Dr Catherine Clarissa (Clarissa)

Lecturer in Nursing (Life Sciences); Research Fellow (YARNS Transitions); Nursing Studies Postgraduate Research Director

  • Nursing Studies
  • School of Health in Social Science

Contact details

Address

Street

Room 2M7
Doorway 6
Elsie Inglis Quad
Teviot Place

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9AG

Availability

  • Teaching: my working days are Monday – Wednesday
    Research: my working days are Thursday and Friday

Biography

Background

Clarissa is a Registered Nurse (RN) in Indonesia and the UK. She earned her Professional Degree in Nursing (RN), as well as her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Universitas Indonesia. She completed her MSc in Advancing Nursing Practice and her PhD in Nursing Studies at the University of Edinburgh. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). 

Clarissa started her career as an intensive care nurse at Premier Surabaya Hospital for five years prior to relocating to Premier Bintaro Hospital, where she was involved in hospital-wide quality improvement projects. Her experience working with critically ill patients has inspired her passion for improving patient outcomes and recovery.  Clarissa's research interests lie in the area of the recovery and rehabilitation of critically ill patients and young adults after stroke. Her doctoral research explored staff experiences relating to early mobilisation of mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care. She has been involved in research projects looking at post-stroke rehabilitation for young adults. 

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate Simulation Based Clinical Education, University of Edinburgh
  • Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice (PgCAP), University of Edinburgh
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Nursing Studies, University of Edinburgh
  • Master of Science (MSc), Advancing Nursing Practice, University of Edinburgh
  • Professional Degree in Nursing (RN), Universitas Indonesia
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Universitas Indonesia

Responsibilities & affiliations

  • Member — Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh (2023 - Present)
  • Member — West of Scotland NHS Research Ethics Committee 3 (WoSREC3) (2023 - Present)
  • Associate Editor — Evidence-Based Nursing Journal (2023 - Present)
  • Member — Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy (2022 - Present)
  • Member — Nursing Now Challenge Board (2022 - Present)
  • Co-Chair — Nursing Now Challengers' Committee (2022 - Present)
  • Co-Chair of the South East Asia Region Hub — Nursing Now Challengers' Committee (2021 - 2022)
  • Nightingale Challenge Cohort 2 Member — Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) (2020 - Present)
  • Member — Omega Xi Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) (2019 - Present)
  • Member — British Association of Critical Care Nurses (2020 - Present)
  • Member — Grounded Theory Group, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh (2017 - 2021)
  • Social Media Coordinator — Research Bow, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh (2020 - 2021)
  • Member — The Intensive Care Society (2020)
  • Student Parents' Representative — Edinburgh University Students' Association (2018-2019)
  • Secretary — Global Health PhD Network, University of Edinburgh (2017 - 2021)

Undergraduate teaching

  • Year 1 BN Lead
  • Academic assessor
  • Supervision - Bachelor of Nursing with Honours' student dissertation
  • Course organiser - Innovations in Healthcare: Society, Culture and Health 2
  • Course organiser - Understanding the Person: Life Sciences and Nursing Care 1

Postgraduate teaching

  • Supervision - Postgraduate research (PhD) students
  • Supervision - MSc Advanced Nursing's student dissertation
  • Course organiser - Supervised Reading

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Research summary

Clarissa's research interests lie in the area of the recovery of critically ill people and young adults' neurorehabilitation. Her other interests include:

  • Qualitative research methodologies

  • Realist research

  • Post-intensive care syndrome

  • Intensive care unit delirium

  • Nursing workforce

  • Nursing leadership

  • Evidence synthesis

  • Science communication

Affiliated research centres

Project activity

Clarissa is a Research Fellow for the YARNS Transitions research project in the Department of Nursing Studies at the University of Edinburgh. She collaborates closely with the project team and the advisory board, which includes research partners and service users from across the UK. The project's objective is to develop a comprehensive, nurse-led intervention for the psychosocial rehabilitation and survivorship of young adults who have experienced an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Clarissa's specific responsibility lies in leading Work Package 1, which involves conducting a realist review of psychosocial interventions for young adults undergoing neurorehabilitation after an ABI.

Current project grants

2024 - present: Research Development Programme Seed Funding, School of Health in Social Science - awarded to develop research activity and impact; Main Applicant; valued at £5,000

2024 - present: Student Experience Grant - awarded to the Decolonising Health in Social Science project: 'Framing Racial (In)Equality: The Reflexive Bulletin Project'; Co-applicant; valued at £3,528

2023 - present: The RCN Foundation Fund in partnership with SameYou - awarded to 'The development of a nurse-led holistic, neurological rehabilitation which supports the psychosocial rehabilitation and survivorship of young adults following an Acquired Brain Injry (ABI) - YARNS Transitions; Co-applicant; valued at £299,504

Past project grants

2023: The ESRC Impact Acceleration Grants: Festival of Social Science 2023 - awarded to a public engagement event: 'Empowering life after stroke in young adults: the importance of rehabilitation'; Main applicant; valued at £1,114.06

2023: EDI Staff-led Grant, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh - awarded to Nursing Studies Clinical Skills Team; Co-applicant; valued at £974

2023: iTPA Conference fund, Edinburgh Innovations, University of Edinburgh - awarded to attend Wired Health Conference; Main Applicant; valued at £400

2022: Staff Scholarship, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh - awarded to undertake Postgraduate Certificate Simulation Based Clinical Education; Main Applicant; valued at £5,400

2022: iTPA Conference fund, Edinburgh Innovations, University of Edinburgh - awarded to attend the King's Fund Digital Health and Care Congress 2022; Main Applicant; valued at £500

2022: Research and Scholarship Fund, Omega Xi Chapter, Sigma - awarded to attend Sigma 33rd International Nursing Research Congress; Main Applicant; valued at $500

2022: The Step One Seed Fund, University of Edinburgh - awarded to ' A rapid realist review of post-stroke rehabilitation for young adults: what works, for whom, why and in what circumstances?'; Principal Investigator; valued at £4,994.32

2021: The Student Experience Grant, University of Edinburgh– awarded to 'Research Bow: An Initiative to strengthen our PGR community and outreach' which I co-applied; valued at £720

2020: College of Medicine Research Fund, National Taiwan University – awarded to ’The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline nurses’ mental well-being in Chile, Indonesia and Taiwan’ project; Co-applicant; valued at £ 6,600

2018: The Inspiring Students Award Scheme, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh – awarded to the Grounded Theory Group which I co-founded; Co-applicant; valued at £800

2016: PhD Studentship, Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) – covered three years of tuition, living costs and research costs; Main Applicant

2014: Master's Scholarship, Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) – covered a year of tuition and living costs; Main Applicant

Conference details

  • Chen L-Y, Aviles L, Clarissa C. Exploring nurses' psychological well-being under the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, Chile and Indonesia - ICN Congress 2023, 1-5 July 2023

  • Close L, Aviles L, Clarissa C, Creighton P, Taylor C, Paterson N, Ritchie N. Exploring person centred care through co-creation of patient stories with first year nursing students - NES Annual Virtual Conference 2023,  28 April 2023. 

  • Clarissa C, Putri AF, Chandler C, Doi L, Hennesy E. A Rapid Realist Review of Post-stroke Rehabilitation for Young Adults - The 42nd Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference,  RCSI, 23 February 2023.
  • Clarissa C. My leadership journey. Session 3: Nurse Leaders Virtual Summit 2021, Sigma, 17 September 2021.
  • Clarissa C, Putri A, Aviles L, Choi H. Current research suggests a lack of Age-appropriate resource for young strokes - Symposium 3, RCN International Nursing Research Conference 2021, 7 September 2021. 
  • Smart A, Clarissa C. Patient experience and roles within YARNS, the PPI group input - Symposium 3, RCN International Nursing Research Conference, 7 September 2021.
  • Chandler C, Aviles L, Choi H, Putri A, Clarissa C, Mitra U, Pan J. ‘Stories of stroke’: learning from the experiences of young adults (18-45) in the UK – UK Stroke Forum 7th – 9th December 2020 (Online)
  • The 6th Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Annual Postgraduate Research Student Virtual Scholarly event, 18 November 2020: oral presentation
  • The 35th Annual BACCN Virtual Conference 2020, 15 September 2020: oral presentation
  • The Virtual Postgraduate Research Conference 2020, School of Health in Social Science, 4 September 2020: oral presentation
  • Universitas 21 Health Sciences Group, The Doctoral Student Forum (Virtual), 25 August 2020: oral presentation
  • The 1st International Conference of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, 19 August 2020: oral presentation (best presenter)
  • Postgraduate Research Conference, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, 18 May 2018: oral presentation
  • The SGSSS Summer School 2017, The University of Edinburgh, 6 June 2017: poster presentation
  • Joanna Briggs Collaboration – European Symposium 2017, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, 19 May 2017: oral and poster presentation
  • Postgraduate Research Conference, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, 4 May 2017: oral presentation

Invited speaker

  • 2023 - Invited Speaker - Introduction to qualitative research, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, DI Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 5 June 2023: oral presentation

  • 2022 - Invited Speaker - How to conduct a systematic review, Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia, 9 December 2022: oral presentation

  • 2022 - Invited Speaker - Nursing Now Challenge & WISH pre-World Health Assembly Workshop: An introduction to the Challengers' Committee Challengers' Committee, 19 May 2022: oral presentation

  • 2021 - Invited Speaker - 20 Tips and tricks for early career nurses: Part 2, Sigma, 3 Juni 2021

  • 2019 - Invited Symposia - The 34th Annual BACCN Conference 2019, Edinburgh, 16 September 2019: oral presentation

Papers delivered

  • Baloch SG, Clarissa C, Jakab-Hall C, de Juan A, Lukehle S, Iregi Z. The Nursing Now Challenge intervention at World Health Assembly (WHA) 76 demanding protection and investment in nurses and midwives, at the Strategic Roundtable: Protecting and investing in the health and care workforce, Geneva, Switzerland, 23 May 2023. 

In the press

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