VITAL SIGNS
VITAL SIGNS
Public Health Reaccreditation Efforts Underway
Conference: Critical Care in Chile
Carmen Presti, SONHS associate professor of clinical, spent Thanksgiving as a presenter at the 40th Congreso Chileno de Medicina Intensiva (Chilean Congress for Critical Care Medicine), hosted by Sociedad Chilena de Medicina Intensiva (SOCHIMI). SONHS alumnus Cristobal Padilla, Ph.D. ’21, a Chilean nurse scientist, connected conference organizers with her. “I was honored to be among the group chosen to speak,” says Dr. Presti, an experienced cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU) nurse practitioner (NP) at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. “There were a lot of really amazing international speakers.” Her three talks addressed the nurse practitioner’s role in the ICU, the care of patients on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), and novel strategies for hemodynamic monitoring. “The nurses were really eager to learn from us,” she recounts. In addition, Dr. Presti contributed to an interdisciplinary panel discussing the pros and cons of integrating advanced practice
The Bachelor of Science in Public Health program at the School of Nursing and Health Studies—Florida’s only standalone baccalaureate public health program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health—is seeking to extend the council’s important stamp of approval for seven years. CEPH accreditation is a signi cant distinction, providing assurance that the school’s B.S.P.H. meets established standards and that its curriculum imparts the necessary skills. “It is paramount for any programs of public health, be it bachelor’s or masters or doctoral, to be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health because this is the national accreditation agency,” says SONHS Associate Dean for Health Studies Dr. Arsham Alamian. “It speaks to the quality of the program, the quality of education students receive. The expectation is that we’ll do well.” CEPH, an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, rst accredited the program in 2018. That ve-year accreditation is due to expire July 1. “Accredited
Dr. Presti in Chile, at center wearing blazer; Dr. Padilla is pictured far left.
literature.” Dr. Presti also presented at Ponti cia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) on the NP role. SONHS has been assisting that institution’s historic efforts to graduate Latin America’s rst of cial NPs. Last year, SONHS associate professor Juan M. González taught advanced pathophysiology to the inaugural oncology NP cohort.
nurses into the ICU in Chile, where the advanced practice role is just being established. “It really made me appreciate how formalized our nurse practitioner role is here in the States,” she says. “What Chilean nurses are missing to expand their role is that research piece that validates how their additional training improves outcomes. That is going to change as more Ph.D. nurses from Chile contribute to the
programs are bound by a set of competencies and domains in the public health major,” says Dr. Alamian. “These have to be reviewed at different levels by different reviewers from the practice side and by academia.” As part of the rigorous evaluation, multiple standards, including study areas, faculty engagement, and student outcomes—the percentage achieving graduate school placement or employment after completing
their degree—are examined. So far, SONHS has submitted an extensive self-study report and undergone a preliminary review. On-site interviews with administration of cials and faculty took place at the end of February. The reviewers’ complete report gets submitted to the CEPH board. School leadership can review and respond to that report before CEPH’s nal reaccreditation vote this summer.
Study Abroad Is Back!
study abroad programs,” he says. The 20 senior B.S.N. students from SONHS were guests of Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, where they attended lectures and anatomy lab. Clinicals took place at Hospital Universitario del Sureste and Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud Madrid. “Since we had the opportunity to do a lot of clinical rotations in so many different units while there, I saw a lot of procedures and gained a lot of experience I wouldn’t have during a typical rotation in Miami,” said participant Alison Skubik. Stropes is also grateful for the opportunity. Cultural experiences “are very important in creating a well- rounded person, especially a nurse,” she concludes. “Getting to see how other nurses operate and navigate their health care system was really fascinating. I certainly found myself learning lots from them that I plan to implement in my own practice.”
COVID-19 threw a wrench into Sydney Stropes’ plans to study abroad, so when SONHS resumed study abroad over winter break with an intensive transcultural nursing elective in Madrid, she was quick to opt in. “The group of 20 of us got to have the immensely unique and special opportunity to work within and observe the Spanish health care system,” she says. When her classmate Jerusha Jean walked into a hospital room at Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud Madrid, she found a patient crying, awaiting a doctor’s visit. Gently putting her hand on the patient’s shoulder, Jean offered consolation. Despite the language barrier, the Spanish patient understood her sentiment and reciprocated with a calming touch. In that moment, Jean felt a reinvigorated passion and pride for providing care. “Interacting with the patients on that level con rmed I
First-in-Florida Degrees Announced
SONHS and Miami Herbert Business School joined forces to create the Master of Science in Leadership (M.S.L.) / Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) joint degree program designed to equip early- and mid-career nurse leaders with greater uency in key health sector management principles including negotiation expertise, marketing, health care nance, ethics, practice improvement, health policy, human resources, technology, and more. The rst M.S.L./D.N.P. cohort of Florida- licensed registered nurses started this past January, Spring 2023. “The program is the only one of its kind in Florida and
among the rst in the nation,” says Dr. Mary Hooshmand, associate dean for Graduate Clinical Programs at SONHS. The same pioneering claim can be made about a new joint degree offering from SONHS and the Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences. The rst cohort for the 4+1 B.S.H.S./M.P.H. and 4+1 B.S.H.S./ M.S.P.H. will begin Fall 2023, says Dr. Arsham Alamian, associate dean for Health Studies at SONHS. “Academically quali ed juniors or sophomores majoring in health science at SONHS now have
the unique opportunity to complete both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ve years,” says Dr. Alamian. “I encourage students interested in our health science program to consider this opportunity. Pursuing a medical career requires a well-rounded, multifaceted understanding of public health and its af liated concerns.” A similar 4+1 degree option for SONHS public health students has been very successful.
was in the right profession,” she says. “We spend a lot of time focusing on the books, but it is a completely different experience seeing it right before your eyes. It was truly such an incredible experience for me.” Associate Dean and Professor Johis Ortega led Global Health: Transcultural Nursing (NUR485) from January 2 to 15. “Students are very excited our school has reinitiated its enriching
Visit http://sonhs.miami.edu/msl-dnp and https://bshs.sonhs.miami.edu.
10 heart beat | SPRING 2023
SPRING 2023 | heart beat 11
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