Summary
Vania Carter-Strauss, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, is a Lecturer II, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Director of Latinx Nursing Advocacy & Advancement at the University of Nevada, Reno Orvis School of Nursing (OSN). A two-time Nevada alumna and first-generation college graduate, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2004 and Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, in 2011. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Carter-Strauss began her nursing career in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Renown Regional Medical Center before becoming a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Her clinical background includes pulmonary and vascular medicine, wound care, geriatrics and dementia care. At the Sanford Center for Aging, in partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, she worked within an interdisciplinary team caring for older adults with complex geriatric and dementia syndromes.
Since joining OSN faculty in 2020, Carter-Strauss has taught across undergraduate and graduate nursing programs while remaining actively engaged in clinical practice, community health, and advocacy. Her work focuses on supporting first-generation and Latinx nursing students, strengthening pathways into the nursing profession, and preparing nurses to advocate for the patients and communities they serve.
As Director of Latinx Nursing Advocacy & Advancement, Carter-Strauss leads initiatives centered on mentorship, student belonging, workforce representation, community engagement, and culturally responsive nursing education. She also serves as Co-Chair of Alianza, the University's Latinx, Chicanx, and Indigenous faculty and staff organization, and contributes to the University's Hispanic-Serving Institution efforts.
Her community-based clinical work focuses on reducing barriers to care for underserved, uninsured, Spanish-speaking, and other vulnerable populations. Through grant-funded and community partnerships, she provides bilingual APRN-led health services while creating clinical learning opportunities for future nurse practitioners.
Carter-Strauss is also passionate about bringing health education beyond traditional clinical and academic settings. She serves as health correspondent for the Spanish-language segment Pulso de Salud on Telemundo, providing practical, evidence-based health information to Northern Nevada's Spanish-speaking community. Her broader advocacy work spans nursing workforce development, community health, public policy and media engagement.
Her scholarly interests include nursing education, culturally responsive mentorship, multicultural self-efficacy, Latinx nursing workforce development, health equity, community health and nursing advocacy. Her doctoral work focuses on faculty development to enhance multicultural self-efficacy in supporting Latinx nursing students.
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Carter-Strauss, V. (2026). Supporting undocumented nursing students: A narrative review. Creative Nursing, 32(3), 414–421.
- Carter-Strauss, V. (2026). How my mother's mole recipe saved my doctoral project. Nevada Today.
- Carter-Strauss, V. (2026). From the clinic to the capital: The unexpected joys of advocacy. Nevada Today.
- Carter-Strauss, V. (2026, April). From the Clinic to the Capitol: How One Nurse Found Her Voice in Advocacy. [Podium presentation]. Nevada Diversity Summit, University of Nevada, Reno.
Grants and Community Initiatives
- Nevada Resilient Initiative - Co-Investigator and Family Nurse Practitioner. Grant-funded community health initiative providing accessible, bilingual APRN-led care to underserved populations in Northern Nevada. Serves as both Co-Investigator and practicing clinician, providing direct patient care and clinical education for nurse practitioner students through community-based partnerships.
Selected Leadership and Service
- Director, Latinx Nursing Advocacy & Advancement, Orvis School of Nursing, 2024–present
- Co-Chair, Alianza, University of Nevada, Reno, 2024–present; member 2021–present
- Hispanic-Serving Institution Taskforce, University of Nevada, Reno, 2024–present
- Didactic Consistency Taskforce, Orvis School of Nursing, 2024–present
- Clinical Coordinator Committee, Orvis School of Nursing, 2025–present
- Faculty Evaluation Committee, Orvis School of Nursing, 2026 - present
- LOA Faculty Peer Evaluation Committee, Orvis School of Nursing, 2025–present
- National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 2025–present
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 2011–present
- Nevada Advanced Practice Nurses Association, 2015–present; Legislative Liaison, 2017–2019
Selected Awards and Recognition
- OSN Most Outstanding Service Award, 2026
- Nevada Nurses of Achievement, Community and Rural Health (Nominee), 2026
- Daisy Award (Nominee), 2026
- OSN Most Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award (Nominee), 2026
- OSN Most Inspirational Undergraduate Faculty Award (Nominee), 2026
- OSN Most Outstanding Service Award, 2025
- American Nurses Credentialing Center, Stories of Inspiration, 2025
- Shining Stars of Nursing, 50 Under 50, Nevada Nurses Foundation, 2020
- Shining Stars of Nursing, 50 Under 50, Nevada Nurses Foundation, 2018
- Nevada Nurses of Achievement, Advanced Practice (Nominee), 2018
- Nevada Nurses of Achievement, Advanced Practice (Nominee), 2017
Certifications and Professional Development
- Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2011–2027
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), 2025
- Mental Health First Aid
- Certificate in Interprofessional Geriatrics Care, ICECAP Nevada Program, 2022
- Certificate in Sleep Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, 2015
- Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Certificate in Effective College Instruction, 2020–2021
Selected Media and Public Engagement
- Health correspondent, Telemundo Reno, Pulso de Salud
- Panelist, Northern Nevada Latino Policy Summit, 2026
- Invited guest of U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen at the State of the Union Address, Washington, D.C., 2026
Education
- Doctor of Nursing Practice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas - in progress
- Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, University of Nevada, Reno, 2011
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Nevada, Reno, 2004