Faculty

Lecturer Caroline M. Griffin’s nursing career began in 1998 in the rural Andes of Ecuador, where she volunteered for two years with the Peace Corps just after earning her BSN. Back in the U.S., Griffin worked as a bedside nurse in a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient settings before earning her MSN and Family Nurse Practitioner certificate, volunteering again during her training at health clinics in Guatemala. As a Family Nurse Practitioner in east-central Florida, she provided care mainly to the underserved, especially Spanish-speaking populations. In 2016, Griffin traveled to Haiti, where she volunteered alongside a local physician providing care to in remote areas of the country. Recognizing the pressing need for mental health services in Florida and the impact of mental health on physical health, Griffin earned her DNP and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certificate and served for four years as a PMHNP for four years before joining the UCF faculty in early 2024. She remains a dedicated volunteer, traveling to Guatemala annually with Nursing Heart, Inc. to provide care to underserved communities and mentor other nurse-volunteers.

Education

• DNP, University of North Florida
• MSN, Florida Atlantic University
• BSN, University of Vermont
• MBA in Healthcare Management, Fitchburg State University

Selected Professional Activities

• American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Florida Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Florida Nurse Practitioner Network

Additional Language(s)

• Spanish