Karien Coppens, PhD, RN, is a postdoctoral researcher Nursing Science at the University Medical Center Utrecht and a nurse in community care in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Her work is focusing on how education, research, policy and practice can feed and reinforce each other.  She works on the boundary between practice, education and research. Working together starts with getting to know each other and speaking each other's language she aims for better, sustainable care. For instance, on themes like early detection & prevention, a learning healthcare system and professionalisation & retention of care professionals. 

She was trained as an educational scientist and worked for many years as a researcher in de educational field, from early childhood education and care to adult education. During her work it became apparent to her that to really close the gap between science and practice there is a need for boundary crossers.

In 2012, she obtained her PhD in Nijmegen within the Social Sciences on a study on the development of reading vocabulary in children with an hearing impairment. She then worked for an extended period of time as a researcher and project leader at the Department of Economics of Education at Maastricht University within, among others, the Educational Agenda Limburg and the Academic Workplace Education (a collaboration with the Inspectorate of Education). In 2018, she started working as research manager at CINOP within the Expertise Centre for Vocational Education and the Expertise Centre for Inclusive Education. Then, in February 2022, she started a dual programme to become a nurse at the University of Applied Sciences (HU) through Careyn, where she is currently still working as a district nurse.

Her knowledge extends to education and nursing, closing the gap between policy and practice.

Karien is currently coordinator of the Academic Workplace Community Nursing Utrecht, academic linking pin and working as a nurse within community care.