FIU College of Nursing Celebrates Pioneer Graduates of Two Exclusive Programs Addressing The Future of Nursing Education and Research

MIAMI, FL --- On December 18, 2007 Florida International University’s College of Nursing & Health Sciences (FIU CNHS) celebrated the first-ever graduates from two innovative and exclusive programs that directly address the nursing faculty shortage and the advancement of nursing research:  the Grow Our Own Nursing Faculty program, and Minority Health & Health Disparities International Research Training program, respectively.

Grow Our Own Nursing Faculty To Teach at MDC and BCC Nursing Schools

The Grow Our Own Nursing Faculty (Grow) masters-level program was launched in the spring semester of 2006 in direct response to the critical nursing faculty shortage, which is exacerbating the nursing workforce shortage.  Explained Divina Grossman, PhD, RN, ARNP, FAAN, Dean of the CNHS, “In order for an institution to increase student admissions, which would translate into an increased nursing workforce, it must first increase its number of nursing faculty.” She further commented, “With the projected need in Florida for 17,000 RNs in 2010 and 61,000 in 2020, more nursing educators are needed right away to expand the nursing pipeline.  The Grow program will do just that.”

Through an $820,000 grant from the Health Foundation of South Florida (HFSF), this collaborative development between the nursing programs of FIU, Miami-Dade College (MDC) and Broward Community College (BCC) will produce nursing faculty to fill teaching vacancies at both community colleges by recruiting and financially supporting experienced nurses who enter into FIU’s Nursing Education master’s track (MSN). Candidates for the program must be Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates from FIU or other South Florida nursing schools in the last 10 years who are experienced nurses and are interested in becoming nursing faculty.  The HFSF donation will provide ten full-time students in the program with complete scholarships (covering tuition and educational costs).

Following are the first graduates of the Grow program, all of whom will be teaching at Miami-Dade College next year:

• Yesenia Blanco (Plantation, FL 33324)
• Andres Caiaffa (Miami, FL 33186)
• Amarilys Diaz-Velez (Miami, FL  33155)
• Andrew Frados (Coral Springs, FL  33065)
• Rene Lebon-Collazo (Hollywood, FL  33024)
• Flor Santana-Goldston (Miami, FL  33177)

Left to Right: Dr. Divina Grossman, CNHS Dean and Grow graduates Yesenia Blanco, Flor Santana-Goldston, Amarilys Diaz, Andres Caiffa and Renee Lebon-Collazo, with Dr. Sharon Pontious, CNHS Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

Pioneer Students of Federally Supported "Research Abroad" Program Graduate

The CNHS also celebrated the graduation of a group of students from a second exclusive program that is looking towards the future of the profession from a different perspective, nursing/health care research.

A total of 15 graduates – 12 undergraduate and three graduate degree recipients – were the pioneer students to have participated in the Minority Health & Health Disparities International Research Training (MHIRT) Program.  MHIRT is a federally funded grant project aimed specifically at minority nursing and health sciences students to encourage them in the pursuit of a career in research focused on health care practices benefiting minority-, ethnic- and underserved populations.  FIU's CNHS is the only institution in the state to offer MHIRT, joining the company of University of Michigan, University of Iowa, Tulane University and Johns Hopkins University.

“MHIRT will create an international research collaboration that will focus on cross-cultural research in chronic illness care,” said CNHS faculty member Kathryn Anderson, PhD, RN, the program’s director.   She continued, “Under the direction and guidance of accomplished international research mentors, our students will travel abroad to learn and assist in conducting research on a variety of ethnic- and minority-related health care issues in these different countries.”

The students were under the tutelage of respected nursing research mentors at one of five MHIRT partner universities:  the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Lime, Peru), Private University of Witten/Herdecke (Germany), Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College (London, England); University of Chihuahua (Chihuaha, Mexico), and University of Rome  “La Sapienza”  (Rome, Italy).  Research topics included the study of grief issues of families copying with Alzheimer’s, medication adherence and smoking cessation among schizophrenic patients and government policies’ impact on the care giving of chronically ill homebound patients by family members.

FIU CNHS will be sending a total of 30 minority nursing/health sciences students (21 undergraduate; 9 graduate) to study at the above-mentioned partner universities during the program’s run through Spring 2009.  The pioneer graduates from MHIRT were:

Left to Right: Dr. Sharon Pontious, CNHS Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, MHIRT graduate Vivian Jesus, MHIRT Directors and CNHS faculty Dr. Kathryn Anderson (Associate Professor) and Dr. Marie Luise Friedemann (Professor), MHIRT graduates Arcenio Mesa, Edelweiss Eldemire, Annette Caravia, and CNHS Dean Dr. Divina Grossman.

About the Health Foundation of South Florida:  Health Foundation of South Florida is a not-for-profit philanthropy located in Miami, Florida. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $71 million in grants and program support to advance the health status of all people in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

About the FIU College of Nursing & Health Sciences: Established in 1982, the School of Nursing at Florida International University (FIU) was elevated in October 2006 into the College of Nursing & Health Sciences.  It is the second-largest producer of nursing professionals in the State, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, baccalaureate completion and specialty programs in nursing education.  The College is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Florida State Board of Nursing and the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.  Based in Miami, Florida, the College of Nursing & Health Sciences is a part of Florida International University, a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution with a Carnegie Foundation classification as a doctoral, research extensive university. FIU has ranked among the top 100 public national universities by U.S. News & World Reports.

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