Susanne qualified as a nurse in 1983 in Marburg (Germany). After qualifying she worked in surgical wards at the University Hospital Zürich (Switzerland) and the University Hospital Kiel (Germany) before moving into intensive care nursing. In 1991 she qualified with a Diploma in Nursing Management & Education and held senior positions in both areas. In 1998 Susanne graduated with an MSc in Nursing and Health Studies from the University of Edinburgh and worked as a research assistant before commencing her PhD. Susanne’s PhD research examined the experiences of families in intensive care and nurses’ perceptions of families in this environment.

Between February 2008 and January 2009 she held an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship. 

Susanne is an associate researcher at the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR), a member of two European nursing research networks (1) European Academy of Nursing Science (EANS) and (2) Reflection Network (complex interventions in nursing) and a member of the Scottish Intensive Care Society. 

EANS: www.european-academy-of-nursing-science.com/ 

Reflection Network: www.reflection-network.eu/ 

Scottish Intensive Care Society: www.scottishintensivecare.org.uk

Research Interests

Susanne’s research interests revolve around families' experiences of critical illness and the recovery from a critical illness. She is particularly interested in families with children and young people and the way they process a critical illness event but also in ICU nurses and their experiences in working with families. Her current research interest is focusing on different aspects of critical illness and recovery of ICU survivors and their families from critical illness. A further dimension in this broad remit is the care interface between the acute and primary health care sector. Susanne also has an interest in critical leader -followership research.

Research activity

Knowledge Exchange

Scottish Crucible 2014

I won a place on this exciting interdisciplinary networking programme.  The programme aims to develop promising future research leaders across disciplines who are building their careers in Scotland. Further details can be accessed on the Scottish Crucible 2014 website:http://www1.hw.ac.uk/scottishcrucible/index.html

Royal Society MP Pairing Scheme 2012: I won a place on this one week knowledge exchange opportunity and was paired with Ms Sheila Gilmore, MP from Edinburgh East.  The week provided an opportunity to look behind the scenes of policy making in Westminster but also included a reciprocal visit from the MP to the University.  This then was an excellent opportunity to explore in collaboration with policy makers how (and what kind of) evidence can be used in policy making.  The week in Westminster was scheduled from 29.October – 1.November 2012 while the return visit took place on 21. February 2013.

'The Body in Crisis – the critical care experience from different perspectives' PI S Kean, Co-Is: P Smith, A Bancroft, P Ramsay & D Kelly, ESCR Festival of Science, (This event took place on 09.11.2012, 1-5 pm and was open to the public!).

‘Nursing at the extremes’: raising awareness among health care managers and policy makers of ICU nurses’ emotional labour, PI: P Smith, Co-Is: S Kean, D Ritchie, P Ramsay & J Dunlevie, Knowledge Exchange Funds, Univerisity of Edinburgh (the final event was held on 14. February 2014).

Seminars

Kean S (2013) Edgework: critical illness, nurses and emotion work in ICU, Emotion Seminar Series (interdisciplinary), 13 February 2013, Edinburgh

Kean S & Haycock-Stuart E (2011) Followers and the co-construction of leadership, HORnet (HealthOrganisation Research Network) Workshop, 2 December 2011, Edinburgh 

Kean S & Kydonaki C (2011) (invited) Families & ICU survivors’ experiences in and after intensive care, 21 October 2011, Hong Kong

Research

INPuT (INtensive care and family ParticipaTion), PI C Kydonaki, Co-Is: S Kean & J Tocher, Lothian Health Foundation (to commence autumn 2013) 

Engaging Patients in Understanding and Improving the Critical Illness Journey (EPIC) PI: P Ramsay, Co-Is: T Walsh, J Rattray, S Kean, P Smith & B Glen, Lothian Health Foundation

Research: RELinQuiSh: REcovery following critical illness: a Longitudinal Qualitative exploration of perceived healthcare and Support needs among survivors: developing timely interventions followingHospital discharge, PI: P Ramsay, Co-Is: G Huby, J Rattray, L Salisbury, T Walsh & S Kean, NHS Lothian Health Service Research.

Recently completed projects

Research: Leadership: Understanding Community Nursing in Scotland (PI: Dr Elaine Haycock-Stuart)

Project: International and interdisciplinary intensive care research summer school (ESRC funded, PI: S Kean)

Knowledge Transfer project: Co-ordinated, integrated and fit for purpose: holistic care for intensive care survivors in a single-condition environment?, aimed at raising awareness and networking with policy makers, local government, researchers and health care users, funded by the KT division of The University of Edinburgh

Grants

INPuT (INtensive care and family ParticipaTion), PI: C Kydonaki, Co-Is: S Kean & J Tocher (to commence autumn 2013), Lothian Health Foundation, £39,099 

'The Body in Crisis – the critical care experience from different perspectives' PI S Kean, Co-Is: P Smith, A Bancroft, P Ramsay & D Kelly, ESRC Festival of Scinece Award, £ 1,062.50 

'Nursing at the extremes’: raising awareness among health care managers and policy makers of ICU nurses’ emotional labour, PI: P Smith, Co-Is: S Kean, D Ritchie, P Ramsay & J Dunlevie, Knowledge Exchange Funds, Univerisity of Edinburgh, £3,124

Engaging Patients in Understanding and Improving the Critical Illness Journey (EPIC) PI: P Ramsay, Co-Is: T Walsh, J Rattray, S Kean, P Smith & B Glen, Lothian Health Foundation, £31,707

Improving recovery from critical care – a clinical and academic collaboration, Smith C (PI), Co-Is: Huby G, Walsh T, Salisbury L, Kean S, Rodgers S, Tocher J: , NHS Lothian, NMAHP Clinical Academic (Research) Careers Scheme (CARC)

REcovery following critical illness: a Longitudinal Qualitative exploration of perceived healthcare and Support needs among survivors: developing timely interventions following Hospital discharge: RELinQuiSh, Ramsay P (PI), Co-Is: Huby G, Rattray J, Salisbury L, Walsh T, Kean S, NHS Lothian, £80,835

Knowledge Transfer Fund, Huby G, Walsh T, Kean S, Kydonaki C: Co-ordinated, integrated and fit for purpose: holistic care for intensive care survivors in a single-condition environment? University of Edinburgh, £3000

Edinburgh Global Development Funds, Huby, G, Kean S, Salisbury L, Kydonaki C: To establish the University of Edinburgh’s profile in international research into recovery and rehabilitation after critical illness, International Partners: Prof Wendy Chaboyer, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia & Dr Margaret Herridge, University of Toronto, Canada University of Edinburgh, £2000

ESRC International Networking & Training Opportunity for an interdisciplinary ICU summer school in 2010 (PI: S Kean, Co-Is: Kydonaki C, Merriweather J, Ramsay P & Lin F) ESRC £40,000

Personal grant:

2008-2009: ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship £82,605.00