Aug 7, 2012 | Press Releases
CONTACT: Gretchen Wright
202/371-1999
Education Expert to Help Lead New Jersey Nursing Initiative
New Deputy Director Will Support Goal of Ending State’s Nurse Faculty Shortage
Trenton, N.J.—The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI), a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project of RWJF and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation, today announced the appointment of Jennifer Polakowski, MPA, BA, as the organization’s new deputy director.
NJNI’s goal 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. To meet that goal, NJNI is working to transform nurse education in the state.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Polakowski to the New Jersey Nursing Initiative team. Her talent and extensive expertise on education will be tremendous assets in our work to end the state’s potentially crippling nurse faculty shortage,” said NJNI Program Director Susan Bakewell-Sachs, PhD, RN, PNP-BC. Bakewell-Sachs is interim provost of The College of New Jersey.
Polakowski, who spent years in leadership roles with Lawrence Township Public Schools in Lawrenceville, brings considerable education policy experience to NJNI. In addition, she has vast experience building and sustaining partnerships, and with fundraising and grants management.
“It’s an honor for me to join the New Jersey Nursing Initiative,” Polakowski said. “The nurse faculty shortage poses a serious challenge that could affect the state’s families, its businesses and its future. I look forward in coming months to helping get closer to our goal, and making real the organization’s tagline: ‘So a nurse will be there for you.’”
New Jersey’s population is aging and dealing with chronic illnesses, facing an increasingly complex web of health issues that demand a highly knowledgeable and well-prepared nursing workforce. But the Garden State is facing a nurse and nurse faculty shortage of alarming proportions that could severely limit the quality of residents’ health and health care. Through NJNI, talented leaders across the state are focused on the issue and are working to develop innovative solutions to this crisis.
NJNI’s signature Faculty Preparation Program provides support to help RWJF New Jersey Nursing Scholars complete advanced degree studies. The program boasts 61 Scholars earning master’s and doctoral degrees, some of whom have completed the program and are already serving as nurse faculty in the state. NJNI recently launched a new website, www.WeTeachNursingNJ.org, as a resource—the first of its kind in the state—that provides valuable information about a career as a nurse faculty member.
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May 30, 2012 | Press Releases
CONTACT: Gretchen Wright, Johanna Diaz
202/371-1999
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Jersey Nursing Initiative
Launches Website Providing Information on Nurse Faculty Careers
Trenton, NJ—What does being a member of the faculty at a school of nursing involve? What are the requirements to become a nurse faculty member in the Garden State? What are the benefits to choosing this career path? How great is the need for nurse faculty? New Jersey nurses considering this career option now have a new resource—the first of its kind in the state—that provides valuable information about a career as a nurse faculty member. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) today launched WeTeachNursingNJ.com, a website providing important resources and information about what a career as nurse faculty involves and the pathway to that career.
“The job market may not look bright in some industries, but that’s not the case for nurse faculty,” said Susan Bakewell-Sachs, PhD, RN, PNP-BC, program director for NJNI and interim provost of The College of New Jersey. “We have a tremendous long-term need for nurse faculty in New Jersey, and we hope this new website, WeTeachNursingNJ.com, will become a resource for all practicing and prospective nurses considering new careers.”
New Jersey has a staggering 10.5 percent vacancy rate for nurse faculty. If those positions are not filled, nursing schools may have to turn away prospective nursing students, which would exacerbate the shortage of the nurses required meet the state’s growing health care needs. That shortage could have a significant negative effect on the health and health care of New Jersey. Many faculty at New Jersey nursing schools are approaching retirement, and there are not enough people in the pipeline to fill their positions, in part because few practicing nurses have the qualifications necessary to teach. One hurdle for some is the education requirement— candidates for nurse faculty in New Jersey must hold at least a master’s degree.
“Highly qualified, well-prepared nurses are essential to our rapidly changing health care system. There’s no question that nurses with bachelor degrees or higher are in greater demand. NJNI is addressing the challenges many face in pursuing advanced degrees, and is encouraging others to consider the faculty path,” said Bakewell-Sachs.
WeTeachNursingNJ.com provides information on what to expect as a nurse faculty member, as well as the education and skills necessary to pursue that career path. It also includes profiles of current nurse faculty and a list of nursing programs in each county in the state.
NJNI is a multi-year, multi-million dollar project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Its goal 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.
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, measureable 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.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization based in Trenton. Created in 1911, the State Chamber staff represents its members on a wide range of business and education issues at the State House and in Washington. The organization also links the state’s local and regional chambers on issues of importance through its grassroots legislative network.
Sep 21, 2011 | Press Releases
202/371-1999
Combined Expertise Will Help End New Jersey’s Nurse Faculty Shortage
Trenton, NJ— Today the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI), a multi-year, multi-million dollar project of the RWJF and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation, announced the addition of three new members to its prestigious National Advisory Committee (NAC). They are: Ruben D. Fernandez, B.S.N., M.A., Ph.D.(c), R.N., vice president for patient care services at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen; Heather Howard, J.D., lecturer in public affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and research associate at the Center for Health and Wellbeing; and Arnold Speert, Ph.D., former president of William Paterson University. The NAC provides strategic counsel and guides the organization’s work.
NJNI’s goal 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, and in the process, transform nursing education.
“We are delighted to welcome three highly regarded leaders in the fields of nursing, public policy and education to join us in our work to end the state’s potentially crippling nurse faculty shortage,” said NJNI Program Director Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., R.N., P.N.P.-B.C. “One of NJNI’s greatest strengths is the diversity of voices weighing in on the challenge we face—ensuring that New Jersey has the qualified nurse workforce to meet our future health care needs. Ruben D. Fernandez, Heather Howard and Arnold Speert will make a tremendous contribution to our efforts, and we are fortunate to have their guidance.” Bakewell-Sachs is interim provost of The College of New Jersey.
A long-time nurse trailblazer, Fernandez has more than 25 years experience in senior leadership, having served as vice president of patient care services at North General Hospital in Harlem, associate dean for administration at the College of Nursing at Rutgers, Newark, and vice president for patient care services at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Howard brings considerable public policy experience to NJNI. She is director of the State Health Reform Assistance Network, an RWJF initiative providing technical assistance to states implementing the Affordable Care Act. Her other recent positions have included serving as New Jersey’s Commissioner of Health and Senior Services from 2008 to 2010, Governor Jon Corzine’s chief policy counsel, associate director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and senior policy advisor for First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Speert, a leader in the academic field, served as president of William Paterson University from 1985-2010. He currently serves on the board of four Erickson Living continuing care retirement communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and is a senior consultant for the higher education search firm, AGB Search.
Fernandez, Howard and Speert join nine others on NJNI’s National Advisory Committee. The Committee guides the work of NJNI’s six working goals that are focused on:
• Creating innovative approaches to increase faculty capacity;
• Making New Jersey nurse faculty a preferred career;
• Leading focused policy initiatives;
• Increasing sustainable funding;
• Building local, regional and statewide collaborations; and
• Developing creative strategies to increase nurse education capacity.
NJNI’s signature Faculty Preparation Program provides support to help RWJF New Jersey Nursing Scholars complete their advanced degree studies. This summer 18 Scholars became the first to graduate from the program, and many are beginning careers as nurse faculty in the state this fall. The 18 Scholars have all earned their masters degrees.
New Jersey’s population is aging, facing an increasingly complex web of health issues that will demand a highly knowledgeable and well-prepared nursing workforce to meet the growing need. But at present, the Garden State is facing a nurse and nurse faculty shortage of alarming proportions that will severely limit the quality of residents’ health and health care. Through NJNI, talented leaders across the state are focused on the issue and are working to develop innovative solutions to reverse this looming crisis. For more information, visit www.NJNI.org.
# # # #
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 nearly 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.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization based in Trenton. Created in 1911, the State Chamber staff represents its members on a wide range of business and education issues at the State House and in Washington. The organization also links the state’s local and regional chambers on issues of importance through its grassroots legislative network.
Sep 14, 2011 | Press Releases
(848) 932-4670
Deadline: November 16, 2011 (3 p.m. ET)—Deadline for receipt of brief proposals.
Program Area: Human Capital
Purpose: Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education (EIN) is inviting applications for research projects studying nursing faculty issues that are critical to achieving the recommendations outlined in the 2010 Institute of Medicine report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Consistent with EIN’s mission, projects will typically address teaching productivity and faculty preparation in nursing education for meeting the demands of a reformed health care and public health system. Findings should inform strategies for addressing the nurse faculty shortage while expanding the nurse workforce and maintaining or improving student outcomes.
Program Information: Call for Proposals
Read the full RWJF 2011 Call for Proposals-Round 3 posting
Sep 1, 2011 | Press Releases
202/371-1999
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Jersey Nursing Initiative Graduates 18 Scholars Who Will Teach the Next Generation of Nurses
Warren County, NJ – New Jersey, like the rest of the country, is facing potentially crippling nurse and nurse faculty shortages. Without enough prospective nursing students to fill the gap or sufficient nurse faculty to teach them, the Garden State’s health will suffer and health care costs will likely increase.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) is working hard to change that dire prognosis, and today announced the graduation of 18 RWJF New Jersey Nursing Scholars. Two are from Warren county: Maryann Magloire-Wilson, M.S.N., R.N., F.N.P.-B.C., of Hackettstown, earned her M.S.N. degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ); and Tara Lynne Parker, M.S.N., R.N., also of Hackettstown, earned her M.S.N. degree from William Paterson University. Magloire-Wilson is now full-time faculty in the accelerated B.S.N. program at UMDNJ, and will begin teaching in the fall.
“To be a New Jersey Nursing Scholar is a tremendous honor and privilege. This program strives to solve the enormous nursing shortage facing our state. I love nursing and wish to impart this same passion upon the next generation of nurses,” said Magloire-Wilson.
NJNI is a multi-year, multi-million dollar project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 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.
“We are so proud to announce the graduation of our first cohort of Scholars,” said NJNI Program Director Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., R.N., P.N.P.-B.C. “They represent the future of nursing in the state and will be preparing the next generation of nurses for the health care challenges that lie ahead. We look to them to be leaders and to become an integral part of our long-term efforts to transform nursing and nurse education in New Jersey.” 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 includes 60 New Jersey Nursing Scholars who are completing master’s or doctoral degrees. Each has received a scholarship covering tuition and fees, and a $50,000 per year stipend to cover living expenses for the two to four years spent as full-time students.
Many faculty members at New Jersey nursing schools are approaching retirement, and there are not enough people in the pipeline to fill their positions. In addition, few practicing nurses have the qualifications to teach. All nurse faculty must hold at least a master’s degree. NJNI is attracting younger nurses to faculty roles; they are likely to enjoy significantly longer teaching careers than average nurse faculty members who go into higher education mid-way through their careers.
The Scholars’ graduation comes as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is embarking on a campaign to transform the nursing profession to improve health and health care. Based on the recommendations from a groundbreaking Institute of Medicine nursing report released last year—The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, RWJF is spearheading the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action to engage nurses and non-nurses in a nationwide effort to overhaul the nursing profession. The campaign is working to implement solutions to the challenges facing the nursing profession and to build upon nurse-based approaches to improving quality and transforming the way Americans receive health care.
NJNI is a partner in this effort, and serves as the coordinating office for the New Jersey Action Coalition, an advocacy organization led by a team of recognized and highly-respected leaders in health and health care. New Jersey’s Action Coalition includes four volunteer-led work groups, each tasked with developing and implementing plans to advance a goal identified in the report as a priority. The Action Coalition draws its strength from New Jersey nursing and non-nursing leaders working together to devise solutions.
For more information, visit www.NJNI.org.
# # # #
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, measureable and timely change. For nearly 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.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization based in Trenton. Created in 1911, the State Chamber staff represents its members on a wide range of business and education issues at the State House and in Washington. The organization also links the state’s local and regional chambers on issues of importance through its grassroots legislative network.
Sep 1, 2011 | Press Releases
202/371-1999
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Jersey Nursing Initiative Graduates 18 Scholars Who Will Teach the Next Generation of Nurses
Monmouth County, NJ – New Jersey, like the rest of the country, is facing potentially crippling nurse and nurse faculty shortages. Without enough prospective nursing students to fill the gap or sufficient nurse faculty to teach them, the Garden State’s health will suffer and health care costs will likely increase.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) is working hard to change that dire prognosis, and today announced the graduation of 18 RWJF New Jersey Nursing Scholars. Two are from Monmouth county: Latoya Rawlins, M.S.N., R.N., of Redbank, and Michelle Skiber, M.S.N., R.N., of Aberdeen, earned their M.S.N. degrees from Monmouth University. Rawlins is now adjunct faculty at Georgian Court University, and will begin teaching in the fall.
“I wanted to become a New Jersey Nursing Scholar because of the shortage of nursing school faculty. I have been a nurse for ten years and I understand the importance, first hand, of having efficient nurse staff… I have always loved teaching and what better way to give back to a profession that has given so much to me. By becoming a New Jersey Nursing Scholar I am playing a significant role in the faculty shortage crisis,” said Rawlins.
NJNI is a multi-year, multi-million dollar project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 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.
“We are so proud to announce the graduation of our first cohort of Scholars,” said NJNI Program Director Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., R.N., P.N.P.-B.C. “They represent the future of nursing in the state and will be preparing the next generation of nurses for the health care challenges that lie ahead. We look to them to be leaders and to become an integral part of our long-term efforts to transform nursing and nurse education in New Jersey.” 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 includes 60 New Jersey Nursing Scholars who are completing master’s or doctoral degrees. Each has received a scholarship covering tuition and fees, and a $50,000 per year stipend to cover living expenses for the two to four years spent as full-time students.
Many faculty members at New Jersey nursing schools are approaching retirement, and there are not enough people in the pipeline to fill their positions. In addition, few practicing nurses have the qualifications to teach. All nurse faculty must hold at least a master’s degree. NJNI is attracting younger nurses to faculty roles; they are likely to enjoy significantly longer teaching careers than average nurse faculty members who go into higher education mid-way through their careers.
The Scholars’ graduation comes as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is embarking on a campaign to transform the nursing profession to improve health and health care. Based on the recommendations from a groundbreaking Institute of Medicine nursing report released last year—The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, RWJF is spearheading the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action to engage nurses and non-nurses in a nationwide effort to overhaul the nursing profession. The campaign is working to implement solutions to the challenges facing the nursing profession and to build upon nurse-based approaches to improving quality and transforming the way Americans receive health care.
NJNI is a partner in this effort, and serves as the coordinating office for the New Jersey Action Coalition, an advocacy organization led by a team of recognized and highly-respected leaders in health and health care. New Jersey’s Action Coalition includes four volunteer-led work groups, each tasked with developing and implementing plans to advance a goal identified in the report as a priority. The Action Coalition draws its strength from New Jersey nursing and non-nursing leaders working together to devise solutions.
For more information, visit www.NJNI.org.
# # # #
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, measureable and timely change. For nearly 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.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization based in Trenton. Created in 1911, the State Chamber staff represents its members on a wide range of business and education issues at the State House and in Washington. The organization also links the state’s local and regional chambers on issues of importance through its grassroots legislative network.
