Kate Curtis

Professor Kate Curtis AO, RN, BNurs (University of Wollongong), GradDipCritCare (University of Sydney), MNurs(Hons) (University of Wollongong), PhD (UNSW), holds the position of Professor of Trauma and Emergency Nursing at the University of Sydney's Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health. She has worked as an emergency nurse since 1994 and currently serves as Director of Emergency Research for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Her career encompasses clinical practice in emergency and trauma care, academic appointments including Professor at University of Wollongong, and consultancy roles with the New South Wales Department of Health. Professor Curtis leads research in implementation science, behaviour change, and co-design of practical interventions for emergency settings.

Professor Curtis developed the HIRAID framework, a standardized emergency nursing assessment tool encompassing History, Identify Red flags, Assessment, Interventions, Diagnostics, reassessment, and communication, which has been implemented in emergency departments, aged care, rural facilities, and beyond to enhance patient safety, team performance, and care efficiency. Her prolific research output includes over 310 publications with more than 5,500 citations. Key works are 'Translating research findings to clinical nursing practice' (Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2017, 527 citations), 'Mental health following traumatic physical injury: an integrative literature review' (Injury, 2013, 223 citations), 'What is the impact of multidisciplinary team simulation training on team performance and efficiency of patient care? An integrative review' (International Emergency Nursing, 2016, 192 citations), 'Treatments for blunt chest trauma and their impact on patient outcomes and health service delivery' (Injury, 2015, 188 citations), and 'Incidence of depression, anxiety and stress following traumatic injury: a longitudinal study' (Injury, 2015, 181 citations). She has secured substantial funding, including NHMRC Partnership Project Grants for traumatic brain injury care improvement ($866,000) and other health research initiatives. Awards include Officer of the Order of Australia (2025 King's Birthday Honours) for service to trauma and emergency nursing, critical care research, and education; NSW Health Award in Health Research and Innovation; Nurse Researcher of the Year (2015); Fellow of the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia (FCENA); and 2025 Edge Runner Award from the American Academy of Nursing for HIRAID.

Professional Email: kate.curtis@sydney.edu.au