Dr Nichola Ashby is an internationally recognised nursing leader, workforce strategist and education expert with more than four decades of experience across clinical practice, higher education, global policy and professional regulation.

A global authority on nurse competence, education standards and credentialing, Nichola sits on the Strategic Advisory Council of the Global Nursing Workforce Centre (TruMerit) and is the UK representative to the Global Health Workforce Development Institute (UN NGO). She has led quality assurance of nursing programmes across the UK, Europe, India, China, Saudi Arabia and Africa.

As Founder and Director of Axis Culture Group Ltd and Horizon Health Consultancy Ltd, she advises governments, universities, regulators and health systems on nurse education, ethical recruitment, workforce strategy and leadership development. She is also an ILM Level 7 executive and team coach, and presents the podcast The Leadership Biscuit.

Nichola has more than 70 published outputs and is an Associate Lecturer at Coventry University. She is a trustee of TB Alert, a reviewer for the Journal of Holistic Nursing Practice, and an ambassador for numerous charities.

A TB survivor, Nichola brings a deeply personal perspective to her work, understanding health and illness from both sides of the bedside. This inspired her PhD, completed in 2015, which explored the stigmatisation of healthcare workers with TB and other iatrogenic infections.

Values-driven and rigorous, Nichola is committed to strengthening the global nursing workforce through education, competence, culture and ethical practice.