BAHAR CANDAŞ ALTINBAŞ

**Dr. Bahar Candas Altınbaş** is an Assistant Professor in the Nursing Department at Karadeniz Technical University's Faculty of Health Sciences, specializing in Surgical Nursing. She holds a PhD from Karadeniz Technical University (2019) and has extensive academic and clinical experience in surgical nursing, patient safety, and perioperative care. Her research focuses on reducing patient anxiety through innovative education methods, surgical nursing practices, and enhancing recovery protocols.

Education:

• PhD: Karadeniz Technical University (2019), Surgical Nursing
• MSc: Karadeniz Technical University (2014), Surgical Nursing
• BSc: Karadeniz Technical University (2010), Nursing

Research Interests:

• Patient safety in surgical environments
• Perioperative anxiety management
• Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols
• Evidence-based nursing practices
• Web-based patient education
• Health literacy and vaccination hesitancy

Key Contributions:

• Developed a web-based education program reducing thyroidectomy patients' anxiety (randomized controlled trial)
• Authored studies on surgical nurses' compassion satisfaction/ fatigue and spiritual care practices
• Contributed to global patient safety initiatives through WHO surgical checklist research
• Published 113+ papers in indexed journals like Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing and Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Awards & Recognition:

• Doctoral Thesis Award (2019, Surgical Nursing Congress)
• Onursal Başkan Mansiyon Award (2015)
• Recipient of prestigious research fellowships at University of Oslo (2017, 2019)

Professional Roles:

• Member of Turkish Surgical and Operating Room Nurses Association
• Member of KTÜ Nursing Alumni Board
• Vice President of Professional Education Development Commission