Sandra J. Cadena currently serves as a Professor at the Universidad el Bosque. She has been employed as a psychiatric advanced practice psychiatric nurse practitioner and professor of nursing and public health for over 35 years.

As her career and wisdom evolved, she worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in partial hospitalizations programs and was the founding Director of the Homeless Mentally Ill Project. Dr. Cadena later established one of the first nurse practitioner run private practices in the United States and practiced independently for 16 years.

Dr. Cadena has taught at several state and private universities since 1986. Her program of research has focused on international community mental health programs and domestic violence in vulnerable populations. She has completed three Fulbright programs in Central and South America and published over 20 articles and book chapters. Dr. Cadena’s variety of positions and experiences, always focused on vulnerable populations, include teaching in academia, serving as the founding Director of a Global Health Nursing program and as an Assistant Dean, successful business owner, independent practice service provider in the community and prisons, as well as leadership positions in Sigma Theta Tau, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and Board member and Director of the Florida Nurses Association.