Rahel Naef, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor for Implementation Science in Nursing at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, and heads the Centre for Clinical Nursing Science at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland.
Rahel leads a program of research focusing on family-focused health interventions in critical care, end-of-life situations, and bereavement. Her work utilizes intervention and implementation science research to advance the health and well-being of families in vulnerable situations to establish participatory, inclusive, and collaborative healthcare systems. She developed and recently investigated FICUS®, a multicomponent, nurse-led, interprofessional model of critical care. Rahel also explores the integration of evidence-based bereavement support practices and family systems care across different healthcare settings. She has a particular interest in the scientific study of effective spread and scale-up of evidence-based nursing interventions. Among other awards, her work has been recognized in 2023 with the Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award by IFNA.
Rahel holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Toronto, Canada, and a Ph.D. in Nursing Science from the University of Manchester, England. She was the first nurse scientist to earn a Venia Legendi from the University of Zurich.