I currently chair the Research Committee at the Department of Nursing and lead the Health Implementation Science and Technology Research Cluster University of Limerick. My experience in research includes national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary projects and extends over a range of research areas such as: transitions in care for older adults; evaluation of health services and programmes; development of competencies for nursing, health, and social care; dementia; palliative care and advance care planning. I have completed a number of funded projects at national and international level as principle investigator, lead co-investigator and co-applicant. I have secured competitive funding from a variety of sources e.g Health Research Board, Health Services Executive, and the European Union. I have and continue to collaborate on interdisciplinary research projects at University level with colleagues at University College Cork (Centre for Gerontology; School of Medicine, Department of General Practice; Schools of Pharmacy, Social Science, Education, Economics and Epidemiology and Public Health and Institute of Social Science); at national level (University College Dublin School of Nursing and Health Sciences; NUIG and Trinity College School of Nursing and Midwifery) and Internationally (Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Finland, University of Oklahoma, Case Western University Ohio, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Marquette University, Milwaukie, Wisconsin USA; Penn Nursing, Philadelphia). I have published in peer-reviewed high impact international journals both nursing and interdisciplinary.

Professor Coffey joined the Department of Nursing and Midwifery as chair of Nursing and Midwifery in November 2017.  She is a registered general nurse and midwife and registered nurse tutor with the NMBI. Professor Coffey has over 20 years experience in Higher Education, Research Teaching and; Administration. Over these years, she has led academic programme development and curriculum review and online learning. She has been Director of Postgraduate programmes, Director of Internationalisation, External examiner and supervisor of PhD, DN and; MSc research. Professor Coffey s research interests are in the areas of transitional care, gerontology, Dementia, Palliative Care, and Implementation Science. She has been the recipient of a number of awards including a HEA North South Research award (2022), HRB COVID pandemic Rapid Response funding award (2020), EU Erasmus Funding (2019), HRB Applied Partnership Award (2017), HRB Clinical research fellowship (2008). Her publication profile includes book chapters, nationally commissioned reports, publications in high impact international journals. Professor Coffey leads Implementation Research at UL and a Higher Education Authority (HEA) North South Research award.  She engages and collaborates with clinical practice partners in research-related activities and in the development of the Professional Doctorate in Healthcare Practice. In addition to her role within the University, Professor Coffey serves on a number of Regional Committees and International Organisations. She is a member of the UHL Research Governance Committee, the ANP/AMP Local Implementation Committee and founder member, on the board of directors and chair of the governance committee of Omega Epsilon at-Large, the first Irish Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Society of Nursing. Sigma Theta Tau is a long established global organisation with Chapters in over 90 countries and 135, 000  members. She is a scholar of the European Academy of Nursing Science and a member of the European Implementation Collaborative (EIC). She has well-established links with National, European and International collaborators and centers of excellence in  Implementation Science, Palliative Care, Gerontological nursing research.  Her career vision is to advance the scholarship of nursing; to influence professional collaboration and inter-professional working and to have a positive impact on the implementation of research into practice.