James began his nursing career in Shropshire in 1997 and qualified as a Registered Nurse (Adult) in 2000, working in the Peri-operative environment and completing a rotation through General Surgery, Vascular, Trauma Orthopaedic, Elective Orthopaedic, ENT, Urology and Plastics. Through the completion of a clinical nursing degree, James was able to work in Anaesthetics, Scrub and Recovery across a range of specialties, including obstetrics. In 2001, James completed the Arbeitmeinshaft Für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) Theatre Practitioner Course in Leeds. In 2003, James became a Charge Nurse in the Trust Theatre Education Department at Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust. Following this role, James entered Higher Education as a Lecturer of Nursing, becoming a Senior Lecturer in 2005. During this time, he developed expertise in clinical skills, digital pedagogy, course development, progression agreements, as well as module leadership roles. In 2015, he became a Principal Lecturer for Multi-media and Laboratory Learning, including a CQC Registered Manager role. In 2018, James moved into a central university role leading Advance HE fellowship, supporting digital pedagogy and learning space design. In 2021, James was an Associate Professor and Head of Division for Adult Nursing in Leicester and then a Principal Lecturer in Adult Nursing/ Head of Skills and Simulation-based Education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, James worked in ITU as a Clinical Reservist and as a Band 8a Nurse in Charge for a large NHS Foundation Trust.

As Associate Dean (Undergraduate and Pre-registration Education), James supports the design and curation of inclusive-by-design educational experiences. Student experience, innovative approaches to learning and assessment through co-creation are a significant part of his portfolio.

James is a Research Student at the Institute of Education, University College London, studying for an EdD under the supervision of Prof. Mary Richardson. His research is a Gadamerian exploration of digital simulation pedagogy in nursing education.

James has significant consultancy experience, representing King's, teaching postdigital course design in Nanjing, China and is currently developing leadership and perioperative resources for partners in Mumbai. He has worked with RoSPA, The Resuscitation Council and NHS Trust Boards, as well as with a number of different charities.