UM educator named RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar

Health disparities researcher studying teen dating violence is selected for prestigious program to advance careers of nation's most promising junior nurse faculty

Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, Ph.D., R.N., an assistant professor at the University of Miami, School of Nursing & Health Studies, has won a competitive grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to develop, manualize, and test an intervention for preventing teen dating violence among Hispanics. Gonzalez-Guarda is one of just 12 nurse educators from around the country to receive the three-year $350,000 Nurse Faculty Scholar award this year. It is given to junior faculty who show outstanding promise as future leaders in academic nursing. The grant period begins next month.

"Being named a RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar is a huge honor," Gonzalez-Guarda said. "As a Nurse Faculty Scholar, I am looking forward to being connected to other scholars as well as an extraordinary network of mentors and resources. I am doubly thrilled because so many of my professional role models through the years have had a connection to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Under the program's guidance, I hope to become a better faculty member and leader in my institution and area of research."

For her research project, JOVEN: Juntos Opuestos a la Violencia Entre Novios [Together Against Teen Dating Violence], Gonzalez-Guarda will develop a community-based participatory intervention addressing the prevention of teen dating violence among Hispanic ninth graders. The first phase of her study will include a community forum and focus groups with students, parents and school staff to assess their opinions and perceptions regarding what should be included in an effective teen dating violence prevention program. Gonzalez-Guarda will develop and manualize the intervention based on this input. In the second phase of the study she will implement the intervention and assess its impact.

"Hispanic youth are at a higher risk for teen dating violence and in the future face greater risk of domestic violence," Gonzalez-Guarda said. "From my previous experiences working to prevent domestic violence in the community, I know that this work is important to the health of the Hispanics and the country more broadly."

Gonzalez-Guarda's selection comes as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is embarking on a collaborative campaign to transform the nursing profession to improve health and health care. Based on the recommendations from a groundbreaking Institute of Medicine nursing report released last year-The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, RWJF is spearheading the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action to engage nurses and non-nurses in a nationwide effort to overhaul the nursing profession. The campaign is working to implement solutions to the challenges facing the nursing profession and to build upon nurse-based approaches to improving quality and transforming the way Americans receive health care. Dr. Gonzalez-Guarda was one of six nurses that served on the IOM committee that issued the Future of Nursing report and now has the incredible opportunity to lead efforts to advance the health of Hispanics through her RWJF funded program of research.

Her mentors are: Doris Ugarriza, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., a professor in the School of Nursing & Health Studies, and Guillermo Prado, Ph.D., an associate tenured professor in the School of Medicine's Department of Epidemiology & Public Health.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program aims to strengthen the academic productivity and overall excellence of nursing schools by developing the next generation of national leaders in academic nursing. Supporting junior nurse faculty will help curb a shortage of nurse educators that could undermine the health and health care of all Americans. The Affordable Care Act will vastly increase the number of people who can access health care in the United States. As the number of patients increases, there will be greater demand for skilled nurses and faculty to educate them. Right now, many schools of nursing are turning away qualified applicants because they lack the faculty to teach them.

The RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars program is helping to curb the shortage by helping more junior faculty succeed in, and commit to, academic careers. The program provides talented junior faculty with salary and research support as well as the chance to participate in institutional and national mentoring activities, leadership training, and networking events with colleagues in nursing and other fields, while continuing to teach and provide institutional, professional and community service at their universities.

The program will also enhance the stature of the scholars' academic institutions, which will benefit fellow nurse educators seeking professional development opportunities.

To receive the award, scholars must be registered nurses who have completed a research doctorate in nursing or a related discipline and who have held a tenure-eligible faculty position at an accredited nursing school for at least two and no more than five years.

This is the fourth cohort of Nurse Faculty Scholars. Many members of the first three cohorts have been published and recognized for outstanding work since they were accepted into the program.