Sunitha Abraham’s nursing journey began in India, where she discovered her love for surgical nursing and her talent for running operating rooms. Immigrating to the United States on her own, she rose to management positions in surgical services with Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Memorial Regional Hospital, and Jackson Health System. By 2022, she had directed over 1,000 employees, and held graduate degrees in both business administration and nursing.
But Abraham, now the senior director of Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Perioperative Division, still felt she had more to learn as a health leader, and shared this sentiment with her boss, Oscar Betancourt, Jackson Memorial Hospital’s chief operating officer. Betancourt, who earned his M.B.A. at the University of Miami, mentioned it to double ’Cane David Zambrana, D.N.P. ’09, Ph.D. ’17, Jackson Health System’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, who suggested a new joint degree collaboration between the School of Nursing and Health Studies and Miami Herbert Business School.
Among the first of its kind, the Master of Science in Leadership (M.S.L.)/Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program launched in January 2023. This December, Abraham earns the distinction of being its first-ever graduate. “I’m so glad I took this program,” said Abraham, who implemented a surgical smoke evacuation plan at Jackson for her scholarly project. “The curriculum was heavily focused on leadership. That’s my passion. I like to lead and influence people, and I’m so grateful to Jackson for fully supporting my journey.”
The M.S.L./D.N.P. program offers motivated nurses like Abraham in-depth preparation in organizational behavior and management, finance, ethics, practice improvement, and much more. One of her classes focused on leading team members from different cultures, an important skill to have in South Florida. For example, in some cultures looking someone straight in the eyes is seen as a sign of disrespect. “There are a lot of details of each culture,” she said. “Those classes really taught us how to lead from a cross-cultural perspective.”
Another class, “Building High-Performance Teams,” demonstrated the importance of giving front-line employees a voice in major decisions. This motivated Abraham to create the Perioperative Governance Alliance (PGA) at Jackson, where she oversees more than 600 employees across six departments. Today, the PGA has representatives from each department, from secretaries and OR nurses to anesthesia technologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Moreover, noted Abraham, its first meeting, held in April, generated exciting proposals she never would have come up with herself. “They bring the challenges they face," she said, "and together they will find a solution."
Abraham's pride and love for her own family—particularly her special needs son—inspired her to excel. Opting for full-time enrollment, she managed to earn her joint degree in six semesters. “I recommend the M.S.L./D.N.P. program to every nurse supervisor,” she said. “It will really help you become a transformational leader.”
If You Go: Abraham is one of 48 students taking part in the Class of 2024 Doctor of Nursing Practice Poster Presentation on December 11 at the School of Nursing and Health Studies, 5030 Brunson Drive, University of Miami, Coral Gables campus. To attend or get more information, call 305-284-2558.
