The School of Nursing recognizes the critical contributions that preceptors make to advance student learning through a Preceptor of the Month Award as well as the annual Helen Martin Preceptor Award.
Preceptor of the Month Award
The Preceptor of the Month Award recognizes an exceptional preceptor who consistently and effectively contributes to UCSF nursing students’ clinical education.
Kara Ramos, PNP, is the school's March 2024 Preceptor of the Month. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, she has practiced pediatric primary care at the Daly City Clinic for four years.
“I started precepting in 2022, and love giving back to the NP community,” Ramos said. “It’s wonderful to watch students grow, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to really immerse students in primary care!”
Mary Anne Israel, the specialty coordinator for the UCSF School of Nursing's Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care specialty, said: “Each of the students Kara has precepted has given specific praise of Kara's excellent clinical teaching, especially in the realm of building a differential. She creates an environment where the student is able to think critically as she provides education and guidance as they develop their diagnosis and treatment plan. She has also been recognized by the students for the high-quality compassionate care she provides her patients.”
Ross Theriot, PNP student, commented: "Kara is spectacular. She challenged me to determine what clinical skills I was developing and helped me to scaffold them to mastery. She allowed me to gain autonomy in all aspects of care with thoughtful and reflective supervision. While working with a patient population experiencing high levels of stress, trauma and inequity, she modeled interacting with warmth and trauma-informed care that creates a safe space for culturally concordant care.”
February 2024 Preceptor of the Month: Andrea McDade
Andrea McDade, DNP, PMHNP, is the February 2024 Preceptor of the Month. McDade practices at RAMS Adult Outpatient Clinic, a community mental health center in San Francisco’s Richmond District. She has precepted PMHNP students for the last three years. Jane Abanes, specialty co-coordinator of the PMHNP specialty, noted that "the program greatly appreciates Andrea's clinical knowledge and commitment to student learning. She is an invaluable part of the success of the PMHNP specialty."
"I precept because I love to see students' enthusiasm for the mental health field and watch them grow throughout the year as they work with our clients,” McDade said. “I had incredible experiences with my preceptors during NP school and want to pass that onto future generations of providers.”
Alumnus Josephine Sara Chang commented: “Andrea McDade is one of the best nurse practitioners and one of the best preceptors I’ve met. She demonstrates client-centered care, and she is responsible, knowledgeable and resourceful. She has great communication and teaching skills and tailors her teaching around her students.”
Alumnus Caitlin Ann Miyazaki added: “Andrea is very supportive and encouraging. She emphasizes that there isn’t often one ‘right’ treatment decision, rather numerous paths that can be taken. She used her own expertise to help guide me, but really allowed me to make my own decisions in preparation for being an independently practicing NP.”
January 2024 Preceptor of the Month: Grace Moore Lee
Grace Moore Lee, MS ‘14, FNP-C, practices primary care across the lifespan at the Daly City Health Center, an ambulatory clinic of the San Mateo Medical Center. She is also a sexual assault nurse examiner for San Mateo County. She has been a committed preceptor for the FNP specialty since 2019.
“We appreciate Grace's warm, supportive and encouraging precepting approach, while also giving the students the space to practice independence and learn new skills,” FNP faculty members said. “We have heard repeatedly from students how much they appreciate Grace's approach to precepting as well as how knowledgeable and skilled she is as a nurse practitioner. We feel so lucky to have Grace to support the training of UCSF FNP students to provide high-quality primary care services!"
"I am so grateful for the preceptors that enriched my nursing education, and I want to support the learning of future FNPs,” Lee said. “I find the precepting experience pushes me to be a better and more inquisitive NP. It is incredibly rewarding to witness the growth of each student over the course of the year."
FNP student Debbie Landis, RN, added: “Grace makes me feel comfortable asking questions and shares her knowledge without judgement, which only advances my learning and confidence as a student learning the role of being a capable provider. She takes the day on with a sense of calm and genuine care, which fosters trust and a connection with all the patients we see. She is most definitely a role model and inspiration to me of the kind of provider I hope to be in the future.”
See the list of Preceptors of the Month from 2021 and 2023.
Helen Martin Preceptor Award
The Helen Martin Award for Excellence in Clinical Precepting is presented annually to honor preceptors for the valuable role they play in developing master's and post-master's students' clinical skills. The award is given in memory of Helen Martin, MS, RN, FNP (pictured above), who was an assistant professor at the School of Nursing and clinical director of the UCSF-supported Valencia Health Services.
Past recipients:
- Sherri Borden and Margaret Kray (2023)
- Amelia Baurmann (2022)
- Mark Thomas, MS, RN, PNP and Christine Kelly, FNP-BC (2021)
- Karen Sprague, MS, FNP (2020)
- Adam Leonard, MS, MPH, CPNP-PC (2019)
- Michelle Buchholz, MS, BSN, FNP (2018)
- Maureen Sheehan, RN, MSN, CPNP (2017)
- Shirley Banks, RN, MS, FNP (2016)
- Ann Reppun, MS, RN, ANP, WHNP (2015)
- Kathleen Ryan, RN, FNP (2014)
- Steve Leiner, MS, RN, FNP (2013)
- Laurie Galaty, MS, RN, CNM, NP (2013)