Dr. Jorge Valdes is the Interim Chair of the Department of Nurse Anesthetist Practice and Clinical Associate Professor for the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Dr. Valdes has over $300k in funded projects including grants from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). As a clinical faculty, Dr. Valdes champions student education as well as mentoring minorities. He believes in giving students the extra motivation they need as they enter the field of nursing anesthesia – a career where students need both stomach and heart to succeed, he says.
Dr. Valdes is known for the interactive, instructive activities he sets up in class to teach students about nurse anesthesiology. For example, in his introductory class to pharmacology in nurse anesthesia, he utilizes props to show how drugs create their effect on the body. Students roleplay different drugs with signs, hats and chairs. By the end of the assignment, students learn about drug efficacy and the relationships that drug receptors and neurotransmitters have with neuromuscular drugs in a memorable, engaging way.
Moreover, Dr. Valdes takes pride in FIU’s role in increasing minority representation in health care. As a Cuban American who works in the field himself, he says that training the university’s diverse student body in nursing anesthesia helps reduce health inequalities and inequities.
Dr. Valdes served as chair of the diversity and inclusion committee for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists from 2017-2020. He has published numerous articles on nursing anesthesia practices as well as decreasing health disparities. Valdes raises awareness for those who he feels may be overlooked in the industry, such as nurse anesthetists who want to practice independently and those who are recovering drug addicts and wish to re-enter the practice.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Miami, his Master of Nurse Anesthesia from Mayo School of health Sciences, and his Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Miami.
research interests
Cultural Diversity in Healthcare Cultural Sensitivity in Clinical Setting Diversity in Education Nurse Anesthesiology
