From bedside care to AI scientist: Teenu’s unconventional career journey

For Dr Teenu Xavier, nursing was never meant to stop at the bedside. From the wards of AIIMS, New Delhi, to Cambridge and the US, the 35-year-old from Kottayam has built an unconventional career at the intersection of nursing, research and Artificial Intelligence. Today, she is researching the future of nursing and teaching at George Mason University in Virginia.

Her research explores how AI can strengthen nursing practice, from identifying biased language in digital health records to helping nurses and nursing students detect suicide risk among patients. In countries where nursing research has evolved into an independent discipline, researchers such as Teenu are called nursing scientists.

From AIIMS to the world of research
A native of Velloor in Kottayam, Teenu secured admission to AIIMS, New Delhi, at a time when it was the country’s only AIIMS and offered just 65 nursing seats. She earned her place by clearing the entrance examination and went on to complete her degree with the President’s Gold Medal. Keen to pursue higher studies, she stayed on at AIIMS to complete an MSc in nursing.

It was while working as a nurse at AIIMS that Teenu was introduced to nursing informatics, a field that would eventually reshape her career. When the hospital began digitising its records, she applied to join a specialised team handling hospital data as a nursing informatics specialist. Her interest in the field had already taken root during her MSc.

It was also a period when large numbers of Indian nurses were moving abroad. Teenu followed the trend to the UK, but her ambitions always extended beyond clinical practice. She regularly scoured university websites for research opportunities, a search that eventually led her to the University of Cambridge, where she joined as a clinical research coordinator.
Her work there focused mainly on clinical trials involving human participants. After marriage, she decided to pursue research in the US, where she could also live with her husband.

The shift to AI
For Teenu, the move from nursing practice to research opened up an entirely different way of looking at the profession. Her work is now focused on how technology can strengthen the way nurses work and care for patients.

At the University of Cincinnati, Teenu received a scholarship of around Rs.22 lakh to pursue a PhD in nursing informatics. She then moved to the University of Florida as a postdoctoral fellow, where she explored how AI could identify and reduce biased language in digital health records using technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing.

Her research journey later took her to George Mason University, where she secured a research grant of around Rs.29 lakh to study the use of AI in nursing documentation. She is now an assistant professor at the School of Nursing at the varsity, where she continues her research as well. Teenu has also received a grant of around Rs.14.5 lakh from the National League for Nursing to study how AI can help nurses and nursing students identify suicide risk among patients.

Eyeing nursing research in the US? Start planning early
For nursing graduates aspiring to pursue research in the US, Teenu’s advice is simple: start preparing well in advance. “A nursing degree is enough to pursue research, while work experience, though not mandatory, can be an advantage. Most universities begin their admission process nearly a year in advance, so students should ideally start preparing at least a year and a half ahead,” she says.

Since the fall semester begins in August at most universities, applicants should ideally begin the process by February, Teenu adds.

The first step is credential evaluation, which establishes whether an applicant’s nursing degree is equivalent to a US qualification. Agencies such as World Education Services (WES) and CGFNS undertake these evaluations. Applicants can submit their details through the agencies’ websites and will then be informed about the documents required. These documents must be signed by the dean or registrar of the university where the applicant studied and sent directly to the agency. Applicants must also obtain verification from the nursing councils of all States where they hold nursing licences.

Applicants may also need to take an English language proficiency test such as IELTS, depending on the university’s requirements. They should check with the admission office of the respective universities to find out which tests are accepted.

Finding a research mentor
Once the application process is under way, Teenu recommends checking university websites for faculty lists and identifying professors whose research interests align with those of the applicant. A brief email outlining the applicant’s research interests and area of study, accompanied by a CV, can then be sent to the faculty members concerned.

Most faculty members in the US respond to such enquiries, Teenu says, as they are keen to have PhD students join their research teams.

The Statement of Purpose is another important component of the application. Most universities require a two- to three-page document covering the applicant’s academic background, nursing career, research interests and goals after completing the PhD.

Teenu advises applicants to make the statement personal by drawing on their own experiences. Some universities also provide specific questions that applicants must address. The application fee is usually around $70 and has to be paid by the applicant.

For those applying in August or September, the first round of interviews generally takes place around December or January, followed by further interviews, often by a faculty panel. Having established contact with a faculty member beforehand can make this stage easier, says Teenu.

By February or March, applicants are generally informed about their admission status and, if selected, receive the documents required for the visa process. Classes usually begin in August.

Teenu is the daughter of K V Xavier and Beena Xavier of Koovappillil House, Velloor. Her husband, Dr Tinuu Tomson, from Purappanthanam House in Poonjar, is a software engineer.