Deepening understanding and driving change: Nursing, Narratives, and Neurosurgery

Inaugural lecture: Professor Charlie Whiffin

Research is essential for advancing nursing practice, yet truly embedding research in nursing is not for the faint-hearted. This lecture explored the intersection between nursing and research through Professor Whiffin’s unwavering commitment to understanding complex human experiences. She highlighted the critical role of qualitative research in uncovering the nuanced, subjective realities that shape people’s lives. Her interdisciplinary research, which spans education, neurosurgery, and global health, places the lived experience at its core.

The impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on families, specifically, has been her specialist area for well over a decade, and this lecture explored the importance of this work and how her collaborative approach is leading a paradigm shift where the needs of families are both recognised and met. Her work deepens our insight, strengthens the evidence base, and compels us to drive meaningful change.

Professor Charlie Whiffin

Professor Charlotte (Charlie) Whiffin is an internationally recognised nursing academic and qualitative researcher specialising in the impact of acquired brain injury on families. As a Professor of Nursing at the University of Derby, and visiting researcher at the University of Cambridge, Charlie collaborates globally to improve the lives of families after ABI.

Watch Professor Charlie Whiffin's Inaugural Lecture