Nichole Crenshaw, assistant professor of clinical, has been appointed associate dean for Undergraduate Nursing Programs at SONHS. Most recently she directed the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program.
“I am humbled by this opportunity to work with top professionals who are passionate about nursing,” says Crenshaw, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, ANP-BC, CHSE, FAANP. “This is a phenomenal time to contribute to health care and craft a new tomorrow. I am excited to begin this journey.”
Since joining SONHS as a faculty member in 2013, Crenshaw has taught and mentored hundreds of students, nurses, and nurse practitioners, proving to be a leader in advancing simulation-based education to bridge the gap between didactic instruction and clinical practice.
“Dr. Crenshaw is an exemplary clinician, researcher, educator, and nurse leader, as well as a valued member of our school and health care community,” says Dean Cindy L. Munro. “Her unparalleled commitment to excellence will serve as an inspiration and a driving force for our stellar undergraduate nursing programs.”
Crenshaw started her nursing career in trauma, then worked in a transplant unit before finding her way to intensive care. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Florida International University, followed by her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and post-master’s certificate at SONHS. Crenshaw’s motto is, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”
At the onset of the pandemic, Crenshaw was recruited by UM’s vice provost for special projects to the COVID-19 Preparedness Committee. As a member of this multidisciplinary team of innovators, she is helping test and develop prototypes designed to reduce clinician exposure to infection during intubation.
Crenshaw’s professional contributions have been recognized nationally as well. She was one of just 71 nurse practitioners across the U.S. inducted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Class of 2020.
“Nursing was where I was supposed to be,” she says. “I loved knowing as a nurse I had many paths I could choose throughout my career.”
Today those many paths include teaching in classroom, clinical, and simulation settings; conducting research and publishing; and, since 2005, practicing part-time in Jackson Memorial Hospital’s cardiothoracic/surgical intensive care unit.
In addition, Crenshaw is a member of the Dean’s Special Advisory Committee on Faculty Diversity, acts as the School Council’s elected speaker, and represents SONHS at the University level on Faculty Senate and Graduate Council. Most recently, she was chosen as Grand Marshal of UM’s Fall 2020 Commencement.
As the granddaughter, daughter, and sister of nurses, Crenshaw carries her multigenerational health care legacy with pride. “Nursing was in my blood before I even knew it,” she explains. “The current environment is challenging for nurses, but we have risen in this moment. I am excited to influence a new generation of nursing graduates who are idealistic and ready to embrace the triumphs and trials of their new careers.”
Crenshaw and her husband, a graduate of Miami Law, have three children, two of whom are UM students.
