Cyndi Cortes

Professor

Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing

1535 CHS Building 1

Cyndi Cortes firmly believes God equips and prepares us for each step of life’s journey. While working at Children’s Hospital, Cortes developed a love and concern for children and adults with special health care needs and their caregivers. While at Samford University, she helped plan, organize, and implement CampUs, a summer day camp for children with special health care needs. As an “Army brat”, Cortes had the opportunity to experience other cultures and developed an appreciation for diversity. Additionally, Cortes and her husband lived in Mexico for four years and both of their children were born there. “With my red hair, people don’t expect me to speak Spanish or to understand the Hispanic culture, but I do!” said Cortes.

Degrees and Certifications

DrPH, maternal child health concentration, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Post-master's certificate, pediatric primary care, University of Alabama at Birmingham
MSN, pediatric nursing, developmental disabilities concentration, University of Alabama at Birmingham
MRE, religious education, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
BSN with Spanish minor, Ida Moffett School of Nursing, Samford University
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care (CPNP-PC)
Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN)
Certified Online Instructor (COI)

Expertise

Children with special health care needs
Preparation of congregational health promoters
Global studies
Migrant farm workers
Interprofessional education
Quality of life as outcome measure
Pediatric rehabilitation nursing

Awards and Honors

Fulbright Scholar Program, Discipline Peer Reviewer
State of Alabama Independent Living Council, appointed by governor
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
Community Foundation Grant. Chandler Mountain Farm Worker Projects. Collins, A., Cortes, C., & Shelton, L. (2015)
Innovative Technology Grant, Samford University. A School-Wide Innovative Technology Initiative: Testing with Alternate Format Items. Cortes, C. & Schlosser, S. P. (2015)
Academic Initiative Grant, Samford University. Summer day camp for children with special health care needs (CSHCN): An interprofessional education opportunity for Samford students and faculty. Cunningham, J., Cortes, C., & Bigham, A. (2013)

Publications

Lundeen, J., Warr, R., Cortes, C. G., Wallis, F., Coleman, J. J. (in press). The development of a clinical peer review tool. Nursing Education Perspectives.
Collins, A. W., Broeseker, A., Cunningham, J., Cortes, C. G., Beall, J., Bigham, A. (in press). A longitudinal online interprofessional education experience involving family nurse practitioner students and pharmacy students. Journal of Interprofessional Care.
Whisenant, D. P., Hill, J., Cortes, C. G., & Holston, J. (2014) Developing a health promotion program for women in rural Jamaica: How we began and implications for practice. International Journal of Nursing, 1(2), 1-10.
Coronica, R. & Cortes, C. G. (2014). Clinical practice guideline for screening, diagnosing, referring and monitoring of cytomegalovirus retinitis. Insight: The Journal of the American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses, 39(4), 5-13.
Whisenant, D. P., Cortes, C. G., & Hill, J. (2013) Is faith-based health promotion effective? Results from two programs. JCN Publish Ahead of Print. Available at www.journalofchristiannursing.com.
Cortes, C. G. (2011). Pediatric Rehabilitation Nursing, In K. Mauk (Ed.), Rehabilitation Nursing. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Cortes, C. G. (2007). Pediatric rehabilitation nursing: Education and certification. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Approach, 1 (1), 51-56.

Presentations

Cortes, C. (2017 – accepted). Faith and Promoting Healthy Behaviors. Health and Human Flourishing: Multidisciplinary Perspectives Conference. LCC International University, Klaipėda, Lithuania.
Cortes, C. (2016). Servicios Para Niños con Necesidades Especiales Médicos. (Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs). Presented to nursing faculty and staff and to occupational therapy faculty, staff, and students. Universidad Centro Médico Bautista, Asunción, Paraguay.
Cortes, C. (2016). Partnering with Community Health Promoters and Faith Based Organizations to Provide Hypertension Management in Haiti: An Innovative Practice Model. American Association of Nurse Practitioners Annual Conference. San Antonio, Texas. (accepted)
Cortes, C. (2016). A Pilot Study to Incorporate Interprofessional Education with FNP Students in an Online Program and Pharmacy Students in a Traditional Program Using a Blended Approach. AACN Mater’s Education Conference, Houston, Texas; (2015) Armstrong InterProfessional Health Care Summit, Savannah, Georgia.
Cortes, C. (2016). Learning About Professional Roles and Correcting Misinformation Through IPE Experiences. AACN Mater’s Education Conference, Houston, Texas.
Schlosser, S. P., McDaniel, G. S., & Cortes, C. G. (2015). Writing Boot Camp: Developing Written Communication Competency in Graduate Nursing Students. NLN Summit, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Whisenant, D. W. & Cortes, C. G. (2015). Interprofessional Process for Developing Community Health Promoter Curriculum in Haiti.Armstrong InterProfessional Health Care Summit, Savannah, Georgia.
Cortes, C. G., Whisenant, D. P., & Hill, J. (2014). Self-reported health education needs of residents in the West Region of Haiti. Nursing Leadership in Global Health Symposium. Nashville, Tennessee.
Bigham, A., Cunningham, J., Collins, A., & Cortes, C. (2013). Advancing the Nation’s Health Through Interprofessional Collaboration: Strategies for Graduate Nursing Education. ALN Annual Meeting. Jacksonville, Alabama.
Cortes, C. G., Collins, A. W., & Cunningham, J. L. (2013). Incorporating Interprofessional Education (IPE) in an Online FNP Program: Phase 1. NONPF 39th Annual Meeting - Nurse Practitioner Education: At the Heart of Health Care, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Cunningham, J. L., Cortes, C. G., Bigham, A., & Collins, A. W. (2013). Interprofessional Education: Strategies for Nurse Practitioner and Pharmacy Students Learning Together. NONPF 39th Annual Meeting - Nurse Practitioner Education: At the Heart of Health Care, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Cortes, C. G., Whisenant, D. P., & Hill, J. (2012). Evaluation of Church Based Weight Loss Programs. Nurses Christian Fellowship International: Quadrennial International Conference, Santiago, Chile.
Whisenant, D. P., Hill, J., & Cortes, C. G. (2012). Rural Jamaican Women's Self Perception of Health and Health Education Needs. Nurses Christian Fellowship International: Quadrennial International Conference, Santiago, Chile.
Cortes, C. G. (2012). A Holistic Approach to Helping Children with Special Needs Transition Smoothly into Adulthood. Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), Nashville, Tennessee.
Collins, A. W., Cortes, C. G., Cunningham, J. L., Holston, J., & Isley, B. (2012). Innovative Clinical Supervision Strategies for Distance Education in Nurse Practitioner Programs. National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, Charleston, South Carolina.
Cortes, C. G. & Whisenant, D. P. (2012). Evaluating the Role of Spirituality in a Weight Loss Program. Third Biennial Innovations in Faith-Based Nursing Conference. Marion, Indiana.
Cortes, C. G. (2012). Respite Care: Care for the Caregiver. Care at the End-of-LifeConference,Alacare Home Health and Hospice, Birmingham, Alabama.
Cortes, C. G. & Whisenant, D. P. (2011). Population Health Management in Action: The Case for Advocacy and Assistance. Alabama Department of Public Health, Office of Women's Health, 4th Annual Women's Health Update, Birmingham, Alabama.
Cunningham, J., Findlay, M., & Cortes, C. (2010). Samford University Mobile Health Van. Sixth Annual Mobile Health Clinics Forum. New Orleans, LA.
Cortes, C. (2009). The Effectiveness of Antegrade Continence Enema (ACE) Procedures on Toileting Independence in the Pediatric Spina Bifida Population. ARN Annual Educational Conference. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Cortes C., Mulvihill B., Redden D. (2008). The Relationship of Medical Homeness to the Quality of Life of Mothers of Children with and without Special Health Care Needs. American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine annual conference.

Involvement