Mrs Joanna Stirling-Aird

Mrs Joanna Stirling‑Aird qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 2005 and subsequently completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Medical Science through the University of Glasgow in partnership with the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. Over the next seventeen years she built an extensive career in large inner‑city Emergency Departments, where she also earned an MSc in Advanced Nursing Practice from Glasgow Caledonian University. In parallel with her emergency work, she served as a forensic nurse specializing in the assessment and care of sexual assault survivors, gaining expertise in trauma‑informed practice and multidisciplinary collaboration.

In 2020 Mrs Stirling‑Aird stepped into a senior management role while maintaining a hands‑on clinical presence as Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner. This position required her to lead remote assessments and tele‑medicine consultations, applying advanced clinical decision‑making across a virtual platform. Two years later she transitioned from secondary to primary care to focus on her Advanced Nurse Practitioner career, and in 2023 she was promoted to Nurse Consultant. In this capacity she continues to deliver direct patient care to both adults and children, while also providing leadership and strategic direction to a large, multidisciplinary team. In addition to her NHS responsibilities, Mrs Stirling‑Aird maintains a private practice as an Aesthetics Nurse Practitioner, performing advanced procedural work and offering comprehensive wellbeing and health consultations.

Mrs Stirling‑Aird’s clinical passion centers on advanced practice nursing, with particular expertise in Emergency Nurse Practitioner skills and the delivery of high‑acuity care within both emergency and primary‑care settings. She is dedicated to integrating evidence‑based emergency protocols into community health models, thereby expanding access to urgent care services and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. Her work in forensic nursing has fostered a sustained interest in trauma‑sensitive care, prompting her to advocate for improved pathways for sexual assault survivors across health services.

A further area of enthusiasm is the safety and professionalism of aesthetic medicine. As a member of the British Association of Medical Aesthetic Nurses (BAMAN), Mrs Stirling‑Aird stays abreast of emerging techniques, regulatory standards, and risk‑mitigation strategies, ensuring that her private aesthetic practice adheres to the highest clinical and ethical benchmarks. She routinely contributes to peer discussions and workshops aimed at elevating safety culture within the aesthetic nursing community.

Throughout her career, Mrs Stirling‑Aird has held several senior leadership positions, including senior Charge Nurse in high‑volume Emergency Departments and Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner. In her current role as Nurse Consultant in primary care, she provides strategic leadership, mentorship, and operational oversight to a diverse multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaborative practice.

Mrs Stirling‑Aird has consistently integrated education into her professional duties, supervising junior staff, trainees, and advanced practice nurses across all of her roles. She delivers expert consultation and mentorship to teams of Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) and Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), designing and facilitating clinical workshops, simulation sessions, and reflective practice forums to enhance competency and confidence among emerging practitioners.