Nikki Cotterill Named Wales Nursing Research Leader 2026

Key Points

• The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Cymru and Cardiff University have decided to appoint Professor Nikki Cotterill as Professor of Nursing at Cardiff University and RCN Wales Chair for Nursing Research.
• Cotterill will join the dual role starting from January 4, 2027.
• The goal is to improve nursing research and academic performance in Wales and elsewhere through a collaboration of the expertise and power of the two institutions.
• Cotterill will be responsible for the development of the strategy of nursing research, making it stronger, more visible, and more influential within the School of Cardiff University, RCN Cymru, and nursing in general.
• The main goals of this collaboration are increasing the capacity of nursing research, supporting the development of research leadership, and working on the development of a nursing research program.
• The main goal is to create high-quality research and publications which can be used for informing policies, practicing and improving health care.
• Cotterill stated that her goals are to increase the visibility and impact of nursing research, to support the development of its capacity and research leadership, and to make sure that nurses take an active part in decisions concerning research.
• She is now Professor in Continence Care at the University of the West of England (UWE) and was conducting continence research since 2003.
• Her research is focused on patient experience, self-management, promotion of continence, and improvement of care for patients with bladder and bowel symptoms.
• Cotterill is a registered nurse, fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, and holds a PhD and a BSc (Hons).

Cardiff (Wales Times) November 13, 2026 – Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Cymru have appointed Professor Nikki Cotterill as the new Professor of Nursing at uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff University and RCN Wales Chair for Nursing Research. The joint appointment is due to begin on 4 January 2027 and is intended to bring the two organisations’ expertise together to support nursing research and academia in Wales and beyond.

As reported by Nursing Times, the appointment establishes a new nursing research leadership role for Wales. The announcement was also published by RCN Cymru and Cardiff University, which described Professor Cotterill’s role as providing strategic direction for nursing research across the university’s school, RCN Cymru and the wider profession.

The appointment follows growing attention to the contribution nurses make to research and to the evidence base used in health and care policy. RCN Cymru and Cardiff University said the role recognises the value of ensuring nurses’ knowledge, experience and perspectives help shape evidence that informs the future of healthcare.

What will Professor Cotterill’s role involve?

Professor Cotterill will be responsible for championing the development, visibility and impact of nursing research. According to the joint announcement by RCN Cymru and Cardiff University, her work will focus on increasing research capacity, supporting research leadership and developing a world-class programme of research into nursing-related subjects.

The organisations said the programme is intended to generate high-quality publications and meaningful research outcomes. These outcomes are expected to inform policy, influence practice and contribute to improvements in health and care.

The role will also connect Cardiff University’s academic work with RCN Cymru’s professional network. The announcement said the partnership is designed to strengthen nursing research and academia in Wales and beyond.

What did Professor Cotterill say?

Professor Cotterill said she was honoured to be appointed to the joint role. As quoted in the RCN Cymru and Cardiff University announcement, she said:

“I am honoured to be appointed as Cardiff University Professor of Nursing and Royal College of Nursing Wales Chair for Nursing Research.”

She added that her vision is to “champion nursing research as a powerful force for improving health and care”, while ensuring nurses’ perspectives influence future evidence, policy and practice.

Professor Cotterill further said she wanted to “raise the visibility and influence of nursing research, grow research capacity and leadership”, and ensure nurses have a strong voice in shaping research questions. She said every nurse could contribute to a research-active profession in which evidence is driven by the realities of care and by what matters most to patients and communities.

Who is Professor Nikki Cotterill?

Professor Cotterill is a registered nurse and Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing. Her UWE Bristol staff profile states that she has worked in continence research since 2003, with work covering the development, conduct, analysis and dissemination of research.

Her research has placed particular emphasis on patient experience, self-help and continence promotion. She has also collaborated on treatment studies involving conservative, pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, and has expertise in developing validated outcome measures in the field.

According to her UWE Bristol profile, Professor Cotterill completed her PhD in 2009. The PhD involved developing a self-report symptom and quality-of-life questionnaire for people with anal incontinence, known as the ICIQ-B.

What is her research background?

Professor Cotterill is currently Professor in Continence Care at UWE Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust. Her profile says she is also Director of the Bladder and Bowel CONfidence Health Integration Team (BABCON), which is hosted by Bristol Health Partners.

BABCON works on system-wide improvements for people with bladder and bowel leakage. Its projects have included research into unmet need in adult social care, public toilet provision, and the development of the CONfidence self-help app, which provides advice and education for people living with bladder and bowel leakage.

Her published research has included qualitative studies on continence care in community and hospital settings, as well as work examining the effect of Covid-19 on bladder and bowel services from both provider and patient perspectives.

She is also involved in a project exploring continence promotion through community pharmacies, known as PRIME, in collaboration with the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System.

What research is she currently supervising?

Professor Cotterill’s UWE Bristol profile says she supervises three PhD students working on projects in different settings and populations.

• The VOICE project, funded by the Abbeyfield Research Foundation, is investigating continence care in care homes to develop a framework for improved provision.
• The POTTY project is a partnership PhD with ERIC, The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity, exploring bladder and bowel health promotion in early-years settings.
• The CoV-LUTS+ project is examining the impact of Covid-19 on lower urinary tract symptoms, with the aim of improving identification and management of long-term symptoms.

Her profile states that these studies are intended to provide insights into improving continence care across systems and across the life course.

Why does the appointment matter?

The appointment creates a formal link between nursing research, university academia and professional representation in Wales. RCN Cymru and Cardiff University said the joint position would combine the expertise and influence of both organisations.

The stated aim is not limited to academic publication. The announcement said the research programme should produce outcomes that inform policy, influence practice and improve health and care.

The appointment also reflects the organisations’ stated view that nurses should have a stronger role in shaping the evidence used in healthcare. Professor Cotterill’s comments emphasised the importance of nurses’ perspectives in determining the questions research seeks to answer.

What has RCN Cymru and Cardiff University said?

RCN Cymru and Cardiff University said the appointment would provide strategic direction for nursing research. They said it would champion its development, visibility and impact across Cardiff University’s school, RCN Cymru and the wider nursing profession.

The announcement described the role as a key step towards growing nursing research capacity and supporting research leadership. It also said the work would develop a world-class programme of research into nursing-related topics.

The organisations said the appointment recognised the contribution nurses make to research. They added that ensuring nurses’ knowledge, experience and perspectives shape the evidence base is important for the future of healthcare.

Background of the development

Professor Cotterill has worked in continence research since 2003 and has focused on improving outcomes for people with bladder and bowel symptoms. Her work has included patient experience research, self-help approaches, service development and collaboration with patients and the public.

She has previously been described in RCN conference materials as an Associate Professor of Nursing in Continence Care at UWE, Continence Lead for North Bristol NHS Trust and Director of the BABCON Health Integration Team in Bristol.

Her academic profile identifies three main areas of research activity: improving care for people with incontinence, embedding qualitative research into clinical trials, and developing patient-reported outcome measures for lower pelvic dysfunction.

The new appointment follows RCN Cymru’s ongoing research and professional development activity in Wales. RCN Cymru listed the appointment on 12 November 2026.

Prediction: how may this affect nurses and patients in Wales?

For nurses in Wales, the appointment may create more opportunities to take part in research, develop research skills and move into research leadership roles. The stated priorities include growing research capacity and supporting research leadership, which could mean more structured support for nurses interested in evidence-based practice.

For nursing students and early-career nurses, the role may increase exposure to research within university and professional settings. Professor Cotterill’s stated intention to ensure nurses help shape research questions suggests a focus on connecting research with frontline care experiences.

For patients, the potential effect depends on whether the research programme produces findings that are adopted in policy and practice. The organisations have said the aim is to generate research outcomes that inform policy, influence practice and improve health and care.

Given Professor Cotterill’s established work in continence care, bladder and bowel health may be one area where her experience could inform future research priorities. Her existing work has included self-help resources, community pharmacy-based continence promotion, care-home research and early-years bladder and bowel health.

For health and care organisations in Wales, the appointment may support closer working between academic institutions and professional bodies. The joint role is designed to link Cardiff University’s research environment with RCN Cymru’s professional network, potentially helping research findings reach nursing teams and care settings.