Strategic Plan 2011 - 2015
The mission of the School of Nursing and Health Studies is to educate students and support faculty committed to excellence in nursing and health science. Through research, education and practice, the school will create and disseminate health knowledge and prepare culturally competent leaders to provide safe service to our community, the nation and the world.

The vision of the School of Nursing and Health Studies is to be recognized as an innovative global center for excellence in nursing and health science education, scholarships, research and service. The school strives to become one of the most distinguished schools of nursing in the country.

The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies strives to improve human health through strategic initiatives in the areas of multidisciplinary evidence-based research, education programs, and outreach efforts that serve the local and global community.

1. Community Engagement
GOAL 1: Increase UMSONHS’s Visibility in Providing Healthcare and Promoting Health in the Community
Objectives

• Establish a formal relationship and processes to create nurse-led clinics in the community
• Determine feasibility of collaboration with other entities for nurse-led clinics
• Cultivate mutually beneficial relationships
• Continue collaboration with Department of Health to implement nurse‐led clinics
• Identify relationships that have the potential to make a gift to the school
• Enhance existing relationships with decision makers at clinical sites and community agencies

GOAL 2: Provide a Curriculum that Matches Market and Community Needs
Objectives

• Partner with clinical sites and community agencies in developing course curricula
• Consider community and market needs when addressing curriculum changes
• Collaborate with Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) and directors from partner organizations to better understand needs
• Include community representatives at recurring activities
• Continue the development of the Visiting Committee regarding key CNOs of the community as important members
• Expand members of the Visiting Committee to include leaders in public health

GOAL 3: Procure, Evaluate and Utilize Best Clinical and Field Experience Sites
Objectives

• Develop ambulatory and community health partnerships (i.e. home health, community centers, ambulatory care sites, outpatient chemotherapy centers)
• Establish taskforce with academic and community faculty to plan and conduct feasibility studies on status and available opportunities for partnerships
• Identify best clinical and field placement sites and other site availability

GOAL 4: Promote Faculty Participation at Clinical and Community Settings in Mentoring Roles
Objectives

• Develop CEU programs for community partners
• Identify collaborative opportunities

GOAL 5: Enhance General Public’s Knowledge about Nursing, Including Advanced Practice Nursing and
Other Health Professions
Objectives

• Develop a campaign to enhance public’s knowledge of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) and other health professionals
• Engage Marketing Department for print and electronic media
• Identify relationships with individuals who can support the awareness campaign
• Creatively cultivate these relationships (e.g. homecoming motivational speaker)
• Develop opportunities to connect back to the school

GOAL 6: Promote Career Opportunities Collaboratively with Community Leaders
Objectives

• Develop and evaluate residency programs (e.g. adult health)
• Utilize technology to identify and disseminate career opportunities
• Continue to develop and enhance the SONHS alumni website pages to assist in gathering accurate and up-to-date logistical and professional information on our alumni, as well as the alumni brochure, the upcoming contest mailing project and alumni board activities

2. Education & Training
GOAL 1: Modify Curriculum to Increase Primary Care and Health Promotion Content
Objectives

• Assess current curriculum for primary care content
• Revise curriculum based on curriculum assessment
• Utilize community resources to integrate primary care and health promotion content
• Develop pathways for students to obtain graduate degrees in public health (e.g., BSPH to MPH; MSN/MPH dual degree programs)

GOAL 2: Evaluate the Feasibility of Sustainable Entry Points to Graduate Programs
Objectives

• Examine MSN offerings for career opportunities
• Revise MSN curriculum according to 2011 AACN Masters essentials
• Identify tuition support
• Conduct fundraising efforts in the new campaign targeted towards undergraduate and graduate scholarships ($2,500,000)
• Identify and target under-represented minority populations for MSN

GOAL 3: Incorporate Technology into Course Work at all Levels
Objectives

• Increase student exposure to simulation settings
• Integrate EMR/EHR into undergraduate and graduate curricula
• Integrate TeleHealth into undergraduate and graduate curricula
• Increase student familiarity with technology to enhance health promotion and communication (e.g. social networking)
• Increase the use of technology to deliver course and clinical content (e.g. Blackboard, Collaborate )

GOAL 4: Recruit and Retain Excellent Faculty
Objectives

• Assess internal resources for recruitment and retention
• Evaluate effectiveness of current recruitment strategies
• Evaluate satisfaction with and efficacy of faculty mentoring programs
• Increase the number of tenured faculty

Goal 5: Identify and Recruit the Best and Brightest UM Undergraduate Students for Enrollment in Graduate
Programs
Objectives

• Increase faculty referrals of promising students
• Introduce BSN students to the graduate programs and master students to the doctoral programs
• Identify key people from each program for student recruitment efforts
• Develop mentoring programs to move students to PhD or DNP programs
• Develop improved data collection tools to assess interest in and funding for graduate studies

GOAL 6: Engage in External Recruitment of the Best and Brightest Students for Enrollment in all Programs
Objectives

• Utilize targeted marketing and public relations for recruitment
• Develop an ad campaign to make public aware of UMSONHS programs
• Advertise what makes UMSONHS unique:
• Cultural competence
• Tradition of health disparities research
• Focus on interdisciplinary instruction and collaboration
• Simulation Academy/Hospital

GOAL 7: Increase the Number of Excellent Clinical and Field Experience Sites
Objectives

• Evaluate our current agencies
• Develop on–going processes for procuring new clinical sites
• Increase the number of educational activities in the clinical sites we use

GOAL 8: Increase Competency in Patient Safety
Objectives

• Incorporate and manage Patient Safety principles across the curricula
• Evaluate the integration of Patient Safety competencies in the clinical settings
• Simulation Hospital

GOAL 9: Transition Students to Prepare for Practice (Residency Transition to Practice)
Objectives

• Develop residency programs in collaboration with community partners
• Identify competencies required by clinical practice and prepare students accordingly

GOAL 10: Enhance the Curriculum to Include Interdisciplinary Instruction in the Development of Future
Healthcare Leaders
Objectives

• Expose students to the evolving roles for Healthcare Providers in interdisciplinary teams
• Identify and develop interdisciplinary education initiatives
• Increase the opportunities for students to have interdisciplinary interaction in practice settings

GOAL 11: Increase the Visibility of the Health Studies Program
Objectives

• Create marketing to showcase the Health Studies Program
• Facilitate public awareness of the Health Studies Program and career opportunities
• Involve Health Studies students in community initiatives
• Facilitate the transition of Health Studies students to professional programs and career opportunities
• Foster connections between SONHS’ Health Studies programs and available graduate programs
• Foster career placement of Health Studies graduates

3. Practice
GOAL 1: Increase UMSONHS’ Visibility in Providing Primary Care in the Community
Objectives

• Develop a faculty practice plan
• Increase collaboration with medical specialties
• Develop collaborative healthcare models
• Establish formal relationships to create nurse-led clinics
• Utilize existing interdisciplinary resources
• Include Health Science students and faculty

GOAL 2: Highlight the Expertise of UMSONHS’s Faculty in Specialty Areas
Objectives

• Launch a post Masters Psychiatric/Mental Health program on-line
• Disseminate achievements of specialty faculty (publications)
• Recruit and maintain board certified specialty faculty in faculty practice initiatives and clinical experiences

4. Research
GOAL 1: To Advance Health Research that Supports Faculty and Internal Research Teams
Objectives

• Build research infrastructure to support research teams
• Formalize research-focused ties to community agencies
• Promote school’s research efforts to UM and larger community
• Increase school’s level of research funding
• Recruit tenure/tenure earning faculty with active programs of research

  
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