image: The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation is awarding a $30,000 grant to support the education of students in the UM Family Nurse Practitioner Master of Science of Nursing program. view more
Credit: University of Miami
CORAL GABLES, FL (September 10, 2009)— The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies is receiving a grant from the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation in the amount of $30,000 to support six students in its Family Nurse Practitioner Master of Science of Nursing program.
"Family nurse practitioners have a promising future" said Nilda Peragallo, dean of the UM School of Nursing and Health Studies. "The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation grant will help the students receive the quality educational experiences they need to become expert prac-titioners. We are extremely grateful to the foundation for supporting our mission to increase nursing capacity and improve access to health care"
Florida is among five states projected to experience the most critical shortage in primary care physicians within the next decade. This trend underscores the need to educate more Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs). As front-line primary care givers, FNPs are important members of the health care system today, providing needed health care services together with medical specialists.
Preparing more FNPs will increase the number of health care providers for South Florida communities. FNPs practice in concert with family physicians in a broad range of clinical set-tings. This collaboration enables physicians to focus on patients with complex needs, resulting in more efficient, comprehensive health care for all patients. FNPs also work in underserved areas to diagnose, treat, and refer patients when a physician is unavailable. With the nationwide nursing shortage and the decline in the number of family physicians, FNPs are in increasingly high demand
The University of Miami's FNP program emphasizes a multidisciplinary, culturally sensitive, community based curriculum that focuses on health prevention and patient care outcomes. The 11 course, 37 credit program includes courses in women's health, adult health, and pediatrics as well as advanced health assessment and physiology/pathophysiology. Graduates of this program enjoy a 100% passing rate on the FNP certification exam administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
About the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies
Established in 1948 as South Florida's first collegiate nursing program, the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami has a distinguished tradition of preparing nurses to provide compassio-nate, quality care to local, national and international communities. Nursing students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are educated by renowned scholars and exposed to a broad range of clinical expe-riences and cutting-edge research. In February 2005, the School expanded its program offerings to include the University of Miami's Health Science program and changed its name to the School of Nursing and Health Studies. The expanded curriculum includes programs leading to the B.S.N., M.S.N., D.N.P. and Ph.D. degrees as well as the B.S. in Health Science degree. www.miami.edu/sonhs
About the University of Miami:
The University of Miami's mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. www.miami.edu
About the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation
The Dr. John T. MacDonald Foundation, Inc., is a private grant-making foundation, supporting projects and programs designed to improve, preserve or restore the health and health care of the people in Miami-Dade County. For more information or a grant application, please contact Ms. Kim Greene, Executive Director, 1550 Madruga Avenue, Suite 215, Coral Gables, FL. 33146, (305) 667-6017, website: www.jtmacdonaldfdn.org.