Summer 2024 | Alumni Updates
Celebrating the achievements and accomplishments of Gator Nursing alum!
UF Health Nightingale Award Winners
UF Health celebrated National Nurses Week by celebrating nurses who rise together to make incredible differences. This year, several Gator Nursing alumni were honored with the prestigious Nightingale Awards, setting a new standard of excellence at UF Health and the UF College of Nursing alumni community:
Individual Nightingale Awards:
- Genevieve Banaag (BSN 2016) — Community Leadership Award
- Jamie Dees (MSN 2014) — Nurse Leaders of the Year Award
- Cindy Westbrook (BSN 1987) — Rose Rivers Chrysalis Award for Evolving Nursing Research
- Nicolle Davis (PhD 2019) — Rose Rivers Award for Excellence in Nursing Research
Nightingale Unit Awards:
- Bonnie Corona (BSN 2005) – UF Health, Unit 82
- Alexandra Coyle (BSN 2022) – UF Health, Unit 11-4
- Staccie Allen (BSN 2003, MSN 2014, DNP 2018) – UF Health ShandsCair
- Paul Jensen (BSN 2022) – UF Health, Unit 57
- Guillermo Beuses (BSN 2018) – UF Health Transplant Services
- Ronald Cabrera-Perez (BSN 2019) – UF Health Florida Surgical Center & UF Health Children’s Surgical Center
- Dalton King (BSN 2018) – UF Health Cath Lab/Electrophysiology lab
- Christina Copti (BSN 2003) – UF Health Physicians
- Nandini Dataram (BSN 2022) – UF Health Physicians
Robert Nicholas Donofrio (MSN 1974)
Robert Nicholas Donofrio (MSN 1974) graduated from UF after serving seven years as an Air Force medic. Upon graduation, Donofrio accepted a commission as a Navy Nurse Corps officer. At that time, Florida did not recognize licenses for nurse practitioners. In 1979, he earned a Master of Science in Mental Health from Troy University and was grandfathered in as a licensed ARNP in Florida, subsequently being assigned as a pediatric nurse practitioner in the Navy.
In 1990, Donofrio retired from the Navy as a lieutenant commander. He was later grandfathered in as a psychiatric nurse practitioner by the state of Florida and Florida Medicaid with the establishment of those credentials. In 1991, Donofrio joined the nursing faculty as an assistant professor at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.
In 1998 he returned to community health care as a private contractor with Health Systems Consultants, Inc., until his retirement from nursing in 2014. Donofrio has served as a board member of several organizations in both the private and nonprofit sectors and volunteered with numerous groups, including the USO from 2007 to 2017, and POE in Action, Inc. from 2004 to the present.
For the past decade, Donofrio has volunteered in the Northwest Florida Panhandle as a life skills coach and has taught tai chi at local community centers. He engages in his spiritual path at the Pensacola Dieu De Buddhist Temple and is known as a compassionate community activist dedicated to relieving the suffering of others.
Cathy L. Campbell, PhD, RN & Toni L. Glover, PhD, GNP-BC, ACHPN
Cathy L. Campbell, PhD, RN, (BSN 1986, MSN 2000, PhD 2004) with the University of Virginia School of Nursing and Toni L. Glover, PhD, GNP-BC, ACHPN, (BSN 2008, MSN 2009, PhD 2013) with the Oakland University School of Nursing were selected for the 2024 American Academy of Nursing Class of Fellows. The inductees will be recognized for their substantial and sustained impact on health and health care at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place in Washington, D.C., this fall.
Ranata Simmons (BSN 2003)
Ranata Simmons (BSN 2003) was selected to serve as the secretary of the UF Association of Military Alumni Board of Directors. The UF Association of Military Alumni connects the worldwide network of current/former members of the Department of Defense.
Michaela Lord Uanino (BSN 2012)
Michaela Lord Uanino (BSN 2012) was named the Wellington Regional Medical Center’s director of staff development. Born and raised in South Florida, Michaela has worked in the ICU and stepdown units at hospitals in Palm Beach County as a registered nurse since graduating from UF. Michaela began her career at Wellington Regional Medical Center in 2021 as a clinical educator for hospital-wide programs, streamlining the process for new hire orientation, novice residency program, onboarding, and preceptor classes. In 2023, she transferred into the critical care/emergency department educator role, where she has managed the critical care class and education programs for the ICU, stepdown, and emergency departments. Michaela has been active in the local community, serving as president for the AACN Palm Beach County in 2022-23. She holds certifications in critical care and stroke care and is an advocate for others to pursue certification in their specialties.
