DR. KARTHIKAYINI A/P KRISHNASAMY

Dr. Karthikayini Krishnasamy, PhD, MNSc, BNSc, Adv. Dip. Nur. (Oncology)
Senior Lecturer, Department of Nursing Science
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ORCID iD: [Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8094-87760009-0002-8094-8776]

Dr. Karthikayini Krishnasamy is a distinguished nursing academic and healthcare leader with over 29 years of experience in clinical practice, healthcare management, quality improvement, and higher education. She currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Nursing Science, University of Malaya, and is nationally and internationally recognized for her expertise in patient safety, infection control, nutrition support therapy, and oncology nursing.

She holds a PhD in Hospital Quality Management (Patient Safety) from the University of Malaya and has advanced qualifications in oncology nursing and healthcare management. She also served as Coordinator in the Quality Department at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) for over three years, where she led initiatives in clinical governance, patient safety, and healthcare quality improvement. Her areas of expertise include Continuous Quality Improvement, Clinical Risk Management, and Patient Safety. She received formal training as a Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) trainer from Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Throughout her career, Dr. Karthikayini has held progressive leadership roles in nursing—from front-line clinical care to senior hospital administration—across a wide range of specialties including general surgery, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, burns and plastic, cardiothoracic, oncology, psychiatry, general medicine, hematology, neurology, ENT, orthopedics, and pediatrics.

She contributed to the development of in-house electronic medical record (EMR) systems at UMMC, including modules for the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), fall prevention, delirium assessment, and a House Officer Dashboard System.

A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Karthikayini is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education. She has delivered keynote addresses and lectures at numerous national and international conferences, and has facilitated professional development workshops on patient safety, clinical nutrition, and falls prevention.

Her research focuses on patient safety culture, fall prevention, medication safety in older adults, and interprofessional collaboration. She has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Age and Ageing, International Journal of Clinical Practice, and Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.

Dr. Karthikayini has received multiple accolades, including the Venus International Award for Excellence in Oncology Nursing, UMMC Excellence Service Awards, and recognition for her leadership in quality improvement, both locally and internationally. She is a registered member of the Nursing Board of Malaysia, a life member of the Malaysian Nurses Association, and a committee member of the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) focusing on patient safety (research and training).

With a steadfast commitment to advancing nursing practice and strengthening healthcare systems, Dr. Karthikayini continues to lead transformative initiatives to improve patient care and clinical outcomes in Malaysia and beyond.