Safety Initiative that is having the most immediate impact in Northern Ireland.

Launched recently at Stormont, the initiative will ensure nursing students at Queen’s become the first in Northern Ireland to receive dedicated education on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls as part of their degree.

The project, co-developed with her Director of Education, was created in collaboration with key partners including the Royal College of Nursing, Women’s Aid Federation NI and the Executive Office’s End Violence Against Women and Girls Change Fund.

“Standing at Stormont alongside First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, during the official launch was a surreal and powerful moment for me,” Dr Craig said.

“For me, education isn’t just about textbooks and exams – it’s about creating a safer, more informed Northern Ireland where people feel seen, supported, and empowered.”

Looking ahead

Now teaching first-year students on the BSc Professional Nursing programme, Dr Craig says her next goal is to continue inspiring the next generation of nurses and ensuring education becomes a vehicle for empathy and action.

With the Unlock Safety Initiative now embedded at Queen’s, Dr Craig’s work is set to leave a lasting legacy—not just in academia, but in the lives and safety of patients and communities across Northern Ireland.