New Jersey Nurse - April 2021

April 2021 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 9
R egion News
Meet Region 3 Board Members
Treasurer
Nwanmaka Helen
Eguh, DNP, BSN,
APN, RN. FNP-BC
VP of
Communications
Elsie A. Rivera,
DNP, APN, FNP-C
Nominating Committee Chair
Shanda Johnson, PhD, APN-C, FNP
Region 4
Bucks, Hunterdon,
Mercer, Middlesex,
Somerset Counties
Maureen Clark-Gallagher MS, RN
President
The Region 4 Board continues to work for you. We
thank you for all that you are doing for the nursing
profession and the communities that we serve.
We continue to have monthly Board meetings. The
meetings are held on the second Thursday of every
month at 7 pm. The meetings are held via Zoom and
we also have a good time. The more the merrier!
Please contact me at mgallagher@tesu.edu and I will
send you the meeting link.
Monthly newsletters have been published since
May. We hope you are enjoying them. The newsletter
name is Region 4 Notes on Nursing out of respect
to Florence Nightingale. In addition to providing
Region 4 members with information on the nursing
profession and NJSNA, due to your interest, we
added sections on the history of nursing in Region
4, nursing specialties, podcasts, Region 4 members’
accomplishments, books, wellness, hobbies, education
resources, important dates in nursing etc. We
welcome your contributions and/or ideas on what you
would like covered in the newsletter.
An education program was presented on
February 3rd by Dr. Susan Utterback on the topic of
Enhanced Recovery for Cesarean Section: A Quality
Improvement Project to Reduce Opioid Use. It was
well received by all and applicable to nursing practice
in various settings.
Congratulations to Region 4 members on their
recent accomplishments:
Tara Heagele PHD, RN, PCCN, EMT (also a
NJSNA Director):
Heagele, T. N. & Nurse-Clarke, N. J. (accepted
for publication January 25, 2021). A nurse-led home
disaster preparedness intervention for new parents.
Neonatal Network: The Journal of Neonatal Nursing.
Melissa Sherman BSN, RN (Region 4 VP of
Communications) has received certification as a
certified school nurse in New Jersey (CSN-NJ).
The Region 4 annual meeting is tentatively planned
for November 13, 2021. We are seriously considering
having a virtual meeting again.
Region 4 donated:
• $500 to the Bound Brook School District in
order to provide students with much needed
items such as winter hats, gloves, coats,
sneakers/boots, and or personal hygiene items
such as shampoo, etc.
• $75 to current IFN fundraiser
The following officers were sworn into their
positions at the January 16 NJSNA installation
ceremony:
• Region 4 Secretary: Joan Gleason Scott PhD,
RN, NEA-BC, CPPS,CPHQ
• Region 4 VP of Communications: Melissa
Sherman BSN, RN,CNS-NJ
• Region 4 VP for Policy and Practice: Kari
Mastro PhD, RN, NEA-BC
• Region 4 VP for Nominations and Elections:
Sarah Bilyj MBA, BSN, RN, CLC
• Region 4 Member at Large for Mercer County:
Daniel Marino MSN, RN, CCRN-K
• Region 4 Member at Large for Middlesex
County: Marge Drozd MSN, RN, APRN-BC
Please know that the Region 4 Board is here for
you. Feel free to reach out to me or any member of
the Region 4 Board.
Region 5
Burlington, Camden,
Gloucester, Salem and
Cumberland Counties
Trish Egenton MSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, NE-BC
Communications Director
Region 5 is pleased to announce our new
President, Barbara McCormick, DNP, RN, CEN.
Barbara works for the Jefferson Health System,
Washington Township. She has been employed for
27 years there, and presently serves as a Resource
Nurse for the ED, ICU and Step Down Units.
Barbara is a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force,
and is the Chief Nurse for the 514th Aerospace
Medicine Squadron, Joint Base, McGuire-Fort Dix.
Barbara is also adjunct faculty at Rutgers, Camden.
Congratulations on becoming President Barbara!
Barbara’s goal for Region 5 is to increase
engagement during this challenging time in public
health. One of the ways Barbara plans on increasing
engagement is to send out NJNSA Region 5 face
masks this summer. The order is in, and we will
begin sending them out ASAP. If you would like one,
please email MPEGENTON@AOL.COM. Supplies are
limited! Additionally, “LIKE” Region 5 on Facebook,
and look for ways to win your very own NJSNA
Region 5 face mask.
Speaking of Facebook, we now have over 500
followers! This is a 25% increase from this time last
year. Thank you for your interest and support, and
please share or comment.
We also have another new member on Region
5’s board. Audrey Brooks, DNP, RN is now the
Membership Director. Audrey recently retired from
nursing education. Audrey is also a veteran, having
served as an RN in the US Air Force as well. Audrey
serves a dual roll for Region 5 because she also serves
as the Burlington County Coordinator. Welcome
Audrey!
On December 12, 2020, Audrey coordinated a
food drive at the Zallie’s Shoprite in Williamstown.
Audrey singlehandedly collected over 25 bags of food
for the Red Cross Pantry at the McGuire-Fort Dix
Base! Nice job Audrey!
Region 5 is looking for a President-Elect to support
the President in their duties. The President Elect
serves two years, and then assumes the role of the
President. Additionally, we are looking for anyone
who is interested in getting more politically involved.
2021 is an election year here in NJ, and as nurses,
we need strong advocates to ensure our voices and
concerns are heard. Our Congress on Policy and
Practice (COPP), needs one nurse to reach out
and advocate to elected officials. COPP monitors
nursing practice and makes recommendations that
keep practice current. INPAC (Interested Nurses
Political Action Committee), also needs one nurse to
become politically involved from Region 5. These two
highly visible positions are a must for anyone who is
passionate about nursing policy and practice issues.
Please email MPEGENTON@AOL.COM if interested
ASAP!
We are also very grateful to all of our members
who voted on our by-laws in 2020. We hope you stay
healthy during these trying times, and we continue to
honor each and every one of you on the front lines for
months on end now, thank you.
Region 6
Atlantic, Cape May,
Monmouth, Ocean
Kathleen Mullen DNP, MA, RN, CNE
VP of Communications
Jacqueline Bortu BSN, RNC-OB, CBC,
C-ONQS, VP of Communications
Following Opening Remarks by Ocean County
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, JD. Rutgers School
of Nursing-Camden faculty, E. Renee Cantwell DNP,
RN, CPHQ, Clinical Associate Professor, and Jeanann
Sousou Coppola, DNP, RN, CNM, CNE, Clinical
Assistant Professor presented their program “Human
Trafficking: Educating New Jersey Registered Nurses
in Identifying Victims to Promote Positive Patient
Outcome” at the first virtual education meeting by
Region 6 in October. Virtual meetings will continue
in the spring, so follow the Region 6 facebook to stay
connected.
Region 6 election for the 2021-2022 Executive
Board of Officers was conducted online in conjunction
with NJSNA elections. The first virtual installment
ceremony took place on January 16th, led by former
President of NJSNA, Kate Gillespie introducing
now President Mary Ellen Levine. Recently installed
President-Elect Sandra Foley and Secretary
Daniel Misa were also announced, as well as each
regions new officers who then took their pledge of
commitment to office. The past year has brought
many challenges but has taught us all perseverance.
All NJSNA officers and members in attendance felt
hope for the new year and the renewed voices of
nurses worldwide.
Every year, Region 6 awards the Beulah Miller
Scholarship for Nursing Education to four (4) nursing
students: a prelicensure entry level student (AAS,
ADN, or BSN), an RN to BSN student, an MSN
student, and a doctoral student. The deadline date for
this year’s scholarship application is April 1, 2021.
The applicant must meet the following criteria:
1. Current membership in NJSNA Region 6
a. Candidates enrolled in a prelicensure entry
level program exempt
2. Current enrollment in an accredited program of
nursing education
a. Grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better
3. Complete application including essay and
recommendation letters.
A nursing student may only receive an award one
time per level of educational program. For more
information about the Beulah Miller Scholarship for
Nursing Education view the NJSNA website or email
the Region 6 Scholarship Committee Chair, Barbara
Blozen at bblozen@comcast.net. To purchase a raffle
ticket or donate to the fund, contact any member of
Region 6 or email Linda Gural, lmgural@aol.com or
Kathy Brack, Kathleenbrack7983@gmail.com.
If you are a member of Region 6 and are not
receiving email blasts about our Region meetings,
please update your profile on the NJSNA website and
check the group correspondence box in the Email
Preferences section of your account. If you are not a
member, join us at an upcoming virtual meeting!