Zena is a clinical academic and holds a portfolio of roles including Social Care Nurse Fellow within the NIHR Nursing and Midwifery Office . In this role Zena is committed to improving opportunities for social care nurses across all settings to become more engaged in research. Zena’s career in health and social care has spanned across four decades, initially in domiciliary care and then as a nursing auxiliary in acute and community settings, before undertaking her mental health nurse training. She has relished the challenge of less traditional roles throughout her career but always with a keen focus on improving the outcomes and experiences of care for older people, people living with dementia, their families, and carers. Zena's specialist interest includes the care of older people, dementia care, palliative and end of life care, continence management, case management, biopsychosocial care, social care nursing as well service integration and quality improvement. Zena is a published author of multiple journal articles and contributor to three books.