Fiona Coyer

Professor Fiona Coyer is a distinguished academic and researcher serving as Head of Discipline for Nursing at the University of Queensland's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. With extensive experience as a leader in academic and research programs, she established the Intensive Care Nursing Professorial Unit at the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital in August 2012, where she has developed a comprehensive program focused on evidence-based approaches to nursing care and management of skin integrity in critically ill patients.

Professor Coyer's research interests span critical care nursing, pressure injury prevention, skin integrity management, and incontinence-associated dermatitis. Her work emphasizes developing evidence-based protocols to improve patient outcomes in intensive care settings, particularly focusing on vulnerable skin conditions among critically ill patients. She has pioneered research in medical device-related pressure injuries and skin protection strategies that have influenced clinical practice guidelines.

Her substantial publication record includes over 190 journal articles, with recent work examining pressure injury prevention strategies, skin integrity monitoring tools, and innovative approaches to managing incontinence-associated dermatitis. Current research trends show her expanding into health economic analyses of wound care interventions, development of classification tools for skin impairments, and investigations into nurse wellbeing within intensive care environments.

Professor Coyer's leadership extends to mentoring numerous researchers and clinicians through her role at the University of Queensland and her collaborative work with the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital. Her research program has secured significant funding for studies examining pressure injury prevention, skin integrity management, and critical care nursing practices across multiple healthcare settings.

She directs the Intensive Care Nursing Professorial Unit, which serves as a hub for translational research, where evidence-based interventions are developed, tested, and implemented to improve skin care practices in intensive care units. The unit collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to address complex challenges in critical care nursing and patient safety.