Laura Gonzalez Archives | �鶹ԭ�� News

�鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing Simulation Center Manager Honored with International Award

Carolyn Petagno — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 14:03:12 +0000

Syretta Spears, manager of the Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling Center at the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing, has been honored with the Frontline Simulation Champion Excellence Award from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.

The annual award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the day-to-day implementation of simulation and to excellence in the delivery of simulation-based learning. Spears received the award Thursday at the association’s 2019 conference in Phoenix. The association is a global community of more than 1,800 industry leaders, educators and researchers dedicated to transforming practice to improve patient safety through excellence in healthcare simulation.

“The advancement and desire to expound on the science of simulation drives her,” says Assistant Professor Desiree A. Díaz. “Syretta has provided a level of stability and spirit of excellence in the daily operations of our STIM Center and fosters an environment of innovation.”

“Syretta is the one individual we have come to trust to ensure our simulation-based learning experiences meet the highest standards,” says Laura Gonzalez, simulation director at the college. “She supports the facilitators and ensures the activities provide an enriching experience for all learners.”

One such activity is the development of an “Escape Rescue Room,” where teams of students are given hidden clues to address a patient mannequin’s signs and symptoms. The innovative, yet informative, method is used to enhance teaching and learning of health policies, hospital procedures and guidelines. This successful activity was recently selected for presentation at the National League for Nursing Summit.

Additionally, Spears recently led the efforts to create Simsations 4 Life at the college. In the interdisciplinary club, simulation activities are brought to life with undergraduate and graduate students as well as volunteers from LIFE@�鶹ԭ�� (Learning Institute for Elders) who participate as embedded patients. Spears also created the online orientation and helped develop a “Haunted Lab” and “Amazing Race” experience, demonstrating her creativity and innovation in the field.

“The creation of the club has elevated our simulation fidelity, or realism, tenfold,” says Gonzalez.

Spears has been the STIM Center manager since 2016 and was among the first graduates of the college’s innovative and interdisciplinary healthcare simulation graduate certificate program. Last year she became one of the first to earn the Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist designation. The certification is an international recognition of her specialized knowledge, skills, abilities and accomplishments in the field. Now she is preparing to conduct her first webinar to mentor other simulationists.

At �鶹ԭ��, she is part an elite team of healthcare simulation experts, including three advanced certified healthcare simulation educators, two certified healthcare simulation educators, and an internationally recognized computer scientist and engineer.

This is the third consecutive year that an excellence award from the association honored a faculty or staff member from the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing. Associate Professor Mindi Anderson and Díaz were honored with the Excellence in Academia award in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Nursing Simulation Expert Reelected to International Board

Wed, 17 May 2017 17:50:14 +0000

Simulation expert Laura Gonzalez, a clinical assistant professor at the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing, has been elected for a second term as vice president of programs of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning (INACSL).

The INACSL is a community of more than 1,500 members in 13 countries dedicated to improving patient safety through excellence in health care simulation. As the vice president of programs, Gonzalez oversees the creation and implementation of the organization’s professional development and educational opportunities. Programs include webinars, regional simulation workshops and conferences.

“As a researcher who is dedicated to improving patient outcomes using simulation and technology, INACSL, and the community it provides, has been a beneficial resource in my career,” said Gonzale, who has been a member since 2009. “It has been an honor to work with the board of distinguished simulation experts this past year, and I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to serve another year to benefit our members and ultimately, patient care.”

In addition to her board position at INACSL, Gonzalez serves as an on-site accreditation evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. She is a member of the Southern Nursing Research Society, Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the nursing honor society Sigma Theta Tau International.

Gonzalez joined the college faculty in 2011 as assistant professor and is a 2008 alumna of the Nursing PhD program. She is currently simulation coordinator across all nursing programs at the college, expanding the implementation of the technology in curriculum to enhance student skills development and learning.

Nursing Faculty to Serve the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

Fri, 19 Aug 2016 21:39:42 +0000

Three nursing faculty members have been selected to serve in leadership roles at the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a national accreditation agency ensuring quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education and residency programs.

Michele Upvall, PhD, RN, CNE, was elected to serve as Chair of the CCNE Nominating Committee for 2017. She previously served as a member of the committee, which is responsible for preparing, evaluating and accepting nominations from members interested in serving on the Board of Directors.

“It is an honor to lead the nominating committee, identifying qualified individuals who will continue to carry out the commission’s mission of advancing excellence and innovation in nursing education, research and practice,” said Michele Upvall, coordinator of the Nurse Educator MSN and certificate programs at the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing.

Diane Andrews, PhD, RN, and Laura Gonzalez, PhD, ARNP, CNE, CHSE, have been selected to serve as on-site evaluators for the CCNE accreditation review process. The two join nearly 740 nurse educators and practicing nurses from across the country who currently serve in the role and assist in the accreditation process. At the College of Nursing, Susan Chase, EdD, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP, and Upvall have served as on-site evaluators since 2007 and 2008, respectively. Chase serves as an evaluation team leader and also is an appointed member of the Report Review Committee, which reviews continuous improvement progress reports from all accredited programs as well as other compliance reports for CCNE.

As nurse educators, Andrews and Gonzalez will lend their expertise in nursing education and program development to assist in evaluating program curricula, faculty roles and qualifications, internal governance, student services, and student and faculty outcomes during an accreditation review. Each will participate in at least one on-site evaluation per year where they will travel with a team to a college or university in the U.S.

“As we strive as a nation to prepare a growing number of highly educated nurses, it is critical for public health that colleges and universities meet nationally recognized standards in providing a quality education,” said Diane Andrews, coordinator of the Leadership & Management MSN and Nurse Executive DNP at the College of Nursing. “Serving as an on-site evaluator allows me to contribute to this valuable process and foster continuous improvement among nursing programs.”

“CCNE values and fosters innovation in the accreditation process and in its accredited programs. As a researcher focused on innovation, I am honored to be able to give back and lend a unique viewpoint to the process from my experiences in the simulation community,” said Laura Gonzalez, simulation coordinator at the College of Nursing, current board member and vice president of programs for the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning, and former director of the Florida Healthcare Simulation Alliance.

CCNE is one of just two nursing program accrediting agencies nationally recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. The commission began accreditation reviews in 1998 and currently accredits nearly 1,400 baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs across 705 colleges and universities in the U.S. The bachelor’s degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, post-master’s nurse practitioner certificates, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing are accredited by CCNE.

Nursing Expands Faculty with New Experts

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 11:50:31 +0000

As part of a university-wide effort to hire 200 new faculty members in high-demand workforce areas, the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing has hired seven new ranked faculty members who are each experts in their respective fields. In addition, the college has transitioned three existing faculty members to ranked positions and filled seven instructor/lecturer positions.

Growing the university’s faculty is one of the key priorities for �鶹ԭ�� over the next several years. Of the new and transitioning personnel, a majority are serving in new roles within the college while others are filling open positions to replace retired or departing professors.

“Nurses, in particular those with baccalaureate degrees or higher, are in high demand throughout the country,” said Dr. Mary Lou Sole, dean at the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing. “Our new faculty members will not only help us meet growing demand for our programs, but help make critical advancements in health care by expanding our research areas including the fields of simulation, gerontology and acute care. We’re excited to bring these new experts to �鶹ԭ�� and pleased to continue to leverage the expertise of our existing faculty.”

New ranked faculty members include:

Mindi Anderson, PhD, ARNP, CPNP-PC, CNE, CHSE-A, ANEF, is a certified advanced health care simulation educator and new associate professor in the college’s graduate department. Anderson previously was associate professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. A simulation expert, she has been involved in multiple funded research projects, including those related to interprofessional education and innovative use and evaluation of simulation technology in preparing undergraduate and graduate students for nursing practice. Her work has been widely published and presented. Anderson is a fellow in the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education. She earned her BSN from Texas Christian University, MSN from the University of Texas at Arlington and her PhD in Health Studies from Texas Woman’s University.

Annette Bourgault, PhD, RN, CNL, is an assistant professor in the graduate department. Her research areas of interest are critical care, evidence-based practice and verification of feeding tube placement. Previously, Bourgault was interim assistant dean for assessment and development at Georgia Regents University (formerly the Medical College of Georgia) where she had been on faculty in various roles since 2007. Her research in the field of critical care nursing has been widely published and presented. Bourgault received her BSN from the University of Ottawa, her MSN from Queen’s University in Ontario and her PhD with distinction from Georgia Health Sciences University.

Desiree Díaz, PhD, RN-BC, CNE, CHSE-A, joins �鶹ԭ�� as an assistant professor in the undergraduate department. She previously was associate clinical professor and director of clinical simulation and resource laboratories at the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on simulation education and populations with health care disparities such as inmates and limited-English proficient patients, topics which she has widely presented and been published. Díaz is the recipient of the American Association of University Professors’ Innovation in Education Excellence award and has served as a simulation mentor for the International Nursing Association Simulation Clinical Learning. She earned her BSN, MSN and PhD from the University of Connecticut, and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

Joellen Edwards, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a professor in the graduate department and new Hugh F. and Jeannette G. McKean Endowed Chair in Nursing. Previously, Edwards was a professor of graduate programs and associate dean for research at East Tennessee State University College of Nursing. Her research on health policy has been widely published over the past 20 years, and she is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Recently, she was principal investigator on a funded project with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Rural Health and is currently a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Rural Health. She has also served on several state and national committees addressing rural health issues. She earned her BSN and PhD from Ohio University, and MSN from West Virginia University.

Frank Guido-Sanz, PhD, ARNP, ANP-BC, comes to �鶹ԭ�� as an assistant professor in the undergraduate department from Florida International University where he served as an adjunct faculty member. His research focus is on critical care, which he has presented on regionally and internationally. Actively involved in the community, Guido-Sanz currently is a nurse practitioner volunteer for the Mobile Acute Care Strike Team, Florida Advanced Surgical and Transport Team, and the National Disaster Medical System International Medical Surgical Rescue Team where he deployed to Haiti in 2010 for earthquake relief. He earned his BSN from Barry University, and his MSN, post-master’s certificate in nursing education and PhD from Florida International University.

Elizabeth Kinchen, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, is an assistant professor in the undergraduate department. She had been a teaching assistant in nursing at Florida Atlantic University for the past four years while completing her advanced degrees. She earned her BSN from the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., and her MSN and PhD from Florida Atlantic University. A board certified advanced holistic nurse, Kinchen has presented and been published in several journals for her research on holistic nursing care, and is a member of the American Holistic Nurses Association. She began her nursing career as staff nurse at a regional burn center in Indiana and has worked in intensive and progressive care units.

Michele Upvall, PhD, RN, CNE, is a new professor in the graduate department and new coordinator of the nurse educator MSN and certificate programs. Previously, Upvall was a professor in the School of Nursing at Carlow University in Pittsburgh. Her research is in global health, and she recently co-edited the book “Global Health Nursing: Building and Sustaining Partnerships.” Upvall has also created nursing education programs to make an impact nationally and internationally, including the first BSN program on American Indian lands and first MSN program in Pakistan. Currently, she is facilitating the development a RN to BSN program in Lebanon and has started discussions with universities in Vietnam and Uganda. She earned her BSN from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, MSN from Pennsylvania State University, PhD from the University of Utah and post-master’s family nurse practitioner certificate from Arizona State University.

Faculty members transitioning to a new ranked position include:

Laura Gonzalez, PhD, ARNP, CNE, is now a clinical assistant professor and the simulation coordinator across all nursing programs. Her research in the field of simulation and innovative technologies is focused on preparing future nurses and improving patient outcomes. Current funded research includes using high-fidelity simulation to bridge the knowledge and skills gap from graduate nurse to professional nurse. A published researcher, Gonzalez currently serves as interim director for the Florida Healthcare Simulation Alliance and a board member and vice president of programs for the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. She earned her BSN from the Hunter College School of Nursing in New York, her MSN from the University of South Florida and her PhD from �鶹ԭ��.

Julie Hinkle, PhD, RN, CNE, is an expert in pathophysiology and focuses her research on innovative technologies and interventions such as simulation, online interventions and applications. Current research includes an innovative software solution to change how courses are taught by incorporating adaptive learning. Hinkle is now an assistant professor in the graduate department. She previously was a lecturer and site coordinator for the �鶹ԭ��/Valencia College Dual Enrollment Concurrent ASN to BSN program. Hinkle earned her BSN from the University of Pittsburgh, and her MSN and PhD from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Jacqueline LaManna, PhD, ANP-BC, BC-ADM, CDE, is now an assistant professor in the graduate department. She previously was a lecturer and site coordinator for the �鶹ԭ�� Cocoa campus, where the college offers a traditional BSN program. Her research area of focus is in gerontology and chronic disease management, and her work has been published in several journals and textbooks. LaManna earned her BSN from Purdue University, her MSN from the University of Florida, and her PhD from �鶹ԭ��. She is chair of the American Association of Diabetes Educators Research Committee and a member of the American Diabetes Association.

In addition to these 10 new and transitioning ranked faculty, the college has added six new instructors/lecturers to the undergraduate department, including Carol Burgunder, Chris Deatrick, Nancy Duckworth, Dr. Enitan Ekwotafia, Dr. Frances Iacobellis and Dr. Cherrill Stockmann.

Nursing Faculty Member Named FHSA Interim Director

Ivanna Alayon — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 23:07:34 +0000

Laura Gonzalez, an assistant professor in the �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing, has been named the interim director for the effective Nov. 1. She was appointed by Mary Lou Brunell, director of the Florida Center for Nursing.

As a statewide organization, the FSHA’s purpose is to provide and enhance patient safety for all Floridians by expanding and advancing the use of all forms of simulation in academic settings, healthcare institutions, and agencies. Dr. Gonzalez says the alliance is also looking to collaborate beyond the state of Florida.

“FHSA will soon be providing training at all levels that includes best practice recommendations, standardization, opportunities for networking, and collaboration,” she said.

Gonzalez is a member of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning board of directors. She is also an active leader in the FHSA East Central Region. Her research studies focus on the use of simulation and innovative technologies to prepare future nurses and ensure improved patient outcomes.

“I am excited to pursue this opportunity in addition to my faculty role,” said Gonzalez. “I am a passionate proponent of simulation.”

�鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing Interim Dean Mary Lou Sole believes the selection of Gonzalez acknowledges her expertise as a state and national leader in the field.

“At this level, Laura will be able to effect change and coordinate efforts to promote high-quality health care simulation across the state” Sole said. “It will also benefit students by having faculty with influence at state and national levels.”

Article Written by Ivanna Alayon

Lessons in Service, Teamwork And Compassion

Tue, 20 Aug 2013 20:36:13 +0000

“Coming to the Dominican Republic gives students an opportunity to really learn and practice clinical care while serving people who are patient, kind and grateful,” said Dr. Judy Simms-Cendan, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, director of international health programs, and faculty advisor to MedPACt, the global health interest medical student interest group that organizes the trip. This year’s trip leaders included Wendy Carcamo, Eric Jorge and Neesha Patel.

The �鶹ԭ�� healthcare team included 20 medical students (16 rising second-year students and four rising fourth-year students), four rising four-year nursing students, a student in computer science and a premed student. They worked with medical students from Universidad Catolica Nordestana — the medical school in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic that works in partnership with the �鶹ԭ�� College of Medicine.

The interprofessional approach to medical education provided an opportunity for all the students to learn medical teamwork and how to set up a clinic from the ground up and begin seeing patients in just 30 minutes. By working together, the medical and nursing students also learned to set up and run a pharmacy, provide patient education on subjects including hygiene and first aid, and practice their Spanish language skills. Dr. Simms-Cendan said the nursing students taught the M.D. students about patient flow, cleanliness and sanitation. The medical students taught the nursing students about epidemiology, pathology and other basic science information about the conditions they saw.

“We said throughout the trip how we all brought unique skills to the table,” she said.

The clinics were located in elementary schools in rural communities of the Dominican Republic. And students saw the impact of poverty on health – patients suffering from severe intestinal conditions because of unclean drinking water and food, and untreated cuts and scrapes that became infected and in need of serious care. Primary care including treatment of hypertension, diabetes and dermatologic conditions was provided. The dedicated pediatrics team cared for issues of nutrition, ear infections, and asthma. The team also faced many psychosocial effects of poverty. For example, domestic violence is another serious problem in the Dominican Republic, which lacks shelters or other resources for women.

Partners in both the Dominican Republic and Central Florida contribute to the success of the Dominican Republic trip. To help the area, the Rotary Club of La Joya has installed working toilets in communities over the past year, which has greatly improved hygiene and living conditions. They are very interested in partnering with our team next year for even more community education. Clean The World, a non-profit Orlando organization that recycles soaps and shampoo from local hotels, provided 400 hygiene packages for patients with financial assistance from the Edith Bush Charitable Foundation. The Diebel Legacy Fund provided financial aid for the medical students, paying for much of their airfare.

Faculty members included volunteer College of Medicine faculty Dr. Rafik Bouaziz and Dr. Alix Casler, and Dr. Laura Gonzalez from the College of Nursing, who Dr. Simms-Cendan described as “the goddess of triage who was able to care for hundreds of people a day and educate students all at the same time. We absolutely couldn’t have done this without her.”