Professor Jayne Donaldson

Professor Jayne Donaldson is a Registered Nurse and Registered Nurse Teacher, and has worked in Higher Education since 1998.

She led and managed the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University, and was an Honorary Doctor of Nursing and Midwifery Studies at NHS Borders.

Professor Donaldson has a keen interest in the quality of patient experience within healthcare, and recently co-edited a special edition within Nurse Education Today relating to her work in compassionate person-centred care.

She is an active member of Scottish Academic Heads for Nursing, and Allied Health Professions network and the UK-wide Council of Deans of Health.

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Donaldson is tasked with providing strategic leadership across the University’s health, wellbeing and related academic portfolios and driving excellence in health education, research and external engagement. This portfolio embeds a whole-university approach to wellbeing for students and staff and commenced in July 2026.