In the span of one month, SONHS faculty member Dr. Juan M. González got some very good news. In March, he learned he’d been selected as a 2019-20 Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program Fellow. A few weeks later, the director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program and an assistant professor of clinical at the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) found out he’d been named UM’s Outstanding Graduate Program Director for 2019 from among an impressive slate of nominees.
The announcement for the latter came April 10, during the University of Miami Graduate School Annual Awards Ceremony.
“As director of the largest and strongest Master of Science in Nursing program, this award recipient has revamped the curriculum and rigor of the program. He has increased simulation opportunities for students in the program from 0 to 36 hours,” announced Graduate School Dean Guillermo “Willy” Prado, PhD. He added that enrollment in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program has tripled in the last three years and that the school’s master’s programs were recently ranked 28th nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
González, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, ENP-C, CEN, has previously been selected Faculty of the Year by students at the School of Nursing and Health Studies. “One of his nominators writes that his students are up at midnight on the first day of course registration to ensure they are able to get into his class,” said Dr. Prado, noting the important role he plays throughout their time in graduate school—from their initial interviews to preparation for the licensure exams.
The annual award for Outstanding Graduate Program Director recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact on graduate education and/or in support of graduate students of the program through contributions to curriculum, programming, recruitment, retention, or placement.
Recently, González traveled to Duke University to kick off his participation in the one-year Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program, which selects advanced practice nurses with leadership and management experience from across the United States. According to the program website, fellows gain leadership development opportunities that “enable them to provide more effective and efficient health care services to vulnerable populations and to lead innovative health improvement initiatives for their organizations and communities.” In addition to monthly distance-based learning and small-group mentoring with experienced coaches, fellows take part in three core leadership sessions and conduct a transformational health project that incorporates use of leadership and quality improvement skills acquired throughout the program.
