Mrs Caroline Morton
School of Health & Society
Current positions
Senior Lecturer
Biography
Caroline Morton is a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing and the Directorate Lead for Social Care Nursing at the University of Salford. She has over 14 years’ experience across clinical and academic roles and is particularly interested in workforce development, mental health, and education in underrepresented areas such as adult social care.
Caroline has led major curriculum developments, including a multi-module accelerated entry route into nursing and significant updates to pre-registration mental health nursing programmes, successfully navigating NMC approval processes. She has also developed innovative placement models, working with regional partners across prison healthcare and, more recently, adult social care.
Her clinical background includes roles in community mental health, perinatal services, and prison healthcare. This experience continues to shape her teaching and helps students connect theory to real-world practice.
As Directorate Lead for Social Care Nursing, Caroline is working to raise the profile of nursing in social care and strengthen links between education, practice, and policy in this often-overlooked sector. Her current work involves collaborating with national and regional partners to improve education pathways, research, and retention within the social care workforce.
Caroline is also actively involved in research and publication. She is affiliated with the Early Career Researchers and Mental Health & Neurodiversity Research Group, where she leads writing support sessions. Her recent research projects include evaluating the impact of family learning programs for parents and carers of children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Caroline's commitment to excellence in education and research, coupled with her extensive clinical background, positions her as a leader in the field of mental health nursing. She aims to inspire and mentor the next generation of nurses, fostering a culture of innovation and compassionate care.
Areas of Research
Caroline Morton’s research interests focus on improving mental health outcomes through education, support, and workforce development. She has a particular interest in perinatal mental health and has explored effective interventions for parents and carers of children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
She is committed to addressing student mental health, examining the challenges faced by nursing students when seeking support. Her work also investigates the recruitment and retention of nursing staff in both clinical and academic settings, aiming to foster more supportive, sustainable environments.
Caroline has conducted research and evaluation work across a range of sectors, drawing on social models of health to understand and improve outcomes in community, education, and social care contexts. This cross-sector work is grounded in collaboration, with a focus on translating research into practice.
She is currently part of the project team leading a national priority-setting initiative—delivered in partnership with the University of Salford, NIHR, and NHS England—which aims to identify and articulate key research and innovation needs in adult social care nursing. This work brings together frontline nurses, people who use social care services, researchers, and policy makers to shape a more evidence-informed future for adult social care nursing in England.
Caroline’s research is rooted in evidence-based practice and shaped by meaningful engagement with diverse stakeholders to ensure that it has real-world relevance and impact.
•Evidence based interventional nursing (L5/L7)
•Field specific care needs – mental health (L5/L7)
•Developing as a mental health nurse (L5)
•Exploring integrated mental health nursing practice (L7)
•Practice parts 1/2/3
•Exploring nursing evidence and interventions (L5)
•Exploring the fundamentals of nursing practice (L5)
Guest lectures across post registration programmes such as ACP, SCHPN and SPQ
Qualifications
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MSc in Leading Education for Health and Social Care Reform
2016 - 2019 -
Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice
2016 - 2017 -
BSc (hons) Mental Health Nursing
2007 - 2010