LOS ANGELES, Calif. — September 2026 — Dr. Jonathan V. Llamas, DNP, PMHNP-BC. CGNC, FACHDM, FISQua, FRSPH, FIMHPP, has been named one of The Nurses Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Honorees for 2026, a national recognition celebrating 40 nurse leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs under the age of 40 who are contributing to nursing and healthcare.
The 40 Under 40 Nurses Awards recognize professionals whose work spans clinical practice, leadership, education, research, healthcare innovation, public health, and entrepreneurship. The 2026 honorees will be recognized during The Nurses Magazine Symposium & Awards, taking place October 22–24, 2026, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
For Llamas, the recognition marks a milestone in a nursing career that has evolved from emergency and critical care nursing to psychiatric-mental health practice, leadership, education, mentorship, and advocacy.
“I’m truly grateful and honored to be recognized alongside an incredible group of nurses who are making a difference in their own ways and helping move our profession forward,” said Llamas. “I’m thankful for everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way, and above all, I thank God for continuing to guide my path and giving me the opportunity to serve others through a profession that means so much to me.”
Llamas is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than a decade of nursing experience spanning emergency, critical care, and inpatient and outpatient psychiatric nursing. His work focuses on mental health care while extending into nursing leadership, education, mentorship, quality improvement, and advocacy.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Coast University and his Doctor of Nursing Practice from Loma Linda University. As part of his doctoral work, Llamas implemented the LOWLINE model, a quality-improvement initiative that trained nurses in evidence-based approaches to safely de-escalate patients during behavioral emergencies and reduce reliance on physical restraints.
His professional involvement has also included nursing leadership and mentorship. From 2019 to 2025, Llamas served as President of the West Coast University Alumni Association Los Angeles Chapter, where he participated in initiatives supporting students, alumni, and scholarship opportunities for undergraduate nursing students.
He currently contributes to professional organizations through committee service and mentorship, including the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses and the Society of Internationally Educated Nurses and Nursing Allies. He also serves as an Early Cohort Mentor through the LifeStance Health APRN Mentorship Program, supporting the professional development of early-career psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Llamas is also the founder of Mind & Heart™ and Mind & Heart Academy, initiatives focused on mental health education, mentorship, advocacy, and professional collaboration. He serves as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Content Expert for Nurse.org and has contributed clinical expertise to mental health education and awareness initiatives.
His previous professional recognition includes honors from nursing, healthcare, academic, and community organizations, including Nurse.org, ABC7, West Coast University, Loma Linda University, and U.S. News & World Report.
For Llamas, the 40 Under 40 recognition also reflects the people who have influenced his career.
“My wife, family, mentors, colleagues, patients, and the many people I’ve had the privilege of learning from have all been part of this journey,” Llamas said. “I’m grateful for how far I’ve come, but even more grateful that I still genuinely love what I do. That will always mean more to me than any recognition ever could.”
Llamas will join fellow 40 Under 40 honorees from across the country at The Nurses Magazine Symposium & Awards in Orlando this October.
About Dr. Jonathan V. Llamas
Dr. Jonathan V. Llamas is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than a decade of nursing experience spanning clinical care, nursing leadership, education, mentorship, quality improvement, and mental health advocacy. He is the founder of Mind & Heart™ and Mind & Heart Academy and is involved in professional service and mentorship initiatives supporting nurses and psychiatric-mental health professionals.
About The Nurses Magazine 40 Under 40 Nurses Awards
The 40 Under 40 Nurses Awards is a national recognition program presented by The Nurses Magazine honoring 40 nurse leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs under the age of 40. The 2026 class will be celebrated during The Nurses Magazine Symposium & Awards, October 22–24, 2026, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
