#5 Leading Practitioner Interview

We often hear from the community that practitioners are interested in getting an insight into what other health and care informatics professionals are up to. So, we are delighted to introduce you to Steve Bowman, one of our Leading Practitioners working as the ‘Medical School Librarian and TEL Lead’ at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.

We asked Steve about his career so far and his views on the future of the profession.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey so far:

After an early career in engineering, I moved into Information Services in the late 80s. Starting out as a Librarian in FE colleges I slowly made my way through a few FE and HE institutions until I ended up at LSBU as firstly the Liaison Librarian for the School of Health and Social Care and lately as ‘Learning and Teaching Librarian’ for the institution. This experience prepared me for my current role (2019- ) at ‘Brighton and Sussex Medical School’, a role that I had first coveted in 2004! I am a Fellow of CILIP and a Senior Fellow of the HEA, have an MA in Information Management, and an MSc in E-learning.

2. What is one thing you wish you had known when you began your career?

That we constantly live in ‘interesting times’, the information sector has been constantly evolving since the first day of involvement in the sector.

3. What advice would you give to someone who wants to advance in the profession?

Be open to opportunity, be passionate about the work, encourage others.

4. What are the best resources that have helped you along the way?

Colleagues and networks, a good network never lets you down!

5. What is the one common myth about your profession or field that you want to debunk?

That we are still stuck in the Gutenberg era of physical print.

6. What do you think is going to have the biggest impact on health in the next 5 years?

Generative AI and advances in XR simulation.

7. How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?

See 4 above and an insatiable appetite for learning!

8. What do you think is the biggest challenge for the profession and how should we overcome it?

The biggest challenge at the moment is generative AI, and we don’t need to overcome it, we need to embrace it!

9. Fellow Leading Practitioner Owen Powell would like to ask: What job did you think you’d be doing when you were at school?

At school I had no fixed idea of my career path, I followed the other members of my family into engineering because that was what you did.

Steve Bowman is the ‘Medical School Librarian and TEL Lead’ at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.

A Fellow of CILIP and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he has an MA in Information Management, and an MSc in E-Learning.

He has worked in the ‘Information Services’ sector since 1982 in Further Education, Higher Education, and NHS senior roles.

The transition from working in HE for 20 years, to working in the NHS during the pandemic has only increased his enthusiasm for the role of the Information Professional in these ‘interesting times’.

His passions include the history of the book, film and cinema, and Prog Rock!