The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies is pleased to announce that Mary Mckay, DNP, APRN, CNE, has been selected to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (Academy). Dr. Mckay, an associate professor of clinical at the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS), holds the Wallace Gilroy Endowed Chair.
Induction into the Academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues within and outside the profession. Fellows are selected based on their contributions and impact to advance the public’s health.
The Academy is an honorific society that recognizes nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration, and academia. Academy Fellows, from nearly 40 countries, hold a wide variety of roles influencing health care. Induction into the Fellowship represents more than recognition of one’s accomplishments within the nursing profession. Fellows contribute their collective expertise to the Academy, engaging with health leaders nationally and globally to improve health and achieve health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science.
Dr. Mckay’s scholarship is focused on increasing student knowledge and competence through innovative pedagogy to promote effective interprofessional team collaboration and safe quality patient care. She has championed the integration of technology in nursing education through online curriculum development, simulation, and innovations in patient safety education, including the creation of an innovative online system for the reporting of adverse events.
Dr. Mckay has numerous teaching, research, and educational innovation awards, as well as publications and presentations based on her work. In addition, she led the development of a sustainable hybrid program for Guyanese nursing faculty as part of the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre plan in response to Guyana’s critical nursing shortage. The program’s outcome findings received the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society Excellence in Educational Research Award.
On faculty at SONHS since 2007, Dr. Mckay has served as associate dean for undergraduate nursing programs and director of clinical partnerships. She is a double alumna of UM, where she earned Doctor of Nursing Practice and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Barry University.
“Dr. Mckay is a leading educator who has dedicated her career to making many generations of nurses stronger, more engaged health professionals here in the U.S. and in the Caribbean region,” said SONHS Dean and Professor Cindy L. Munro, RN, ANP-BC, PhD, FAAN, FAANP, FAAAS. “Dr. Mckay also makes outstanding contributions to the science of nursing through her leadership in interprofessional patient safety and clinical simulation. I applaud her selection as a new Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. The recognition is well-deserved.”
Dr. Mckay’s FAAN nomination highlights her contributions to nursing education and the PAHO/WHO Guyana nurse educator program she helped pioneer. “I hope my global work in Guyana will continue to shape nursing education and have a positive impact on workforce capacity,” she said. “Supporting nursing faculty development is critical, especially in regions with limited resources to transform health care and improve health outcomes. I am humbled by this opportunity to contribute to the Academy’s efforts to improve health and achieve health equity.”
Through a competitive, rigorous application process, the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee, which is comprised of current Fellows, reviewed hundreds of applications to select the 2021 Fellows. Dr. Mckay was one of 225 individuals selected to be inducted into the 2021 Class of Fellows. The 2021 Fellows represent 38 states, the District of Columbia, and 18 countries.
The 2021 inductees will be recognized for their significant contributions to health and health care at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on October 7-9, 2021. This year’s conference and induction ceremony will be offered in a hybrid format, allowing attendees to participate either in-person (at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC) or virtually allowing for maximum attendance through an inclusive format where colleagues, friends, and family members who may not be able to attend the event in person are able to participate. This year’s induction ceremony, which will feature personalized video vignettes and live streaming of each inductee, will be a special way to recognize the new Fellows as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge traditional methods of celebration.
Learn more about the Academy and visit the hybrid policy conference website for more details.
About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally. With more than 2,800 Fellows, the Academy represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.
About the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies
At the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS), we transform lives and health care through education, research, innovation, and service across the hemisphere. As a world-class destination for health care education and research, SONHS has contributed to the professional development of over 10,000 clinicians, health care scientists, and faculty members across the hemisphere. From the school’s inception in 1948 as South Florida’s first collegiate nursing program, its faculty and students have sought bold solutions to meet the health needs of the region’s diverse populations and rapidly changing health systems.
Contact:
Rosa Lamazares-Romero, Assistant Director, Communications + Marketing, 305-284-6255, rmlromero@miami.edu
