President’s Message
by
Michelle L. Foley, RN, MA, CNE
As your President, it is with great pride that I report to you the New Jersey League for Nursing (NJLN) had a very productive and successful 2008. To each of our members I say “thank you” because it is your continual support that makes this possible.
It was my honor to represent the organization on several committees with various nursing organizations throughout New Jersey. I attended the 2008 National League for Nursing Educational Summit in San Antonio this past September. The theme was “The Power of Diversity in Nursing Education”. The Summit was attended by over 1900 nurses from across the country, Canada and England. Topics included: Promoting Cultural Awareness in Nursing Education, Partnerships for Global Understanding, Embracing Cultures through Nursing Education, and the always fascinating National Faculty meeting.
The NJLN 2008 Nurse Recognition Awards Gala was our best ever! We greeted an audience of over 400 guests, the largest in the Gala’s history. Assisted by president-elect Eileen P. Williamson, RN, MSN, we spoke about the significance of the evening and told the winners’ stories, highlighting the many contributions they have made to their patients, facilities, and communities. In accepting their awards, the nurse honorees told why they chose nursing as a profession and why they were so grateful that they did, sharing as they did the important moments from their “journeys of excellence” in nursing, and giving recognition to those who had helped them on those journeys
NJLN’s 2009 Nurse Recognition Awards will be held on Friday, November 6th at The Pine Manor in Edison. Applications are now available for the Nurse Recognition Awards, 2009 Corporate Recognition Award, and our Nursing Scholarship Awards. The deadline for submitting all completed applications is August 1st. Request the application forms and criteria by sending an email to NJLNurse@aol.com
Highlighting the League’s emphasis on the importance of nursing education, we presented this year’s NJLN nursing scholarships to two very deserving nursing students. The recipient of the Jack Robertson Memorial Scholarship Award was Barbara Sanders, RN, a student at Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, who will complete her degree in 2012. The Dr. Paul F. Zito Foundation Scholarship Award was presented to Regina Hicks, a senior nursing student at the Muhlenberg — Harold B. & Dorothy A. Snyder Schools in Plainfield, who will graduate in January, 2009.
I would like to thank all of you who attended the 2009 New Jersey Nursing Convention! The New Jersey League for Nursing and the New Jersey State Nurses Association has co-sponsored this event for twelve years. The theme this year was “Nurses Empowered Through Knowledge and Experience.” The Convention offers participants the opportunity to share ideas, network, receive up-to-date information on the latest topics of interest in healthcare, plus visit 85 Exhibitors and a view informative Poster Sessions. Plus, to add to the excitement of the Convention, all nurses registered to attend the 2009 Convention had an opportunity to enter our Grand Prize drawing of a free vacation at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas, which is being sponsored by The Wright Choice. Special appreciation to Chris Wright, RN and George Strang, (NJLN Board member) for their generosity in offering this trip.
The lucky winner this year was Norma Rogers, RN.
NJLN’s pre-convention program “Essentials of E-learning for Nurse Educators” was a great success. This regional workshop was presented by Timothy J. Bristol, RN, MSN, PhD, Director of Nursing, Crown College, St. Bonifacius, MN. With the emphasis on E-learning as a means of increasing accessibility to nursing education, this workshop offered nurse educators the opportunity to synthesize E-learning principles and practices. NJLN extends appreciation to our program supporters: Edvance360 ; Elsevier; Laerdal Medical Corporation; Medical Education Technologies, Inc; RJM Systems, Inc; Middlesex County College.
As the New Jersey League for Nursing strives for new and innovative ways to meet our commitment to the nursing population, your input is welcomed and valued. Please feel free to offer our suggestions, become actively involved in the organization, and join our volunteers whose enthusiasm and energy abound.