Prof. S S P Warnakulasuriya

Professor and Dean

Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo

Email: sudath@dcn.cmb.ac.lk

Prof. Sudath Shirley Pathmasiri Warnakulasuriya entered into nursing profession in 1987 and completed his basic nursing diploma at School of Nursing Galle. He received his BSc Nursing degree in 1998 from Open University Sri Lanka with upper class honor.  He received his Master degree from University of Adelaide in 2003 Under WHO scholarship, which sparked off his research interest and motivated him in scientific research and further study in mental health. He successfully completed Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychosocial works (PGDCP in 2011 at the Faculty of Graduate Studies in University of Colombo.

He obtained his PhD degree in 2014 from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He has worked in Republic of Seychelles for two years as a lecturer for mental health, making significant contributions in the field of Mental health by developing and implementing a Post RN Diploma course in Mental Health Nursing. His works on the area of occupational health and work ergonomics led to the publication of many articles in peer-reviewed high impact journals and provided a better understanding of mechanisms of the low back pain and musculoskeletal disorders among different occupational groups. And as a part of his PhD, he had cross culturally validated low back pain disability measuring tool by fulfilling the need of such a standard tool to assess disability associated with low back pain in Sri Lanka.

Prof. Warnakulasuriya was awarded by the National Research Council for two consecutive years (2013/2014) and also in 2017 under presidential award scheme. Moreover he received two professional awards in 2014 from Sri Lanka Nurses Association with “Florence Nightingale Award” and Government Nursing Officers Association with “Hedda Uttamabimani” award for being the first Sri Lankan Nursing personnel to get a PhD from a conventional University in Sri Lanka. .

Although Prof. Warnakulasuriya  did  very well at University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Department of Allied Health Sciences, he decided to get a transfer to Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo in 2018,the first Nursing Faculty in Sri Lanka , because he has been one of the conceptual  decision maker to establish a nursing faculty for the nursing profession in Sri Lanka and he had immensely contributed his expertise to the new nursing faculty establishment in different way. Further, Prof. Warnakulasuriya has contributed immensely for all nursing professional organizations and trade unions as a guest speaker and a motivator for thousands of nurses in Sri Lanka. Presently he is the general secretory to the Sri Lanka Nurses Association and executive committee member to the Graduate Nurses Foundation. During the past eight years he has been an executive council member for Organization of Professional Association (OPA), The largest professional Organization in Asia representing the Nursing profession.Prof. Warnakulasuriya is maintaining very exiting research profile with more than 40 research publications and also he has been cited more than 570 scientists for the time being. Prof. Warnakulasuriya also has contributed to the Ministry of Health as a resource person for various policy decisions forums regarding nursing and being a chairperson for program review committees at Ministry of Higher Education. Currently, Prof. Warnakulasuriya is a Sri Lankan lead of international campaign established by International Council of Nurses(ICN) also he is the member of scientific steering committee established for changing the code of ethics for nurses by the International Council of Nurses(ICN).  His research interests are work ergonomics, occupational health, musculoskeletal disorders particularly nurses’ health.

 

Qualifications, Fellowships and Certificates

  • Certificate in Psychiatric Nursing 1997

    Certificate in Psychiatric Nursing

    Post Basic training. Psychiatric School of Nursing - Mulleriyawa,

  • B.Sc (Hons) In Nursing - (Second Class Upper Division ) 1998

    B.Sc (Hons) In Nursing

    The Open University of Sri Lanka

  • Diploma in Teaching and Supervision in Nursing 1999

    Diploma in Teaching and Supervision in Nursing

    Post Basic School of Nursing – Colombo

  • M.Sc in Nursing 2003

    M.Sc in Nursing

    University of Adelaide – South Australia

  • Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychosocial Works 2010

    Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychosocial Works

    Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo

  • PhD 2014

    Doctoral Degree

    Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

  • Global Nursing Leadership Policy Program 2018

    Completion

    International Council of Nurses (ICN) Global Nursing Leadership Institute Switzerland

  • Certificate in Soft Skills Development 2016

    Certificate in Soft Skills Development

    Life Skills Academy, Colombo in collaboration with UNESCO

Positions

  • Present2020

    Dean - Faculty of Nursing

  • Present2019

    Professor

    Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo

  • 20192018

    Senior Lecturer Gr I

    Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo

  • 20202018

    Head

    Dept. Of Clinical nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo

  • Present2018

    Director of Studies

    Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo

  • 20152015

    Vice President

    Toastmaster Club - University of Sri Jayewardenepura

  • 20182014

    Senior Lecturer Gr II

    Dept. of Allied health Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

  • 20142014

    Member of Nursing Benchmarks Development Committee

    UGC - Sri Lanka

  • 20162013

    Coordinator, B.Sc. Nursing Programme

    Department of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

  • 20082007

    Coordinator, B.Sc. Nursing Programme,

    Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medical Sciences University of Sri Jayewardenepura

  • 20142006

    Lecturer (probationary)

    Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

  • 20062005

    Nursing Educator

    National School Of Nursing -Kandana

  • 20052003

    Lecturer in Mental Health

    National Institute of health and Social Sciences (NIHSS); Republic of Seychelles

  • 20031999

    Nursing Educator

    National School of Nursing - Kandana

  • 19991992

    Nursing Officer in Mental health

    National Institute of Mental Health, Sri Lanka

  • 19981997

    Nursing Tutor Trainee

    Post Basic School of Nursing - Colombo

  • 19921991

    Nursing officer

    General Hospital Ampara and District Hospital Dehiattakandiya