Mary Beth Flynn Makic, PhD, RN, CCNS, CCRN-K, FAAN, FNAP FCNS is a professor and specialty director of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Program at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. Makic is the research scientist at Denver Health and previously held the position of research nurse scientist, critical care, at the University of Colorado Hospital from 2008-2015 and held a clinical nurse specialist position from 1996-2008.

Dr. Makic was nominated by a student for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty:

"I have had the privilege of having Dr. Mary Beth Makic as my program director and instructor for the past year. During this time, she has demonstrated incredible interpersonal skills, professional knowledge, a passion for teaching, learning, and sharing her knowledge and experiences with her students in ways that are engaging and support learning in the challenging COVID-19 environment. All the clinical preceptors I have worked with have sung praises about Dr. Makic, specifically her ability to teach and lead students into their future Advance Practice Nurse (APN) roles. Dr. Makic's ability to read a room or a person affords her the ability to support us and encourage us in the way we need to feel challenged but not overwhelmed. She consistently requests feedback from her students and colleagues so that she can adjust, accommodate, and transform her teaching style in ways that support our unique learning needs.

Dr. Makic has been a role model and mentor for me and others in multiple ways. She serves on the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) board of directors and volunteers for several activities within the AACN. Her enthusiasm as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is infectious. She is actively engaged in research to improve patient outcomes, dispel traditions in practice that are not evidence-based, and has led initiatives to reduce pressure ulcers and hospital-acquired infections. She practices what she preaches and in doing so motivates her students to want to be like her in those aspects - working toward the evidence-based improvement of patient care, enhancing nursing practices/environment, and increasing efficiency at the system level. Her passion for nursing is evident in how she prepares lessons, gives lectures, invites guest speakers, provides relevant articles/resources to enhance our learning, and in how she motivates us to become thoughtful, research savvy nurses.

The transition to online learning required Dr. Makic to adapt her teaching platform to ensure we were still getting the interactive information needed to be successful. Even though the course has been forced to be heavily online, the enthusiasm and joy were and are always present from Dr. Makic and her team.  As she helps cultivate and mentor us, she also encourages us to be a part of organizations such as the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) and to grow professionally by submitting our work to create poster presentations for professional conferences. Furthermore, she has offered her assistance and expertise to review and provide feedback for her students as we develop our abstracts and poster submissions.

Dr. Makic has displayed incredible care and kindness towards her students. One personal example is from this summer semester when my dad was diagnosed with Stage III pancreatic cancer. This was a shock to our family. I live here in Colorado and he lives in Missouri. I shared this information with Dr. Makic to let her know that depending on how things went for him, I may need extra help and time. She was very gracious and understanding. She shared her own personal experience of her dad's battle with cancer. She was sincere, let me know she was there to help, and if I needed anything at all to reach out. Her kindness and consistency of character have been an incredible encouragement to me. With that said, each student brings unique knowledge to the CON's CNS program in addition to their individual challenges. Some students require more attention than others to grasp concepts or complete work depending on home life or ability to process information. Without exception, Dr. Makic understands we are all individuals who face various personal and professional challenges. Her door is continuously open, and she provides the opportunity to seek help and support academically to succeed. Nowhere else have I had such a caring and compassionate program director and team to support and adapt my learning or the learning of my peers. It goes to show the commitment Dr. Makic (and the team) has to the program, the purpose of the CNS, and the future of healthcare.

Furthermore, Dr. Makic sparked interest in us and our projects early in the program. Her goal and the team's goal of having us successfully understand the CNS competencies and steps of implementing EBP into practice were apparent early and frequently in the program. Dr. Makic would find time to check in with us, give us advice on ways to proceed, and support us when we needed someone to lean on through challenging situations at school, in our personal lives, or our jobs. She genuinely believes in what she does and uses her enthusiasm to create future CNSs and leaders.

Additionally, Dr. Makic is very aware of disparities in health care, the need for us as students to be culturally aware and sensitive, and has discussed many times the need for fairness, equitable treatment for all our patients. Our curriculum has a specific focus in these areas, and she invites lecturers with expertise in cultural and ethical issues to share with us and help us grow in our holistic understanding of patients.

Finally, Dr. Makic, as a CU College of Nursing alumna, has an extensive network of individuals and organizations in which she partners and collaborates. This has especially been a massive benefit to myself and other Active Duty military colleagues. As military members, we do not have connections with the local hospital facilities and Dr. Makic has been vital in connecting us with organizations that support the direction of our practice once we graduate and enter back into the military system. Her support in this manner has been truly unmatched. 

Thank you for the opportunity to share my nomination of Dr. Makic and express my humble gratitude for all her continued care, support, encouragement, motivation, and expertise from which I have had the privilege to both witness and benefit.