Rate My Professor Ritin Fernandez

Professor Ritin Fernandez is a Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, appointed in September 2022. She holds the position of Associate Dean International and leads the Centre for Transformative Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Research, designated as a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence. Her academic background includes a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Western Sydney, a Master of Nursing (Critical Care), and registration as a Registered Nurse. Prior to her current role, she served as Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Wollongong from 2012 to 2022. Professor Fernandez has supervised 13 PhD students to completion and currently supervises four others, while teaching advanced postgraduate courses in systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and quantitative research methods.

An internationally recognised expert in evidence synthesis for clinical practice, Professor Fernandez is ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide and has received numerous awards at national and international levels. Her research specializations encompass evidence-based healthcare, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, umbrella reviews, heart disease, diabetes management, multicultural health outcomes particularly among Indian-Australian communities, nursing workforce resilience, patient safety, chronic conditions, mental health, and COVID-19 impacts on healthcare professionals. She has authored over 322 peer-reviewed journal articles, with key publications including 'Psychometric Properties of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in People Receiving Hemodialysis' (2026), 'Effects of interventions to promote resilience in nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis' (2025), 'Sleep disturbances in adults with chronic kidney disease: an umbrella review' (2025), and 'A systematic review of nurses' experiences of working in acute care hospital settings during a respiratory pandemic: Implications for COVID-19' (2020). Her research career features grants totaling over $6 million, such as an NHMRC-funded project on wound cleansing solutions ($600,000, 2008) and MRFF funding for health initiatives ($1,450,993). Through her work, she influences clinical guidelines, nurse-led care models, digital health innovations, and health system strengthening.