Heidi L. Benavides, MSN, RN, CMSRN
Assistant Professor/Clinical
I joined the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing faculty in August 2014 and previously from 2009-2011. I am a U.S. Air Force veteran and served from 1993-1999. I received an A.D.N. in 2006 from Trident Technical College and a M.S.N. in 2008 from the Medical University of South Carolina. I am originally from New Hampshire, but after a combination of being active duty and a military spouse for 22 years, my family and I have grown roots here in San Antonio, Texas. My nursing background includes medical-surgical, solid organ transplant, long-term care/skilled nursing, ortho/neuro, & rehabilitation. I am passionate about integrating plant-based nutrition and other lifestyle practices to prevent, manage, and cure chronic disease. My previous teaching experience includes Health Assessment, Foundations of Nursing, Professional Socialization, Leadership & Management, Immersion, and Medical-Surgical Nursing. I am a faculty advisor for the Student Association. I am currently a full-time doctoral student at Baylor University.
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Professional Background
Education
- 2008 - Master of Science in Nursing-Nurse Educator - Nursing Education - Medical University of South Carolina
- 2006 - Associate Degree of Nursing - Nursing - Trident Technical College
- 1999 - Associate degree - Allied Health Science, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, AL
Highlights
Licensures and Certifications
- Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate
- Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse
- Registered Nurse - Texas Board of Nursing
Honors and Awards
- 2021 Nominated Best 25 Nurses of South-Central Texas 2021: The San Antonio Nursing Consortium
- 2020 PURSUE Award, $1385,00
Appointments
- 2016 - Clinical Assistant Professor - UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2014 - Clinical Assistant Professor - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Health Restoration and Care Systems Management, San Antonio, TX
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Instruction & Training
- 2020 - present, NURS 3304: Pharmacotherapeutics, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2020 , NURS 3273: Health Assessment & Promotion, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2015 - Present, NURS 4311: Care of Adult I : Theoretical Foundations, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2015 - Present, NURS4230 Leadership & Management, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2014 - Present, NURS 4316: Care of Adult II: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2014 - present, NURS 4314: Care of Adult I: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
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Research & Grants
Completed Research/Projects:
- 2014, Funder: Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning. Dollars: $2,402.54. Title: Community Health Screening. Role: Primary Investigator
- 2012, Funder: Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning. Dollars: $5,000. Title: Community Health Screenings. Role: Primary Investigator
- 2012, Funder: AmeriCorps Training Grant. Dollars: $3,000. Title: Living Healthy: Impacting Your Community. Role: Primary Investigator
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Service
Institutional
- 2021-Present, UTHSCSA Implemented Green Wellness Program: Plants-2-Plate at the Wellness 360 clinic billing $42,695.06 over 3 months; collected $12,421.24 over 3 three months using Shared Medical Appointments (SMA). Nineteen participants in 2 cohorts. A third cohort with 15 participants started in January 2022.
- 07/2020-Present, UTHSCSA Nursing Student Association Faculty Advisor
- 2015-Present, UTHSCSA, Assessment and Evaluation Committee, Member
- 2019-2021, UTHSCSA, Committee on Faculty and Student Matters (COFSM), Chair
Service to the Profession
- 2021 Author Decreasing COVID-19 Risk Factors for Older Adults Using Digital Technology to Implement a Plant-Based Diet: An Opinion, JMIR Aging. Vol 4, No 3.
- 2020 - Present, Volunteer UT Health San Antonio COVID-19 Vaccination site. Assisted in vaccination administration to UT Health San Antonio Faculty, staff, students and community members
- 2019 - Present, Volunteer Encompass Hospice Volunteer. 6-12 hours per month volunteering as a companion with a local hospice company growing their veteran to veteran program.
- 2019-Present, Volunteer Hospice Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer, UTHSCSA. Provide companionship for individuals at Encompass Home Health. The focus will be on veteran-to-veteran partnerships.
Professional Affiliations (memberships)
- 2020-Present American Holistic Nursing Association
- 2019-Present Academy of Medical Surgical Nursing Organization.
Community
- 2011 - Present, Reviewer, Nurse Planner: Diabetes Care at School: Bridging the Gap
- 2011 - Present, Reviewer, Nurse Planner: Recognizing and Preventing DKA in the School Setting
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Publications
- 2022, Green Wellness Program: Plants-2-Plate, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing Scholarship Committee, San Antonio, TX
- 2021, Rethinking Medicine with Nutrition as First Line Management, UT Health San Antonio School of Medicine Culinary Medicine Lecture, San Antonio, TX
- 2020, Whole Food Plant-Based Diet: Preventing & Reversing Obesity & Related Diseases, UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center: Cancer Prevention and Screening Committee, San Antonio, TX
- 2019, Benefits of Texas Nurses Association Membership, Texas Nurses Association District 8, San Antonio, TX (Invited Speaker)
- 2018, Keep Your Future Nurses Communicating! Encouraging Positive Clinical Outcomes with Post-Conference Bedside Hand-Off, The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses International Forum: Oceans of Opportunity: Evidence-Based Practice to Improve Quality and Safety in Education and Practice, NURSING, QSEN, Bonita Springs, FL (Sole Presenter). Details: In September 2017, The Joint Commission released Sentinel Event Alert 58: Inadequate Hand-Off Communication. Nursing programs may have challenges assessing student competencies of clear, effective communication. Nursing students should have the opportunity to provide bedside hand-off to evaluate the QSEN competency Teamwork & Collaboration, and AACN Essential VI competency, Incorporating Effective Communication Techniques to Optimize Patient Outcomes. Students need preparation on the critical information needed for an effective hand-off transfer and acceptance of patient care responsibility. In a medical-surgical clinical course, do nursing students who practice bedside hand-off, meet the objectives of incorporating effective communication techniques? All students participated in bedside hand-off post-clinical conference. Ninety-six percent of the students met the QSEN competencies “follow communication practices that minimize risks associated with hand-off report” as well as the AACN Essential VI “incorporating effective communication techniques to optimize patient outcomes”. Students stated they appreciated the opportunity to practice the skills needed to improve patient care outcomes and their own communication techniques. In addition, students stated practicing among their peers felt safe if they make mistakes. Integration of the assignment into nursing education would require faculty development, stressing the significance of how the assignment assists students with optimizing patient care outcomes.
- 2018, Texas Nurses Association District 8 Membership, Transition to Practice, Texas Nurses Association District 8, San Antonio, TX (Panel)
- 2017, Post Clinical Conference Hand-Off Report: Incorporating Effective Communication Techniques and Utilizing Priority Frameworks with Patient Care Assignments, National Nurse Educator Summit, ATI, Orlando, FL (Sole Presenter)
Presentations
Invited Podium Presentations (i. e. keynotes presentations)