Dr. Marie O. Etienne, DNP, ARNP, FNP, GNP, PNP, PLNC is a professor at Miami Dade College Medical Campus, Benjamín León School of Nursing. Dr. Etienne began her career at MDC in 1997. Her experience includes pediatrics, geriatrics, family practice, Community Health Nursing program coordinator, and on-line teaching for the RN-BSN program at the College. She is a certified Professional Legal Nurse Consultant. She earned the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from University of Miami, one of the highest-ranking positions in academia.
Dr. Etienne is the 2007 recipient of the MDC Stanley G. Tate and Family Endowed Teaching Chair for Excellence in Academia. She is past President of the Haitian American Nurses Association of Florida (HANA) 2005-2007 and past Chairperson of the Haitian American Professionals Coalition (HAPC) in 2008-2010. She received several distinguished awards for her work by local, national and international reputable organizations. In 2011, Dr. Etienne & Dr. Yamina Alvarez were selected from a pool of 253 faculty as two MDC Faculty for the Health Information Technology Scholars (HITS) from National League for Nursing (NLN), John Hopkins University College of Nursing, University of Colorado Denver & University of Indiana nationwide to participate in the Health Information Technology for Electronic Health Records and Simulation
In 2011, Dr. Etienne was the first inductee on HANA’s Wall of Fame in recognition of being a transformational leader and HANA outstanding member. Dr. Etienne volunteered with Project Medishare during post-earthquake in Haiti and coordinates medical missions to Dominican Republic Bateyes and to Haiti with HANA. Dr. Etienne is a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Volunteer for the Florida Department of Health, receiving numerous distinguished awards for her community service work including the 2011 Nurse.Com Nursing Excellence Regional Award, and the 2012 Florida Nurses Association Advanced Practice A 2012 Advanced Practice Nursing Award from the Florida Nurses Association (FNA) and FNA South Region Awardee as well. She has been selected as one of the top 25 Nursing Professors in Florida; and is a recipient of the Beacon of Hope and Achievement Award by the Consulate General of Haiti in Miami dedicated to the month of women. She is also one of 32 recipients worldwide who has been selected to receive the 2013 Florence Nightingale Medal by the International Red Cross. On April 2014, Dr. Etienne was honored with the 2014 Excellence Award by HANA President, Marjorie Lozama.
In August 2014, Dr. Etienne was appointed as Nurse Consultant and Chairperson of the International Services Workgroup of the National Nursing Committee of the Red Cross. Dr. Etienne was honored as one of the 2014 Top Black Educators in Miami by Legacy Magazine. Dr. Etienne was recently honored by the National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians (NOAH-NY) in New York with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Etienne’s ultimate goal is to inspire others to be social innovators and change maker in their respective community.
Dr. Guillermo Valdes has been a nursing professional in a variety of administrative clinical practice, nursing education and academic leadership roles in Miami Dade County. During his clinical and education tenure for 27 years of service at Jackson Health System (JHS), as a respected member of the Education and Professional Development Department, Dr. Valdes was the chairperson of the Research and EBP Council, Chairperson of the Professional Development Council and led the initiative for a professional development career pathway for clinical nurses.
Dr. Valdes coordinated the RN Medical Surgical Residency Program, re-initiated the Interdisciplinary Grand Rounds Program and was the nursing representative for the Clinical Research Review Committee. He has also collaborated with the JHS, Center for Nursing Excellence on Magnet quality improvement projects. In 2011, he was recognized as “March of Dimes Nurse of the Year” for clinical and academic education.
Dr. Valdes has received numerous accolades, recognized by his peers in 2013 as “Great 100 Nurses”, FNA. In 2015, Dr. Valdes was nominated as “US Professor of the Year” Carnegie Foundation representing nursing at MDC, Medical Campus. Dr. Valdes in 2016 was recognized by the FNA South Region for consistently promoting an environment of nursing excellence and by the Florida Center for Nursing as a nurse leader. At Miami Dade College (MDC), Benjamin Leon School of Nursing, Dr. Valdés consistently promotes an environment of academic excellence in support of student-centered learning in a competency-based education environment. Dr. Valdes contributed to two program accreditation visits in 2016 and created the initial strategic plan for a very successful virtual CCNE re-accreditation visit in 2021. Dr. Valdes has consistently increased student enrollment and satisfaction, developed scholars’ program in two large healthcare delivery teaching institutions, and promoted faculty scholarship and wellness with a faculty led professional development initiative using the Boyer’s Model reflecting on the American Association of Colleges in Nursing faculty scholarship quality indicators.
As a SIGMA Virginia Henderson Fellow, Dr. Valdes strongly supports nursing research and evidence-based practice recognizing nurses as global leaders. Dr. Valdes is a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the FNA, proudly serving in the South Region Leadership Committee as Awards Committee Chair.