ACOs have been called "the hottest three-letter word in healthcare."
Comprised of groups of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers who come together voluntarily to give high-quality care to their Medicare patients, accountable care organizations are designed to deliver high-quality care while helping quell the steeply rising costs of healthcare. Read More
As healthcare reform accelerates and accountability measures solidify, the role of the case manager in home care has taken on greater importance and urgency.
The Affordable Care Act has put more pressure on hospitals to control costs, improve transitions to home care and prevent readmissions. All of these things take a new level of coordination, which has opened the door for case managers. Read More
CONTACT: Gretchen Wright or Jonathan Padget
202/371-1999
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Jersey Nursing Initiative,
Focused on Ending Nurse Faculty Shortage, Graduates 20 Scholars
Trenton, N.J.—New Jersey’s staggering 10.5 percent vacancy rate for nurse faculty does not bode well for the health and health care of Garden State residents. Not having enough faculty to teach future nursing students could result in fewer nurses to care for aging and at-risk populations. This, in turn, could lead to poor health outcomes and higher health care costs for New Jersey.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI), which is working hard to change that dire scenario, today announced the graduation of 20 RWJF New Jersey Nursing Scholars with advanced degrees that prepare them to serve as nurse faculty. The 20 scholars have earned their master of science in nursing (MSN) degrees with support from NJNI with the goal of becoming nurse faculty in New Jersey.
NJNI is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project of RWJF and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The program provides generous benefits and support to help RWJF New Jersey Nursing Scholars complete their advanced degree studies. Upon graduation, scholars have the opportunity to receive financial incentives if they become faculty members at schools of nursing in the state.
“The RWJF New Jersey Nursing Scholars represent tomorrow’s leaders, and we are so proud of them,” said NJNI Program Director Susan Bakewell-Sachs, PhD, RN, PNP-BC. “Including this current class, we have now graduated a total of 38 scholars, and many of them are already filling key faculty roles, mentoring their peers, and serving as role models for the next generation of nursing students. Thanks to their talent and dedication, the future is already looking brighter.” Bakewell-Sachs is interim provost of The College of New Jersey.
The goal of NJNI is to increase the number of nurse faculty in the state, so there will be enough nurses to meet the health care needs of New Jersey residents. The Faculty Preparation Program is a key part of NJNI’s strategy. It has awarded $13.5 million in grants to New Jersey-based nursing programs and education collaboratives, and is supporting a total of 61 New Jersey Nursing Scholars who are completing (or have completed) master’s or doctoral degrees.
The 20 graduating New Jersey Nursing Scholars are:
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Jamie Boman, BSN, RN, MSN
Christine Brewer, BSN, RN, MSN
Catherine Carlton, BSN, RN, MSN
Diane Cukrow, BSN, RN, MSN
Marjory Desulme, BSN, RN, MSN
Tony Malek, BSN, RN, CBN, MSN
Janice McConnon, BSN, RN, MSN
Grace Qarmout, BSN, RN, MSN
Kean University
Laura Zakresy, BSN, RN, MSN
Monmouth University
Nancy Flood, BSN, RN, MSN
Karen Hoary, BSN, RN, MSN
Richard Stockton University
Marlin Gross, BSN, RN, MSN
Stephanie Henson, BSN, RN, MSN
The College of New Jersey
Caitlin Fett Werther, BSN, RN, MSN
Alexander Manning, BSN, RN, MSN
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Tammy Cooper, BSN, RN-BC, MSN
Renee Kurz, BSN, RN, MSN
Nancy Mills, BSN, RN, MSN
Shelby Pitts, BSN, RN, MSN
William Paterson University
Ruta Brazaitis, BSN, RN, MSN
Many faculty members at New Jersey nursing schools are approaching retirement, and there are not enough nurses in the pipeline to fill the positions. In addition, relatively few practicing nurses have the qualifications to teach. All nurse faculty in New Jersey must hold at least a master’s degree in nursing.
To help encourage others to consider nurse faculty careers, NJNI recently launched WeTeachNursingNJ.com, a website providing important resources and information about what a career as nurse faculty involves and the pathway to that career.
For more information, visit www.NJNI.org.
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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable, and timely change. For 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter www.rwjf.org/twitter or Facebook www.rwjf.org/facebook.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization based in Trenton. Created in 1911, the State Chamber
Reflective practice can be defined as reflecting on experiences in order to critically evaluate what you do well and how you might improve your personal nursing practice. It involves the process of critical thinking.
Nursing students are encouraged to perform reflective practice throughout their nursing education; in fact, reflective practice is often a formal component of nursing education in the form of journaling or other forms of writing that are evaluated by nursing instructors. Read More
Nineteen RNs from around the state will be honored next month as 2012 Diva and Don award winners by the Institute for Nursing, the foundation of the New Jersey State Nurses Association.
A gala awards ceremony, which recognizes RNs for their extraordinary contributions to the profession, will take place Oct. 24 at Bally’s Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. Read More