Will is a PhD student in the Department of Psychology. He graduated from the University of Chester in 2015 with a Psychology Honours Degree. Will's PhD will investigate the development of an intervention for work-related stress in oncology healthcare professionals. Will also works for a mental health organisation called Making Space, providing support to clients with a range of mental health diagnoses. Will also co-facilitates a Recovery Group with a Clinical Psychologist, for patients at a rehabilitation hospital provided by Making Space.
Teaching
Will has taught as a Study Skills Facilitator in the Department of Psychology. This included preparing and presenting academic success seminars to Level 4 Psychology undergraduates. Titled ‘How to get the most out of your degree’, the seminars included statistics workshops, essay writing, and critical evaluation sessions.
Research
Will's research is exploring the development and testing of a stress-management intervention for oncology nurses. The intervention is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training (ACT) and is called ACTION (Acceptance and Commitment Training Intervention for Oncology Nurses). It is delivered in groups across three weekly sessions.
Will is currently testing the initial effectiveness and acceptability of his intervention with NHS oncology nurses, primarily using single-case experimental designs. Will is also interested in how improvements in oncology nurses' professional quality of life may have positive effects on the standard of care provided to cancer patients.
Published Work
Peer-reviewed publications
Kent, W., Hulbert-Williams, N. J., & Hochard, K. D. (2020). A review of stress-management interventions for the oncology nursing workforce: what do we know and what should we be doing differently? Health Psychology Report, 1, 1-19.
Kent, W., Hochard, K. D., & Hulbert-Williams, N. J. (2019). Perceived stress and professional quality of life in nursing staff: How important is psychological flexibility? Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 14, 11-19.
Conference publications
Kent, W., Hulbert-Williams, N., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, L. A single-subject research design to test the initial effectiveness and acceptability of ACTION: An Acceptance and Commitment Training Intervention for Oncology Nurses. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) Annual Conference, June 2019, Dublin, Ireland. (Oral presentation).
Hulbert-Williams NJ, Finucane A, Gillanders D, Hochard KD, Hulbert-Williams L, Kent W, Kreft J, Millington S, Norwood S, Spiller J, Strachan J, Kreft J & Swash B. Using Single-Subject Research Designs to develop effective and acceptable intervention content: results from two ACT-based coaching intervention studies. International Psychosocial Oncology Society (IPOS) Annual Conference, September 2019, Alberta, Canada. (Oral presentation).
Kent, W., Hulbert-Williams, N., Hochard, K., & Bramwell, R. Oncology nurse self-care: a literature review of interventions to reduce burnout and compassion fatigue. European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) Annual Conference, October 2016, Dublin, Ireland. (poster).
Kent, W., Hulbert-Williams, N., Hochard, K., & Bramwell, R. The problem that won't go away: a literature review of psychological interventions to tackle burnout and compassion fatigue in oncology nurses. 18th International Psycho Oncology Society (IPOS) Congress, October 2016, Dublin, Ireland. (poster).
Kent, W., Hulbert-Williams, N., Hochard, K., & Bramwell, R. Oncology nurse self-care: a literature review of interventions to reduce burnout and compassion fatigue. British Psychosocial Oncology Society (BPOS) Annual Conference, March 2017, Oxford, England. (poster).
Kent, W. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training for oncology nurse self-care. British Psychosocial Oncology Society (BPOS) Annual Conference, 3-minute Thesis Event, March 2017, Oxford, England. (oral presentation).
Kent, W., Hulbert-Williams, N., Hochard, K., & Bramwell, R. Oncology nurse self-care: a literature review of interventions to address burnout and compassion fatigue. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) World Conference, June 2017, Seville, Spain. (poster).
Kent, W., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, N. The relationship between Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) processes and work-related wellbeing in UK nurses: an intervention development study. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) World Conference, June 2017, Seville, Spain. (oral presentation).
Kent, W., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, N. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training (ACT) intervention processes and work-related wellbeing in nursing staff. 19th International Psycho Oncology Society (IPOS) Congress, August 2017, Berlin, Germany. (poster).
Kent, W., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, N. The relationship between Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) processes and work-related wellbeing in UK nurses. Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Research Conference, January 2018, Chester, England. (Oral Presentation).
Kent, W., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, N. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training (ACT) intervention processes and work-related wellbeing in nursing staff. Ysbyty Glan Clwyd (NHS Hospital) Science Slam, February 2018, Bodelwyddan, Wales. (Poster).
Kent, W., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, N. Stress, burnout and compassion fatigue in nursing staff: how may Acceptance and Commitment Training help to intervene? British Psychosocial Oncology Society (BPOS) Annual Conference, March 2018, Southampton, England. (Poster).
Kent, W., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, N. Statistical associations between psychological flexibility, stress, burnout and compassion fatigue in a sample of UK nurses. Chester Contextual Behavioural Science Research Colloquium, August 2018, Chester, England. (Short Oral Presentation & Poster).
Kent, W., Hulbert-Williams, N., Hochard, K., & Hulbert-Williams, L. Initial effectiveness and acceptability of ACTION: An Acceptance and Commitment Training Intervention for Oncology Nurses. British Psychosocial Oncology Society (BPOS) Annual Conference, February 2019, Chester, England. (Short Oral Presentation & Poster).