Dr. Thóra B. Hafsteinsdóttir, PhD, MScN, BSc, RN, is senior researcher at the Department of Nursing Science, Julius Center, University Medical Center Utrecht and The Nursing, Allied Health care for people with chronic illnesses at the University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht as well as Professor of Nursing at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland.

Dr. Hafsteinsdóttir was born in Iceland, received her Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) in 1984 from the University of Iceland and started her clinical carrier in intensive care nursing. She moved to the Netherlands, received her Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) from the University of Cardiff, Wales and the University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands in 1994. Then she started her academic carrier and finished her PhD from the University of Utrecht in 2003, which focused neuroscience and rehabilitation nursing. After finishing her PhD, Dr. Hafsteinsdóttir supervised various research and development projects both in the Netherlands and Iceland. One of these projects resulted in the publication of the Clinical Rehabilitation Guideline for Patients with Stroke.

Dr. Hafsteinsdóttir teaches in research courses in the Master of Science in Nursing within Clinical Health Sciences with focus on research, setting up research proposals, and conducting systematic reviews and is a course coordinator for a course on conducting systematic reviews. Her research has been focusing on patients with stroke and rehabilitation nursing, but during the last several years, her research is focusing on academic leadership in nursing. She is a coordinator of Leadership Mentoring in Nursing Research for postdoctoral nurses in the Netherlands. Also, she is coordinator of Nursing Leadership Educational Program for Doctoral nursing students and Postdoctoral Nurses in Europe a collaboration with seven partners in six European countries. She supervises masters and PhD students in the Netherlands and Iceland.

Dr. Hafsteinsdóttir is a past president of Sigma’s Rho Chi at-Large Chapter in the Netherlands and is one of the founders of the Rho Chi Chapter. Since becoming a Sigma member, she has served in numerous chapter positions. In addition to being a member of the Rho Chi at-Large Chapter, she is a member of Zeta Omega at-Large Chapter. She was elected as the first Sigma Regional Coordinator in Europe in 2011 and was re-elected in 2013. She was elected as a director for the Sigma International Board of Directors in 2014. She serves on numerous committees and task forces. Dr. Hafsteinsdóttir has numerous publications on nursing care and management of patients with stroke and leadership in nursing. She reviews manuscripts for various peer-reviewed international journals and gives lectures nationally and internationally.