Advocating--Positioning--and Educating New Jersey RNs
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The Official Publication of the New Jersey State Nurses Association/Institute for Nursing
Volume 52 • Number 1 Quarterly publication direct mailed to approximately 141,000 RNs and LPNs in New Jersey January 2022
Inside...
NJSNA Election Results
Region News
Page 8
Continued Actions to Improve Nurse
Workplace Environments in New Jersey
Page 18
Index
Membership ..................................2
CEO Report . ..................................3
IFN Report . ...................................3
2021 Governor & Legislative Election Results . .........5
AAN Inducts Seven NJ Nurses . ....................6
Region News ................................. 8
The Importance of Practicing “Mindfulness” in Nursing .10
Help INS Celebrate National IV Nurse Day ...........11
LPN Forum . ..................................12
Medication Administration by Unlicensed Assistive
Personnel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Healthy Nurse Healthy New Jersey. ................14
New Jersey Department of Children and Families. .....16
A Double Whammy: Widowhood and Covid 19 Pandemic.. 17
Board of Director’s Meeting Attendance & Motions....... 19
current resident or
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Permit No. 14
State Ballot
Vice President
Secretary
Committee on
Nominations
Membership
Assembly Rep
Director
Congress on
Policy/Practice
Region 1
President-Elect
VP for Membership
VP to the Institute
VP to COPP
Morris County Coordinator
Sussex County Coordinator
Nominations Committee
Region 2
President
Treasurer
Region 3
VP of Membership
VP of Education
VP Congress on Policy &
Practice
Member-at-Large Essex Cty
President’s Report
Mary Ellen Levine, DNP.
MSN, RN, CHPN,
NJSNA President
“Every nurse was
drawn to nursing
because of a desire
to care, to serve, or
to help.”
—Christina Feist-
Heilmeier, RN
(University of St.
Augustine, 2020)
Amita Avadhani (R4)
Linda Gural (R6)
Eleanor Dietrich-Withington (R6)
Lois Greene (R3)
Rachel Koshy (R1)
Yolanda Jackson (R3)
Susan Weaver (R1)
Sheila Caldwell (R6)
Jo Anne Penn (R6)
Tara Heagele (R4)
Laura Geron (R3)
Karen Kinsley
Alaina Scala-Brew
Mary Anne Mara
Kathleen Vnenchak
Francesca Nordin
Daria Napierkowski
Jackie Galante
Karen Kinsley
Mary Jane Genuino
Myla Passaporte
Alissa Walaszek
Denise Warren
Stephanie Herr
Rosemary Allen-
Jenkins
Mary Ellen Levine
Dear colleagues,
It’s hard to believe a year has passed
since being installed as your president!
Being a nurse over the past 12 months has
Member-at-Large Union Cty
Nominating Committee
Region 4
Treasurer
VP of Membership
President-Elect
VP of Education
Member at Large
Somerset Cty
Member at Large
Hunterdon Cty
Region 5
President-Elect
Lynda Arnold-Davis
Carline Eliezer
Marlene McLeod-Douse
Rosemary Rosales
Hilda Aluko
Keisha Cogdell
Kari Mastro
Nowai L. Keleekai-Brapoh
Marcia Nettingham
Yvette Shangold
Gloucester County Representative
Region 6
President-Elect
VP Membership
VP Congress
Treasurer
VP Institute
Chairperson Atlantic
County
Chairperson Monmouth
County
Nomination Committee
Cape May County
Nomination Committee
Atlantic County
Terri Ivory
Kristin Safedy
Lisa Passero
Contrina Warren
Taylor Rossi
Eleanor Dietrich-
Withington
Barbara Blozen
Ellyn Hill
Helen Heinmets
Keddi Koovits
Orsalia Palapanis
been a year of resilience and challenges. In this
new year, thanks to the outgoing Board members
whose tireless, voluntary service is appreciated and
humbling! A warm welcome and congratulations to
our newly elected members of the state and region
boards. As a member of this association, I am
grateful to be in service to you, the membership! I
look forward to working together with our present
Board on your behalf. NJSNA continuously
advocates for nurses. Responding to the many
issues that face our state, as the saying goes, with
‘many hands make light work.’
Do you have a strength or passion about your
practice? NJSNA needs you! NJSNA has been
looking inward to policies and procedures. The
formation of a Policy and Procedure Taskforce,
President’s Report continued on page 2
Page 2 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
Membership
BECOME A MEMBER OF
New Jersey Nurse
Official Publication of the
New Jersey State Nurses Association and Institute for Nursing
1479 Pennington Road
Trenton, New Jersey 08618
Phone: 609-883-5335 ext 111
Fax: 609-883-5343
Email: jennifer@njsna.org
Webpage: www.njsna.org
NJSNA Mission Statement
Advance the practice of professional nursing by fostering quality
outcomes in education, practice and research
JOINT MEMBERSHIP IN NJSNA AND
ANA IS NOW ONLY $15/MONTH
Institute for Nursing (IFN) Board of Trustees
Dr. Sandra Foley, Chair, Sandra@njsna.org
Daniel Misa, Treasurer, danmisa1@gmail.com
Dr. Judy Schmidt, MAL, CEO, judy@njsna.org
Dr. Dely Go, Vice Chair/MAL
Ray Zarzar, Community Member/Secretary
Kristin Buckley, Community Member
LEARN MORE AT
HTTPS://NJSNA.ORG/ABOUT-US/MEMBERSHIP-BENEFITS/
President’s Report continued from page 1
a dedicated group of nurses, has been pouring
over policies, re-writing, editing and in some
cases developing policies and procedures, such as
submitting a resolution. The Bylaws Committee,
Congress on Policy and Practice, Interested
Nurses Political Action Committee, Marijuana Task
Force, Healthy Nurse Healthy NJ, Membership
Committee, Legislative Committee, Joint Protocol
Strategic Group, and Finance Committee, offers
opportunity for service to the NJSNA membership
and all NJ nurses. If you are not a member, visit
NJSNA.org and join today!
Another important function of NJSNA is
where nurses can and do make a difference in the
legislative process. Over the past election cycle,
political events were great to meet, assess, and
bring nursing’s agenda to candidates. Moving
forward, much needs to be accomplished including
having bills renumbered, being actively involved,
and meeting with your legislators. Some legislation
includes the Nurse Title Protection bill and APN
Full Practice/Access to Healthcare bill. Protection
of the title of nurse assures the public who their
care providers are and the rigorous education and
preparation process in place upheld by the Division
of Consumer Affairs and New Jersey Board of
Nursing. Another bill is access to healthcare and
removal of the ‘joint protocol,’ or collaborative
agreement required for Advanced Practice Nurses
(APN) in New Jersey. This does more to hamper
access and delay care by APNs who provide safe
and effective patient care. Additionally, promotion
of the nurses’ role in staffing policy, and so many
other nursing and public safety bills is all our
responsibility. As member of the Interested Nurses
in Political Action Committee (INPAC) nurse, Anne
Ugrovics stated so perfectly, “We need to have a
strong political voice.”
Lastly, your attendance to the upcoming Annual
Meeting, not short of at least 70 nurses, will be
needed to vote on, for instance, changes to NJSNA
Bylaws to keep our bylaws current.
NJSNA is your professional organization for
registered nurses. Join us at the region and state
meetings! Visit NJSNA.org, check your email and
on NJSNA’s Facebook© page for more information.
Executive Committee
Dr Mary Ellen Levine, President, maryellen@njsna.org
Dr. Sandra Foley, President-Elect, sandra@njsna.org
Regina Adams, Vice President, gina.adams73@gmail.com
Daniel Misa, Treasurer, danmisa1@gmail.com
Linda Gural, Secretary, lmgural@aol.com
Board of Directors
JoAnne Penn, Director, joannepenn@aol.com
Dr. Margaret Daingerfield, Director, madaingerfield@aol.com
Dr. Ann Tritak, Director, abtritak@aol.com
Dr. Tara Heagele, Director, taraheagele@hotmail.com
Dr. Susan Weaver, Chair COPP, sweave29@gmail.com
Region Presidents
Patricia Baxter, Region 1, pbaxternp@aol.com
Dr. Mary Genuino, Region 2, mgenuino1@gmail.com
Norma Rodgers, Region 3, normarn1208@gmail.com
Maureen Clark-Gallagher, Region 4, mcgallagher1@comcast.net
Dr. Barbara McCormick, Region 5, barbmcrn@comcast.net
Renee White, Region 6, reneewaskovich@gmail.com
NJSNA/IFN Staff
Dr. Judy Schmidt, CEO, judy@njsna.org
Debra Harwell, Deputy Director, deb@njsna.org
Terri Ivory, Director of RAMP, terri@njsna.org
Jennifer Chanti, Exec. Asst./Membership Administrator, jennifer@njsna.org
Tyea Santiago, Education Coordinator, education@njsna.org
Kortnei Jackson, Ed. Adm. Asst., kjackson@njsna.org
Annemarie Edinger, RAMP Comm. Coord., annemarie@njsna.org
Deborah Robles, RAMP Adm. Asst., deborah@njsna.org
Emily Gannon, RAMP Intake Spec., emily@njsna.org
Benita James, RAMP Case Manager, benita@njsna.org
Joan Peditto, RAMP Case Manager, joan@njsna.org
Etha Westbrook, RAMP Case Manager, etha@njsna.org
Andrew Haviland, RAMP Case Manager, andrew@njsna.org
Explore a Rewarding Career in
Correctional Healthcare
References
Ugrovics, A. (2021). Are we prepared for November
2, 2021? Retrieved from the New Jersey Nurse,
Volume 51, Number 3. Retrieved from https://
assets.nursingald.com/uploads/publication/
pdf/2309/New_Jersey_Nurse_10_21.pdf
University of St. Augustine. (2020, October). 85 Nursing
quotes: Words of wisdom for nurses. Retrieved from
https://www.usa.edu/blog/nursing-quotes/
New Jersey Nurse Staff
Dr. Judy Schmidt, Editor
Jennifer Chanti, Managing Editor
Dr. Barbara Wright, Executive Editor
New Jersey Nurse Copy Submission Guidelines:
All NJSNA members are encouraged to submit material for
publication that is of interest to nurses. The New Jersey Nurse also
welcomes unsolicited manuscripts. Article submission is preferred
in MS Word format, Times New Roman font and can be up to 500
words. When sending pictures, please remember to label pictures
clearly since the editors have no way of knowing who persons in the
photos might be.
Copy Submissions: Preferred submission is by email to the
Managing Editor. Only use MS Word for test submission. Please do
not embed photos in Word files, send photos as jpg files.
Submit Materials to: New Jersey Nurse, Attention to Jennifer
Chanti, Managing Editor at jennifer@njsna.org
Advertising: for advertising rates and information please contact
Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., P.O. Box 216, Cedar Falls,
Iowa 50613 (800-626-4081), sales@aldpub.com. NJSNA and the
Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. reserve the right to reject
any advertisement. Responsibility for errors in advertising is limited to
corrections in the next issue or refund of price of advertisement.
Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or approval by
the New Jersey State Nurses Association of products advertised, the
advertisers, or the claims made. Rejection of an advertisement does
not imply a product offered for advertising is without merit, or that the
manufacturer lacks integrity, or that this association disapproves of the
product or its use. NJSNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency,
Inc. shall not be held liable for any consequences resulting from
purchase or use of an advertiser’s product. Articles appearing in this
publication express the opinions of the authors; they do not necessarily
reflect views of the staff, board, or membership of NJSNA or those of
the national or local associations.
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 3
CEO Report
Judy Schmidt, CEO, DHA,
MSN, RN
The New Jersey State
Nurses Association continues
to advocate for nursing and
nursing practice in the State
of New Jersey.
Political Updates:
After the November
Elections the legislature will
be in what is called “lame
Judith Schmidt
duck.” This legislative session ends mid-January 2022.
Any bills not passed and signed by the Governor
will “die” and need to be re-introduced in the next
legislative session in January 2022. We are hoping
that we may see movement on the Removal of the
APN Joint Protocol Requirement either during lame
duck or the first quarter of 2022. In addition, we are
working on a senate sponsor for the “Nurse Title” bill.
The elections this year have been very interesting.
We are grateful that our main nursing champions/
bill sponsors were re-elected: Assemblywoman Nancy
Munoz and Senator Joseph Vitale. For the results of
the elections, please see the article by INPAC Member
Ann Ugrovics.
The INPAC Committee, chaired by Keith Hovey,
attended the NJ State League of Municipalities
Conference in Mid-November. Committee members
were able to network with both local and state office
holders and prominent business leaders. Attending
events such as this increases the visibility of NJSNA
not only in the political arena but also in the business
arena. This gives us the opportunity to recruit
stakeholders that will support our nursing advocacy
initiatives.
Legislation Watch:
• Nurse Title Protection (A3829)
o Assembly bill introduced
o Need a Senate Sponsor
o NJSNA Board recommends support
• Removal of APN/Physician Collaborating
Agreement (A1760)
o Assembly bill in Health
o NJSNA Board recommends support
o Senator Vitale will be introducing bill by end
of November
• BSN in 10 (A1762-S1082)
o Assembly bill in Regulated Professions
Committee
o Senate bill in Health Committee
o NJSNA Board recommends support
• Nurse Staffing Committees (A1791)
o Assembly bill in Health Committees
o NJSNA Board recommends support
• Allows APNs in Psyche to sign involuntary
commitment papers (A1781-S882)
o Assembly bill in Health Committee
o Senate bill in Health Committee
o NJSNA Board recommends watch
Collaboration with the New Jersey Board of
Nursing:
• All NJ Board of Nursing positions have been
filled except two public members.
• Continuing to facilitate resolution to problems
that NJSNA members and non-members are
experiencing. NJSNA Executive Board met with
leadership in the Division of Consumer Affairs
to discuss issues that our members are having
when contacting the board of nursing. This
dialogue will remain open until resolutions are
obtained.
• Executive Director/Secretary to the Board of
Nursing Position posted in October.
• Multi-State Licenses are now available as of
November 15th.
Collaboration with the American Nurses
Association (ANA):
• Assisting the Healthy Nurse Health NJ group in
the “RNConnect” Project through ANA to help
nurses experiencing stress in the workplace.
• Collaborating with the ANA and NJ
Department of Health “CDC’s Project Firstline”
regarding infection prevention.
• Attended the “Commission on Racism
Feedback” seminar. Commission members
gave an update on their work and attendees
were able to discuss various issues related to
institutional racism in small work groups.
Collaboration with other organizations:
NJSNA continues to network with and provide
valuable input into the following:
• NJ Business and Industry Health Care Policy
Committee
• NJ Pediatric Association Committee Meeting –
Clinicians for Climate Health.
• Consortium of New Jersey Nurse Educators
• ONL NJ Legislation and Advocacy Committee
• Rutgers University School of Nursing Advisory
Committee
• Kean University School of Nursing Advisory
Committee
• Felician University School of Nursing Advisory
Committee
• NJ Department of Health Professional Advisory
Committee
o Allocation of Scarce Resources (Staff, PPE,
and Ventilators)
o Covid Testing
o Vaccine Hesitancy
o Vaccine Distribution plans for children and
young adults
o Vaccinator Recruitment
• NJ Department of Health Commissioner, Judy
Persichilli, and I discussed issues with Nurse
Staffing in various environments including
school nursing and possible solutions.
• Facilitated a breakout session at the New Jersey
Nursing Initiative/ New Jersey Collaborating
Center (NJIN/NJCC) “The Future of Nursing
2020-2030”. Four teams worked on selected
recommendation from the Future of Nursing
report focusing on nursing education, health
equity and removal of practice barriers for RNs
and APNs.
IFN Report
Sandra Foley, DNP, RN
Chair, Institute for Nursing
“Caring and Sharing”….
Moving our mission
forward. Everything
begins with an idea!
Fundraising is just one way
the IFN is fully committed
and strives to fulfill its Mission
by continuing to preserve the Sandy Foley
heritage, principles, values
and practices of our healing profession through the
support of scholarship, education and research.
The IFN Board of Trustees would like to thank
each of you for your continued support of the “Caring
and Sharing” 50/50 Raffle. Yes, you too have a
chance to win up to $25,000. Follow this link to
purchase your Caring and Sharing 50/50 Raffle
tickets at $10 per chance Purchase a Caring and
Sharing Raffle Ticket. The 50/50 Raffle Drawing will
be held on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at the
Institute for Nursing, 1479 Pennington Road, Ewing
Township, NJ.
Institute For Nursing Board of Trustees (BOT)
In December 2021 we said good-bye and thanked
IFN Public Trustee Ray Zarzar for his six years of loyalty
and service. Ray served as Secretary and as a member
of the IFN Fundraising Committee. Ray’s acumen
and keen business sense was an asset to each position
he served on. Our sincere appreciation, gratitude and
thanks for his time spent as an IFN Trustee.
The IFN BOT welcomes Public Trustee, Wayne Hall.
Wayne brings his many years of business experience,
leadership, and philanthropic accomplishments as the
General Manager of Garden State Honda. Wayne
joined our team this month as we look forward to his
vibrant and robust personality and energy.
IFN Scholarship
Attention All Student Nurses! The annual 2022
IFN Scholarship campaign has begun. The IFN’s
Mission is committed to provide scholarships to
the NJ nurses. We support the NJ student nurse
who is currently pursuing their own aspirations by
advancing their degree to fulfill their goals for career
advancement.
For ALL Enrolled Student Nurses
IFN Scholarship
Deadline is March 15th, 2022
To locate all scholarships that are offered along with the
applications follow this link
https://njsna.org/scholarship/
2022 Diva and Don Gala Event
Mark your calendars for Spring 2022, specifically
April 7th for the next IFN Gala event. We look forward
to the return of the Diva and Don Nursing Gala Event
to celebrate excellence in nursing throughout the
state of NJ. The event offers the opportunity for us
to recognize the professional registered nurses who
have demonstrated outstanding achievement and have
been a positive influence on others. Nominees may be
engaged in nursing practice, administration, education,
or research in diverse settings, such as acute and longterm
care, public health, private industry, schools,
community health, and others.
Ongoing IFN Fundraising
“Old York Cellars Winery and Vineyards”
Thanks to the hard work of IFN Trustee Kristin
Buckley and DJ Levine, amateur photographer and
graphic artist, who designed three wine labels to
adorn each bottle of wine. Purchases from Old York
Cellars Winery and Vineyards with the adorned IFN
label and the Old York Cellars will have a portion of
the sales benefit the IFN !
You can find more information for purchases on
NJSNA.org or https://www.oldyorkcellars.com/
Save the date and purchase your Tickets
today!
The IFN and New Jersey Devils have come
together to show support to nurses, healthcare
workers. Jess Narciso, NJ Devils Senior Account
Executive, Group Events has secured a date for Nurse
Recognition. Add March 10, 2022, to your calendar
and we will see you there.
NJ Devils Nurses Night includes:
• NJ Devils Nurses Night scrubs
• A post-game photo on the ice for your group.
• Special NJ Devils IFN seat pricing Nurses Night
Tickets
• A portion of the ticket sales will help support
the IFN
Recognition
The World Health Organization (WHO) had
deemed 2020 and 2021 the years of the Nurse and
midwife. While in addition to the WHO’s esteemed
recognition, nursing has been recognized as the most
trusted profession over the past 19 years. Along with
both of those honorable accolades, we supported and
carried the world through a global pandemic. We are
a team of resilient, passionate, and compassionate
Professional Registered Nurses!
Page 4 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
American Academy of Nursing Names
Susan Hassmiller A Living Legend
The American Academy
of Nursing named Susan
Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN,
a Living Legend, at its
Annual Policy Conference in
Washington. on October 6,
2021. Hassmiller's prestigious
award was made during
the Conference at which
the Academy Induction of
2021 Fellows was held on
Oct. 8. Seven New Jersey
nurses were among the 225 Susan Hassmiller
prominent nurses from 38
states and 17 countries who were inducted, "based on
their contributions to advance the public's health," said
AAN President Eileen Sullivan Marx. Winifred Quinn,
PhD, Center to Champion Nursing in America,
Director of Advocacy and Consumer Affairs, was
selected as an Honorary Fellow; she was one of four
honorees from outside the nursing profession.
Susan Hassmiller Named
AAN Living Legend
Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, is an
international nurse leader, who has dedicated her
professional career to the advancement of health
equity and improving health through nursing. She is
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Senior Advisor
for Nursing. Hassmiller served as the study director
for the landmark 2010 Institute of Medicine Report,
The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing
Health. She served as the director of the 10 year
national campaign to improve health through nursing
in partnership with AARP. Hassmiller's leadership, in
collaboration with the Center to Champion Nursing
in America, has helped the nursing profession realize
unprecedented gains: more diverse nurses attaining
baccalaureate and doctoral degrees, millions more
people having access to nurse practitioners, and
over 10,000 nurses appointed to boards. As the
National Academy of Medicine Senior Scholar in
Residence and Senior Advisor to the President, she
helped to develop the consensus study, The Future
of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve
Health Equity, a report that was recently launched
and is being used worldwide. An advocate for nursing
philanthropy, Hassmiller's leadership at the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation has helped secure over
$450 million for nursing initiatives nationwide.
Hassmiller, an elected member of the National
Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Nursing
fellow, is a board member at Hackensack Meridian
Health System, United Health Group Center for
Clinical Advancement, Carrier Clinic, and the
American Red Cross. A recipient of four honorary
doctorates, she was awarded the Florence Nightingale
Medal, the highest international award given to a
nurse by the International Committee of the Red
Cross.
A George Mason University PhD recipient.
Hassmiller was awarded a MSN at the University
of Nebraska, and MEd and BSN at Florida
State University. Her hallmark hashtag is
#LeaveNoNurseBehind which honors her
beginning career as an Associate Degree nurse.
Winifred Quinn Selected
AAN Honorary Fellow
Each year honorary fellows are selected from
outside the nursing profession. Winifred Quinn, PhD,
Center to Champion Nursing in America, Director of
Advocacy and Consumer Affairs since its inception
in 2007, was inducted as an honorary fellow at the
American Academy of Nursing 2021 ceremony. A
Rutgers University graduate, Quinn's career began as
a patient advocate at AARP New Jersey. In 2008,
she was an advocate for full practice authority for
advanced practice nurses in Colorado, believing that
full practice authority was an access to care issue.
Her efforts have expanded
into nursing education and
diversity. Quinn sees nurses
as "the engineers of health
care. There has been no
time when that has been
more evident than during
the COVID-19 pandemic."
Quinn's work embraces
health equity, believing
that the demographics of
professional nurses must
more closely match the
patients receiving their
Winifred Quinn
care. Barbara Nichols, ANA past president, and a
nominator of Quinn as an honorary fellow, said she
was struck by Quinn's passion for diversity in nursing
before others were focused on it. Nichols has shared
that "(her) impact shows the importance of allies from
outside the profession...we need champions besides
nurses."
Why didn’t our efforts make a difference?
A nurse educator’s reflection on student success.
Dr. Erica Edfort,
DNP, NVRN-BC, RN-BC, FASRN, FAHA
When nurse educators identify students performing
below the benchmark, we work tirelessly to assist the
student to achieve success. We refer the student to the
appropriate resources within the institutional setting
(tutors, hosting review sessions, group study session,
1:1 meetings). All the efforts we put forth are student
centered; however, not always, does this lead to a
positive outcome. Some reasons for this phenomenon
may be the students personal schedule (Nasr &
Jackson-Harris, 2017). Students may very well take
their academic responsibilities seriously; however,
we all know that “life happens” outside of the
educational realm. Students may not be able to revise
their personal schedules related to their personal
responsibilities (childcare, work, transportation,
religious or cultural obligations). This may lead the
student to fall behind in assignments, be late to class,
or not have sufficient time to prepare for exams.
If we take a deeper look as to the reason students
may not perform satisfactorily in a course or program,
it may not only reflect their personal responsibilities,
it may be due to their age, cultural background or
education level–what is the students motivation
to learn? Pizzolato et al (2017) identified that to
understand the student’s role in the academic setting
(success-oriented students) would further define the
student’s goals and identify how their motivation to
learn develops over time. They also investigated if the
goals were flexible or are students unable to modify
their goals according to their learning capabilities.
Student motivation was identified not to only be
reflective of a student’s classroom goal achievement
but also on their roles outside the academic setting.
The varied roles of a nursing student must be taken
into consideration as we realize “adult students have
full roles they play besides students, motivation to
learn must be considered as one part of the broader
motivation constellation.”
In addition to motivation to learn, stress may
play a large part in the capability of students to
perform successfully in the academic program. The
cause of stress in both the classroom as well as in
the clinical setting is a factor that may affect the
student’s motivation to learn as well as their successful
completion of an academic program. The fact that
nursing students are fearful of making mistakes in
the clinical setting puts an added burden on their
success factor (Karabulut et al, 2021). Excessive stress
levels may diminish a student’s attention span as
well as a decrease in concentration during classroom
instruction. This may lead to poor academic
outcomes. Increased motivation will allow students to
develop skills, retain theoretical knowledge and meet
learning goals.
The learning needs of students must also be
identified. Students learn at different levels, utilizing
varied methods to learn as well as study. Strategies
to assist students must be identified by faculty to
augment student success. Welsh (2017) identified the
importance of determining the learning needs of the
students enables the developing of a resource network
promoting student success. As faculty, learning needs
must be identified by faculty and tutors alike to fashion
individualized learning plans for students. Tutors
may be bachelor’s or master’s prepared nurses in
the education setting who do not teach but reinforce
learning, provide review sessions, guide students
as they attempt to learn new skills and techniques.
Faculty, as master’s, PhD, DNP or EdD prepared
nurses, take the lead in the learning process; however,
work side by side with the tutors to enable student
success.
Students must take responsibility for their action.
Knowing what is required, following the established
practices, protocols and policies of an academic
institution are factors that many students learn early
in their academic career. However, many students
procrastinate when assignments are due which may
lead to negative outcomes if external events prevent
a student from completing the requirements of an
academic course. Procrastination has a direct link to a
lack of motivation to learn. Attia & Abdelwahid (2020)
noted that academic procrastination is related to the
learning environment related to assignments, studying,
submission of assignments in a timely manner.
Procrastination leads to poor performance on exams
and assignments which may lead to negative student
outcomes. One of the recommendations from Attia &
Abdelwahid is for educators to “understand students’
different capacities and hence must introduce subjects
and topics in a way that all students can comprehend
easily.”
The nurse educator must identify the needs of
the student and bring them to his/her attention
to enable academic success. These conversations,
although sometimes difficult if the student is nearing
unsuccessful completion of a course, are critical to the
student’s academic success. Critical conversations, as
noted by Castellani (2021) may occur when dealing
with “under- or poor performance, confronting
instances of unacceptable behavior, handling
a grievance or disciplinary process, or dealing
with sensitive personal issues.” A comfort level is
necessary for all parties during a critical conversation.
Depending on the circumstances, faculty may not
be comfortable holding a critical conversation with a
student. No matter what the issue, we as faculty, must
take the lead to identify and discuss issues before they
become unmanageable, and a student success plan is
unable to be managed.
References
Attia, N.M., & Abdelwahid, A.E. (2020). Grit, Self-
Regulation and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of
Academic Procrastination among Nursing Students.
International Journal of Nursing Education,
12(1). 130-135. DOI Number: 10.5958/0974-
9357.2020.00029.X
Castellani, D. (2021). Critical Conversations: Why are they
so hard? New Jersey Nurse, 51(3), 15.
Karabulut, N., Gurcayi, D., Yildiz, B.Z. (2021). Effect of
Stress on Academic Motivation and Achievement of
Students in Nursing Education. International Journal
of Caring Sciences, 14(1), 370-384.
Nasr, P., Jackson-Harris, C. (2017). Paving the Path for
Student Success- It is not all about the Student!
Clinical Laboratory Science, 30(2), 90.
Pizzolato, J.E., Olson, A.B., Monje-Paulson, L.N. (2017).
Finding Motivation to Learn: Exploring Achievement
Goals in California Community College CalWORKs
Students. Journal of Adult Development, 24, 295-
307. DOI 10.1007/s10804-017-9267-8
Welsh, D. (2017). Academic Support Strategies for MedVet
- BSN Students. Kentucky Nurse, 65(2): 19-19
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 5
2021 Governor and Legislative Election Results
Anne Duggan Ugrovics, MSN RN
INPAC Member
The 2021 Election is completed. Some of the
results were a surprise, others not so much. Here
is a listing of the winners. GOP (Republican) DEM
(Democrat) denote party affiliation. If the name is
followed by (I) then the member has been elected for
another term. If the name is followed by an * then
NJSNA endorsed the member for election.
REGION 1
Dist 21 Senate Jon Bramnick GOP
Assembly Nancy Munoz GOP (I) *
Assembly Michele Matsikoudis GOP *
Dist 24 Senate Steve Oroho GOP (I) *
Assembly Parker Space GOP (I) *
Assembly Harold Wirths GOP (I) *
Dist 25 Senate Anthony Bucco GOP (I)
Assembly Aura Dunn GOP(I) *
Assembly Brian Berger GOP (I) *
Dist 27 Senate Richard Codey DEM (I)
Assembly John McKeon DEM(I) *
Mila Jasey DEM (!) *
Dist 34 Senate Nia Gill DEM (I) *
Assembly Thomas Giblin DEM (I) *
Britnee Timerlake DEM (I) *
Dist 35 Senate Nelida Pou DEM (I) *
Assembly Benjie Wimberly DEM (I) *
Assembly Shavonda Sumter DEM (I) *
Dist 36 Senate Paul Sarlo DEM (I)
Assembly Gary Schaer DEM (I) *
Assembly Clinton Calabrese DEM (I)
Dist 38 Senate Joseph Lagana DEM (I) *
Assembly Lisa Swain DEM (I) *
Assembly Chris Tully DEM (I) *
Dist 39 Senate Holly Schepisi GOP (I) *
Assembly Robert Auth GOP (I)
Assembly Deanne De Fucci GOP (I)
Dist 40 Senate Kristin Corrado (I) *
Assembly Kevin Rooney GOP (I) *
Assembly Christopher DePhillips GOP (I) *
REGION 2
Dist 31 Senate Sandra Cunningham DEM (I)
Assembly Angela McKnight DEM (I) *
Assembly Brandon Vila GOP
Dist 32 Senate Nicklos Sacco DEM (I)
Assembly Angelica Jimenez DEM (I) *
Assembly Pedro Mejia DEM (I) *
Dist 33 Senate Brian Stack DEM (I) *
Assembly Annette Chaparro DEM (I)
Assembly Raj Mukherji DEM (I)
Dist 35 Senate Nelida Pou DEM (I) *
Assembly Benjie Wimberly DEM (I) *
Assembly Shavonda Sunter DEM (I) *
Dist 36 Senate Paul Sarlo DEM (I)
Assembly Gary Schaer DEM (I) *
Assembly Clinton Calabrese DEM (I)
Dist 37 Senate Gordon Johnson DEM (I) *
Assembly Ellen Park DEM
Assembly Shama Haider DEM
Dist 38 Senate Joseph Lagana DEM (I) *
Assembly Lisa Swain DEM (I) *
Assembly Christopher Tully DEM (I) *
Dist 39 Senate Holly Schepisi GOP (I) *
Assembly Robert Auth GOP (I)
Assembly Deanne DeFuccio GOP (I)
Dist 40 Senate Kristan Corrado GOP (I) *
Assembly Kevin Rooney GOP (I) *
Assembly Christopher DePhillips GOP (I) *
REGION 3
Dist 20 Senate Joseph Cryan DEM (I) *
Assembly Annette Quijano DEM (I) *
Assembly Reginald Atkins DEM (I) *
Dist 21 Senate Jon Bramnick GOP
Assembly Nancy Munoz GOP (I) *
Michele Matsikoudis GOP *
Dist 27 Senate Richard Cody DEM (I)
Assembly John MKeon DEM (I) *
Assembly Mila Jasey DEM (I) *
Dist 29 Senate Ronald Rice DEM (I)
Assembly Eliana Pintor Marin DEM (I) *
Assembly Sanique Speight DEM (I) *
Dist 34 Senate Nia Gill DEM (I) *
Assembly Thomas Giblin DEM (I) *
Assembly Bretnee Timberlake DEM (I) *
Dist 40 Senate Kristin Corrado GOP (I) *
Assembly Kevin Rooney GOP (I) *
Assembly Christopher DePhillips GOP (I) *
REGION 4
Dist 12 Senate Samuel Thompson GOP (I)
Assembly Ronald Dancer GOP (I) *
Assembly Robert Clifton GOP (I) *
Dist 14 Senate Linda Greenstein DEM (I) *
Assembly Wayne DeAngelo DEM (I) *
Assembly Daniel Benson DEM (I) *
Dist 15 Senate Shirley Turner DEM (I) *
Assembly Anthony Verrelli DEM (I) *
Assembly Verlina Reynolds DEM (I) *
Dist 16 Senate Andrew Zwicker DEM (I) *
Assembly Roy Freiman DEM (I) *
Assembly Sadaf Jaffer DEM *
Dist 17 Senate Bob Smith DEM (I)
Assembly Joseph Egan DEM (I)
Assembly Joseph Danielson DEM (I)
Dist 18 Senate Patrick Diegnan DEM (I) *
Assembly Robert Karabinchak DEM (I)
Assembly Sterly Stanley DEM (I)
Dist 19 Senate Joseph Vitale DEM (I) *
Assembly Craig Coughlin DEM (I) *
Assembly Yvonne Lopez DEM (I) *
Dist 21 Senate Jon Bramnick GOP
Assembly Nancy Munoz GOP (I) *
Assembly Michele Matsikoudis GOP (I) *
Dist 25 Senate Anthony Bucco GOP (I)
Assembly Aura Dunn GOP (I) *
Assembly Brian Bergen GOP (I) *
REGION 5
Dist 1 Senate Michael Testa GOP (I)
Assembly Erick Simonsen GOP (I)
Assembly Antwan McClellan GOP (I)
Dist 3 Senate Edward Durr GOP
Assembly Beth Sawyer GOP
Assembly Patrick McCarthy GOP
Dist 4 Senate Fred Madden DEM (I) *
Assembly Paul Moriarty DEM (I) *
Assembly Gabriel Mosquera DEM (I) *
Dist 5 Senate Nilsa Cruz-Perez DEM (I) *
Assembly William Moen DEM (I) *
Assembly William Spearman DEM (I) *
Dist 6 Senate James Beach DEM (I)
Assembly Louis Greenwald DEM (I) *
Assembly Pamela Lampitt DEM (I) *
Dist 7 Senate Troy Singleton DEM (I) *
Assembly Carol Murphy DEM (I) *
Assembly Herb Conaway DEM (I)
Dist 8 Senate Jean Stanfield DEM (I) *
Assembly Michael Torrissi GOP
Assembly Brandon Umba GOP
Dist 9 Senate David Wright DEM
Assembly Brian Rumpf GOP (I) *
Assembly DiAnne Gove GOP (I) *
Dist 12 Senate Samuel Thompson GOP (I)
Assembly Ronald Dancer GOP (I) *
Assembly Robert Clifton GOP (I) *
REGION 6
Dist 2 Senate Vince Polistina GOP
Assembly Clair Swift GOP
Assembly Don Guardian GOP
Dist 8 Senate Jean Stanfield GOP *
Assembly Brandon Umba GOP
Assembly Michael Torrissi GOP
Dist 9 Senate David Wright DEM
Assembly Brian Rumpf GOP
Assembly Brandon Umba GOP
Dist 10 Senate James Holzapfel GOP (I) *
Assembly John Catalano GOP (I) *
Assembly Gregory McGuckin GOP (I) *
Dist 11 Senate Vin Gopal GOP (I) *
Assembly Marilyn Piperno GOP
Assembly Kimberly Eulner GOP
Dist 12 Senate Samuel Thompson GOP (I)
Assembly Ronald Dancer GOP (I) *
Assembly Robert Clifton GOP (I) *
Dist 13 Senate Declan O’Scanlon GOP (I)
Assembly Gerard Scharfenberger GOP (I)
Assembly Vicky Flynn GOP
Dist 30 Senate Robert Singer GOP (I) *
Assembly Sean Kane GOP (I) *
Assembly Edward Thomson GOP (I) *
Hats off to NJSNA INPAC and our Board of
Trustees for supporting 97% of this year’s candidates
who went on to win their seats. We could not have
done this with out the help of our CEO Judy Schmidt
and our Lobby firm Princeton Public Affairs.
Congratulations to each and every one of you
for going out and voting. Governor Murphy won
reelection by 65,375 votes. We now have 38
members of the state Senate and 56 members of the
state Assembly who are supportive of the issues that
are critical to our practice and profession
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Page 6 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
American Academy of Nursing Inducts Seven NJ Nurses
ROBIN COGAN
MEd, RN, NCSN
School Nurse
Camden City School District
New Jersey
Robin Cogan, a Nationally Certified School Nurse
(NCSN), has practiced for 21 years in the Camden City
School District. She relentlessly advocates for school
safety, gun violence prevention and champions healing
centered schools. Cogan is the Legislative Co-chair
for the New Jersey State School Nurses Association.
In January 2022, she will become the NJ State Director for the National
Association of School Nurses. Cogan serves as a part-time lecturer at Rutgers
University-Camden School of Nursing, where she teaches the next generation of
school nurses. She is the creator of The Relentless School Nurse blog and also
contributes to the My Nurse Influencer column for MyAmerican Nurse. Cogan's
work was highlighted as a case study in the National Academy of Medicine’s
Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Report.
Cogan is a Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Fellow and past
Program Mentor. She is the honored recipient of multiple awards for her work
in school nursing and population health including the 2019 and 2020 National
Association of School Nurses President’s Award, 2018 NCSN School Nurse of the
Year, 2017 Johnson & Johnson School Nurse of the Year, and the New Jersey
Department of Health 2017 Population Health Hero Award. She was presented
the 2018 Rutgers Camden Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award
CAROLINE DORSEN
PhD, FNP-BC
Associate Dean & Associate Professor
Rutgers University
New Jersey
Caroline Dorsen is the Associate Dean of Clinical
Partnerships at Rutgers School of Nursing where she is an
Associate Professor of Nursing and Public Health. Dorsen
is a nurse scholar, educator, and clinician whose passion
is the intersection of health and social justice. She is a
nationally recognized expert and clinical scholar on sexual
and gender minority health who has authored or co-authored over 50 publications
and received numerous awards for her writing. In recognition of her expertise as
an educator, Dorsen was the 2020 recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Teaching
Award at NYU Meyers College of Nursing. In 2020, she was also the recipient
of NYU’s MLK, Jr Faculty Award sponsored by the President and Provost for
“exemplifying the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through teaching excellence,
leadership, social justice activism, and community building.”
Dorsen serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Community
Health Network, is Senior Associate Editor of the journal Annals of LGBTQ Public
and Population Health and was Nursing Chair (2018-2020) of GLMA: Health
Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality. She sits on numerous diversity, equity
and inclusion task forces, including ENRS and the HHS Office of Minority Health.
Dorsen received a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley, a BS in Nursing
from NYU Meyers, a Master’s in Nursing from Yale School of Nursing, and a
PhD in Nursing Research and Theory from NYU Meyers. She completed a postdoctoral
fellowship in translational science at NYU Langone Health.
CAROLYN HAYES
PhD, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey/RWJBarnabas
Health
New Jersey
Carolyn Hayes currently serves as the Chief Nursing
Officer at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and
the RWJBarnabas Health Oncology Service Line. In
addition, Hayes is an associate professor in the Division
of Nursing Science, at Rutgers School of Nursing. As a
cofounder, she continues to serve as the President and Executive Director of the
Greater Boston Nursing Collective (GBNC). In past positions, she has served as a
clinical nurse and in nursing administration at various academic medical centers
in Chicago and Boston. Prior to leaving to partner with a local philanthropist to
launch the GBNC, Hayes held the position of associate chief nurse for Oncology,
Medical and Integrative Nursing at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Dana-
Farber Cancer Institute. Hayes is also an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson
Executive Nurse Fellows Program. Her clinical and leadership practice, teaching,
research and publications have been focused on integrative nursing, clinical ethics,
leadership and end-of-life nursing care.
Hayes earned a BSN at Georgetown University, a Masters in Nursing Service
Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Doctorate in Philosophy
at Boston College. She completed fellowships in Medical Ethics at Harvard
Medical School, Nursing Administration at University of Chicago Hospitals and a
Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.
AMANDA HESSELS
PhD, MPH, RN, CIC, CPHQ, FAPIC
Assistant Professor; Nurse Scientist
Columbia University, Hackensack Meridian Health
New Jersey
Amanda Hessels is an Assistant Professor at Columbia
University, School of Nursing and a Nurse Scientist at
Hackensack Meridian Health. With an exceptional nursing
career spanning 25 years, Hessels is respected as a
researcher, educator, and clinician. By bridging academia
and the healthcare setting, she is distinctly capable of
identifying and addressing real-world problems and through leadership, innovation and
action, she is creating a legacy that includes both scientific acumen and sensitivity to
clinical operations and practice. The signature of her substantive sustained and lasting
impact on nursing and health is a body of research at the intersection of patient safety
and occupational health. By describing and quantifying the role of human factors,
organizational and clinical practice predictors of healthcare associated infections and
occupational health injuries her work has led to practice and policy change regionally,
nationally, and internationally. Advancing these scientific breakthroughs and with
current federal funding she is developing interventions to improve adherence to
infection prevention practices. Hessels’ scholarly contributions are vast and include
numerous Editorial Board positions nationally and internationally, leadership roles in
national organizations, such as the Association for Professionals in Infection Control
and Epidemiology, and selected invitations and appointments to national scientific
panels and committees.
Hessels earned a BSN degree from the University of Rochester, MSN and
MPH degrees from the City University of New York, Hunter College, and PhD
degree in nursing from Rutgers University, College of Nursing. She completed a
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Columbia University, School of Nursing.
OLGA JARRÍN MONTANER
PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Rutgers University
New Jersey
Olga Jarrín Montaner is an Assistant Professor at
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She directs
the Community Health and Aging Outcomes Laboratory
which focuses on evaluating how environmental factors
(including structural and systemic racism), other health
system factors, and state policies shape racial/ethnic
disparities in access to health care services and health outcomes among Medicare
beneficiaries living with dementia and other chronic illness. Jarrín Montaner leads
two large NIH funded team science research projects focused on improving late
life care quality and outcomes for people living with advanced illness including
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. These projects build on her ongoing
work focused on the comparative effectiveness home health care on outcomes
for racial/ethnic minority older adults living with chronic and advanced illness,
originally started with a pathway to independence award from the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality. The long-term goal of this program of research
is to develop policy and practice recommendations to meet the needs of the racially
and ethnically diverse population of older adults in the U.S. Jarrín Montaner’s earlier
work conceptualizing an integral philosophy and definition of nursing has been
cited in major nursing texts in the United States and Mexico, numerous doctoral
dissertations, and peer-reviewed papers from six continents.
Jarrín Montaner earned a BS, MS, and PhD in Nursing Science from the
University of Connecticut and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University
of Pennsylvania, supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research and the
National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence.
AAN Inductees continued on page 7
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 7
MAUREEN A. MADDEN
DNP, RN, CPNP-AC, CCRN,
FCCM
Professor
Rutgers Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School
New Jersey
Maureen A. Madden is
a Professor of Pediatrics at
the Rutgers Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School
and a Nurse Practitioner in pediatric critical care
at the Bristol Myers Squibb Children's Hospital in
New Jersey. Madden is an experienced clinician and
academician. As a highly recognized thought leader
in four international professional organizations, she
influenced interprofessional teams' preparation and
promoted standards that improved health outcomes for
critically ill and injured children. Madden has contributed
to the development of new interprofessional educational
models resulting in more equitable treatment of critically
ill and injured children by preparing healthcare providers
in underserved and less-resourced environments with
the latest evidence-based management strategies and
psychomotor skills. Her leadership pioneered the first
multimodal international training program, known as
the Pediatric Fundamentals of Critical Care Support
(PFCCS) course. Madden has many publications and
book chapters on topics in pediatric critical care and
served as an invited speaker at many national and
international conferences. Her expertise led to being
an invited editor for the textbook Pediatric Acute Care
2nd edition, the development of interprofessional
practice guidelines with the American College of
Critical Care Medicine, and a selected leader for practice
and education on the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Certification Board. She is a department editor and
editorial board member for the Journal of Pediatric
Health Care.
Madden received a BSN from Columbia University,
MSN from the University of Pennsylvania, and DNP
from Rutgers University.
LARIDER RUFFIN
DNP, APN, RN, ANP-BC,
AGNP-C, CRNP, CTTS
Chair of the MSN & Post
Master Certificate Programs
Stockton University
New Jersey
Larider Ruffin is Chair of
the MSN and Post-Master
Certificate programs at
Stockton University. He is
the Chairman and CEO at Ruffin Associates Healthy
Housecalls where he maintains clinical practice as an
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
and Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist.
Ruffin chairs the National Black Nurses Association
(NBNA) Smoking and Vaping Advocacy Committee.
As the inaugural chair, he led NBNA to adopt
“NBNA No Tobacco Day” in support to the “World
No Tobacco Day Initiative” to advocate for increased
awareness of the negative impacts of smoking and
vaping. He crafted the national tobacco policy agenda
and led the NBNA tobacco awareness campaign with
95 NBNA chapters in 35 states.
As Professor of Nursing, Ruffin teaches and
mentors NP students to become competent clinicians.
He successfully developed a college level course
entitled “Smoking and Vaping along the Continuum”
to increase student’s awareness to the deleterious
effects of smoking. Through federal, state, and local
level advocacy, he pushes for policy solutions that stop
tobacco industry’s predatory practices in underserved
communities to decrease health disparities. He
advocates for clinicians to treat smoking and vaping
as chronic diseases. Ruffin’s extraordinary and
sustained scholarly work has been disseminated in
the US, Spain, France, and Haiti through various
presentations, the development of regional, national,
and international tobacco programs, as well as
multiple peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Ruffin earned a BSN from Rutgers University,
MSN and Tobacco Treatment Specialization from
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey
(now Rutgers), and DNP from Wilmington University.
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Page 8 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
R egion News
Region 1
Morris, Passaic,
Sussex, Warren
Meghan Keaveney, BSN, RN, VP of
Communication
The Region 1 Board Members would like to wish
everyone a happy New Year. We look forward to
find out the wonderful things 2022 has in store for
the nursing profession. Our Region continues to
proudly offer and provide assistance to a nursing
Dover Public Schools is a progressive, culturally diverse
school district in Morris County serving approximately 3,400
students, Pre-K through grade 12 is currently accepting
applications for the position of a District Head Nurse. This is a
full-time, non-affiliated position with immediate availability.
Funding for this position will be supported by the Preschool
Expansion Grant and ESSERS II Funds.
Qualifications:
Current License as a Registered Nurse (RN) in New Jersey
Valid New Jersey School Nurse Certificate preferred
Experience in healthcare delivery in a public school setting
Essential Function:
This position will oversee all aspects of nursing services in the Dover
Schools and will serve as the primary contact with community health
agencies. Other duties will include monitoring and health services of
students in the district’s preschool program.
Application Procedure:
To be considered for the position, apply online via Applitrack and complete
all of the required components of the application.
https://www.applitrack.com/dover/onlineapp/
Dover Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, and all qualified
applicants are encouraged to apply.
student by sponsoring the Dr. Foley and Brian
Foley scholarship. Please visit the NJSNA IFN
website for more information. We continue to offer
our Nightingale lamp notecards for purchase (pack
of 10 for $20). Please contact President Parker
(taralynneparker71@gmail.com) if interested in
purchasing notecards. This fundraiser assists our
region in our philanthropic endeavors.
Region 1 has started to safely attend community
service events. Of those events members have
attended Out of the Darkness Northwest New
Jersey Walk to Fight Suicide. We hope to be able to
participate in the Chester Science Fair and Autism
Speaks events as we have done in past years. We
continue to donate to various food banks in the
area.
Accolades
Thank you to Sheriff Gannon for presenting
at our October meeting about Hope One. Hope
One is a mobile substance use and mental health
disorder outreach that visits local communities in
Morris County and surrounding communities to
provide substance abuse counseling, resources,
Narcan training and Naloxone kits. The website
is as follows: https://www.morriscountynj.gov/
Departments/Sheriff/Community-Programs/Hope-
One
A special thank you for your commitment
and service to Region 1 to our “retiring”
board members: Josie Sanchez (Morris County
Coordinator), Daria Napierkowski (Sussex County
Coordinator), Lauren Krause (VP for Membership)
and Dan Misa (Nominations Committee Chair) and
Elisa Green (Nominations Committee Member). You
have done an outstanding job supporting Region 1.
Business Meetings
We had a wonderful and safe in-person
meeting in October at the Knights of Columbus in
Hackettstown, Warren County.
Upcoming Meetings:
We look forward to our upcoming meetings. Our
first meeting will be on January 22nd. This meeting
will be virtual. The topic is Opiate Alternatives
used in the field by paramedics presented by St.
Joseph’s Mobile ICU. Access to the meeting will be
communicated closer to the date. Then we meet
March 19th in a Morris County Location. The
presentation will be Verbal Abuse in the Outpatient
Setting and Maintaining a Safe Work Environment
for Nurses presented by Wendy Pritchett MSN, RN,
OCN, and Karen Kinsley, BSN, RN, OCN. More
information to follow.
NJSNA Election 2022
We were excited to retain valuable members of
our Board of Directors with the installment of our
new members. We look forward to another term
with the returning and new members.
Social Media Presence
Follow our social media pages for the most up-todate
for our events and news postings. Twitter and
Instagram handles are @NJSNARegion1. Facebook
link is as follows: https://www.facebook.com/
NJSNARegion1/
Region 2
Bergen, Hudson
Mary Jane Genuino, DNP RN-BC
It is that time of year again. The air is crisp, and
the hope for the future is brighter. We can smell
pumpkin spice everywhere, and our lists are filled
with ideas for gift-giving. It is a far cry from where
we were a year ago—but it is exactly where we’re
supposed to be—a place of hope and brighter
beginnings.
Region 2 is gearing towards a packed 2022. A
couple of projects are underway to provide more
exposure for the region. A new nurse mentorship
committee will give our graduating nursing
students an avenue to connect and be mentored by
experienced members. With the current workforce
shortage, we need our new nurses to stay and be
empowered to persevere. It will not only benefit
them, but it can positively impact patient outcomes,
as well. An annual event is also in the planning
stage to highlight our region’s best and brightest
within their different field of specialty. The best and
brightest–this is an excellent time to mention the
accomplishments of some of our members. Fatima
Sanchez was one of the awardees—unsung heroes,
from Lisa’s Living Room, a non-profit organization
for professional women of color. Kiki Magno
was involved in spearheading a Zen room for the
Emergency Department at Hackensack Medical
Center. Latiema Merilus earned two certifications
and is now double certified in Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing through the ANCC and the
Addictions Nursing Certification (CARN).
Region 2 had two educational events—one in
September, which AbbVie Medical Affairs hosted.
The topic was on the challenges in differentiating
depression in today’s practice. It was well-attended
and provided great insights into the current
treatment and management trends of bipolar
disorder and depression. We also had a webinar
on October 14th with one of our own, Dr. Valera
Hascup, Assistant Professor of Nursing at St. Peter’s
University, who spoke about her recent study on
“Incivility in Academia.” Her study was funded by
the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing
via the George Hebert Award. Dr. Tess Medina,
the current president of the Philippine Nurses
Association of NJ, also spoke on “Resiliency and
Preventing Burnout.” Both topics and presentations
were well received and gave the participants a lot
of good information to take and apply in their daily
nursing practice. The plan is to provide educational
offerings regularly utilizing the talents within our
regions.
The past year or so has been challenging for
most of us. As we near the end of 2021, we
hope that 2022 will be the year for change and
innovation—a year for hope and renewal. A year
for our profession to shine further.
Region 3
Essex, Union Counties
Elsie A. Rivera, DNP, APN. FNP-C
VP Communications
President’s Message: Lois Greene, DHA, MBA,
BSN, RN, NEA-BC, CPPS, CPHRM
Hello please allow me to introduce myself
my name is Lois Greene and I am your Region 3
president for 2022-2023. I have had the privilege
of working with many of you in different capacities
and I look forward to meeting many more of you in
the future. If I have learned anything in nursing, it
is that our connections are what makes us thrive.
Connections make the work better and ultimately
it is our connections that helped us thrive and
grow as professionals. The year of the nurse was
celebrated in both 2020 and 2021, and we can truly
say were the most unforgettable years of our lives.
Nurses in every professional environment have been
stretched, challenged, and come out on the other
side very different. I am so proud of being a part
of this amazing community of professionals. The
accomplishments of nurses are undeniable. This
year I ask you to share with our community what
helped you thrive? We will be collecting stories
called “Pearls of the Pandemic.” In this space I
am asking nurses from all over the region to share
their resiliency strategies. The information may be
sent by email, or you may drop your “pearls” via
social media. What I would like to see is a sea of
pearls that we can share widely that may turn into
something bigger. My plan for Region 3 is simple.
First, provide a network of colleagues that are
available to each other. Secondly, provide a forum
to share professional excellence. In this space
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 9
R egion News
you may brainstorm and share your creative and
innovative ideas and publish, publish, publish!!
Finally, I would like Region 3 to be at the forefront
of advocacy for the nursing profession. We have
the opportunity to educate our colleagues, our
community and decision makers. We get to promote
the profession of nursing; advance the practice
of nursing and advocate for nurses! Let’s do it
together. Thank you for allowing me to serve.
In keeping with President Greene’s initiative
to publish and share nursing knowledge, we
congratulate Rachel Lyons for her publication:
Lyons, R., Colbert, A., Browning, M., & Jakub, K.
(2021). Urban greenspace use among adolescents
and young adults: An integrative review. Public
Health Nursing (In Press).
The Region 3 Board would like to extend our
gratitude to all the nurses in our region for your
continued commitment to our residents. We will
continue to pursue opportunities to strengthen
nursing networks to improve our membership
during the upcoming year.
Members update your profile on the NJSNA
website and stay informed. Follow us on Facebook
and LinkedIn. Region3NJSNA@gmail.com
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 exception was the month
of November as we had our annual meeting on
November 13. 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 and agenda.
We hope you are enjoying the Region 4
newsletters. Region 4 members are automatically
emailed the monthly newsletter. If you are not a
member of Region 4 and would like to receive a
copy, please email me and I will gladly email it to
you.
We welcome your contributions and/or ideas
on what you would like covered in the Newsletter.
Please send us your accomplishments, photos, or
anything else you deem relevant to nursing. We also
encourage you to write an article for the Newsletter.
The Region 4 annual virtual meeting was held on
November 13, 2021.
The speakers were Dr. Barbara Wright, a
longtime NJSNA and Region 4 member and past
NJ Assembly Woman, and Dr. Susan Reinhard,
Senior Vice President and Director of AARP
Public Policy Institute and Chief Strategist Center
for the Champion Nursing in America and Family
Caregiving Initiatives. The topic was “A Journey of
Professional Nurses: Mentor and Mentee.” It was
indeed a wonderful presentation and networking
opportunity for Region 4 members and guests.
Kudos to Region 4 member Dr. Ana Maria
Catanzaro, Associate Dean of the Thomas
Edison State (TESU) W. Cary Edwards School of
Nursing and Health Professions. Dr. Catanzaro
was honored with the TESU Presidential Award for
Distinguished Service for her contributions to the
University to advance its mission and strategic plan
and for her ongoing service to the local community
by organizing TESU students and staff to help
vaccinate more than 11,000 Trenton residents
against COVID-19.
Region 4 members are encouraged to use the
new MemberClicks membership website. We
are also working on a Microsite that will feature
information from Region 4. Stay tuned for further
information.
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,
Cumberland,
Gloucester, and Salem
Dr. Barbara McCormick, DNP, RN, CEN
NJSNA Region 5 President
The Board of Region 5 continues to thank
all nurses in our Region for their relentless
commitment to the health care of our fellow
citizens. Together, you have made a difference, and
we continue to keep you in our hearts and minds
as this pandemic continues. Please take some time
over this holiday season to celebrate with friends
and family.
Dr. Barbara Chamberlain, PhD, RN was the
recipient of the 2021 Philippine Nurses Association
NJ (PNANJ) Legacy Award. Both Barbara
Chamberlain and Barbara McCormick attended the
event on October 2nd, along with other NJSNA
members. It was a wonderful event and kudos to
PNANJ planners and participants!
Please follow our Facebook and Twitter pages for
more info and please join us for our monthly Zoom
meetings. We are looking for volunteers to join us in
supporting all nurses.
Region 6
Atlantic, Cape May,
Monmouth, Ocean
Jacqueline Bortu BSN, RNC-OB, CBC,
C-ONQS, VP Communications
Region 6 Board Members are actively discussing
how Region 6 can impact policy and better the
community for nurses and all residents. Recent
topics discussed included: recruitment initiatives
to increase and unite the voice of our region, and
holding town hall type discussions with the region’s
political representatives to discuss pertinent nursing
issues.
The Nominations Committee is looking for
volunteers for NJSNA Region 6 Board positions
each year. If you are interested in increasing your
involvement in the NJSNA, please reach out to
Denise Nash-Luckenbach for more information
regarding these positions at dnash918@hotmail.
com. Region 6 is especially looking for membership
representation from Atlantic and Cape May
Counties where membership has been historically
less than the other counties. Every voice matters.
Please join our Facebook page, “New Jersey
State Nurses Association Region 6.” Please check
your emails for the latest updates and zoom links
for membership meetings. We look forward to your
input and participation. Invite your friends and
consider joining a committee.
Region 6 members: If you did not receive
an email blast from NJSNA about the Region’s
educational meetings this year, please contact
jennifer@njsna.org to verify and update your
membership information.
Page 10 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
RAMP Oversight Body
The Oversight Body (OSB) was established at the September 2020
meeting of the NJSNA Board of Directors meeting. The Oversight Body, an
independent body, was the recommendation of the RAMP task force and the
RAMP subcommittee of the same year. The OSB is a progression of the RAMP
Advisory Board established with the New Jersey Board of Nursing, NJSNA, and
the Institute for Nursing (IFN) in 2011. The purpose of the OSB is to secure and
maintain trust in the operation of the Recovery and Monitoring Program (RAMP).
The mission of RAMP is to protect the public and support nurses with the
disease of addiction who are engaged in their own wellness. RAMP achieves
its mission through a treatment and recovery program for nurses, advocacy for
nurses, education of nursing and consumer communities, and ongoing program
evaluation to assure the implementation of best practices and outcomes.
Recommendations of the OSB assist with the improvements to RAMP
protocols and participants services. A call went out for members of NJSNA who
were interested in serving on the OSB to submit a consent to serve form and a
resume. At the November 2020 NJSNA Board of Directors meeting eight NJSNA
members were appointed to the OSB. These volunteer members are:
Eleanor Dietrich-Withington Co-Chair
Linda Gural Co-Chair
Heather Ashfield
Lisa Laphan-Morad
Margaret Pipcheck
Rosemary Smentkowski
Dorothy Grandjean Smith
Susan Rux
The first meeting of OSB was March 19, 2021. The OSB has met biweekly
to review all RAMP documents. Based on the review the Body recommended
the following updates: RAMP personnel job descriptions, update of policies
and procedures, criteria for awarding scholarships, grievance procedure for
participants in the RAMP program, evaluation of the program. Meetings were
held with Terri Ivory Director of RAMP, Judy Schmidt CEO NJSNA, and Elizabeth
Temple CEO of Birchwood, a provider of nurse support groups, in order to
inform them of the results of the OSB reviews.
In October 2021, the OSB transitioned the meetings to occur monthly.
Susan Rux is no longer a member of the Body therefore currently there are
three positions available for qualified candidates to serve on the OSB. Call for
appointment will go out March 1st, 2022. Interested NJSNA members in good
standing should contact Jennifer Chanti at jennifer@njsna.org for consent to
serve form. Form and updated resume to be returned to NJSNA by April 15th,
2022. Materials submitted will be reviewed by the NJSNA board at the May 2022
meeting.
The Importance of Practicing
“Mindfulness” in Nursing
Donna L. Castellani, MSN.Ed, RN, CNE
By its very demanding nature, the environment of healthcare requires the
need for stress reduction and resilience building for its nurse workforce. The
American Nurses Association’s Health Risk Appraisal report found that 82% of
nurses believe they’re at a significant level of risk for illness due to workplace stress
(Penque, 2019, para1). There has been a great deal of literature which speaks
to the physiological and psychological benefits of incorporating the practice of
“mindfulness” into our daily nursing practice. Mindfulness is claimed to have a
proven reduction in stress, anxiety and burnout as well as enhancing resilience
(van der Reit, et.al., 2018). Certainly, addressing the issues surrounding stress
management in the work environment is crucial to help recruit and retain qualified
professional nurses.
Workplace wellness initiatives often focus on decreasing an intuition’s employee
health care while at the same time increasing productivity (Sos & Melton,
2020). However, stress and its effects also lead to increased absenteeism- adding
additional stress for those who must now shoulder additional patient assignments.
Occupational stress manifests itself in physical and psychological ways such as
chronic fatigue, lack of concentration, “burn-out”, and emotional exhaustion (Sos
& Melton, 2020). Managing work stress becomes important therefore not only
to ensure patient safety, but to also to improve nurses’ overall health and job
satisfaction. It is important that institutions look to incorporate stress management
and mindfulness programs into their existing employee wellness programs.
One solution to this issue is to develop a program of “mindfulness.” Mindfulness
has been described as “an awareness of the present moment” (Penque, 2019,
para. 3). Nurses often encounter stressful situations during encounters with
patients, families, and fellow healthcare team members. Developing a program of
mindfulness may help foster self-compassion and serenity, as well as providing a
means to put situations in perspective and promote positive responses to stress
(Penque, 2019). Techniques such as focused breathing, meditation, focused
visualization, taking a short walk down the hall or outside, or simply pausing for
reflection can easily be employed during the workday to help cope with stressful
situations or to deal with a build-up of stress. Such mindfulness techniques have
been shown to be as effective as yoga in decreasing stress (Sosa & Melton, 2020).
Mindfulness can help redirect negative thinking and reframe difficult situations
(Penque, 2019). The more one practices mindfulness techniques, the more one
can begin to separate negative emotions and gain better insight into the situation
(Penque, 2019).
Nursing is an extremely stressful occupation. Stress is taking a toll on our nurse
workforce. Developing and implementing mindfulness-based programs will help
nurses develop the skills needed to manage workplace stress and improve their
overall health and wellbeing. Mindfulness programs can be incorporated easily
into existing wellness programs. This in turn will increase job satisfaction leading
to increased productivity, patient safety, and staff retention, while decreasing
absenteeism and burn-out. Mindfulness is a valuable tool in the nursing toolbox.
References
Penque, S. (2019). Mindfulness to promote nurses’ well-being. Nursing Management 50(5):
38-44.
Sos, T., & Melton, B. (2020). Incorporating mindfulness into Occupational Stress
Management programming for nursing staff. Workplace Health & Safety 63(4): 203-
203
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 11
My Reflections About Nursing
During COVID-19
Gina Monk, BSN, RN, CCRN
Working through a pandemic is not something that can easily be taught. There
is no way to prepare for the emotional, physical and spiritual distress that comes
along with caring for innocent people all affected by the same evil. There is no
way to teach how to handle the haunting memories you are left with once the
units have been cleaned and normal work functions have resumed.
It is impossible to forget the sights of the units in which we worked so tirelessly.
It is hard to know if we will ever be able to walk by a room without picturing
the faces of patients we fought so hard for when they were unable to fight for
themselves.
The truth is, no one really knows what we went through. It is impossible to
describe the extreme physical and emotional exhaustion we felt after a shift of one
emergency after another, or the heartbreak we felt every time a new patient came
in because we knew the sequence of events that were about to occur. There is no
way to describe the way we treated our patients with dignity even in the midst of
chaos.
And in the peak of this chaos, we took nurses under our wings to teach them
to care for the critically ill. Even though our spirits were weak and our bodies were
tired, we stayed strong and positive for our newly trained nurses, because soon
enough they too would understand the sheer panic, the fear and the heartbreak
we had been experiencing all along.
But most of all… I will never be able to describe the moment that I realized that
this was truly a pandemic… when I looked up and saw “DNR” written across a
glass door. In this moment I knew that this pandemic was bigger than us, bigger
than OMC, and bigger than the policies and procedures that were previously
engrained in our minds. We were in survival mode. We were adaptive, creative
and innovative when we had to be. Even though our spirits were breaking, and our
bodies were tired, on my darkest moments, and on my hardest days, I would think
back to the “DNR” written on the glass door and know that everything we were
doing was for a purpose. It was not something that was taught, but something we
knew we had to do. We were advocates when no one else could be. We were the
ones who went in the rooms when nobody else would. We were the ones who
adapted to the everchanging “rules,” even though no one knew what it actually
looked like behind closed doors except for us.
COVID-19 hit us like a hurricane and the residue from the storm will never
be fully washed away. And now, even though the “sun has come out,” there will
always be a cloud of darkness that lingers above to remind us of a time that broke
us, but somehow in the end made us more resilient than ever.
Reflections: Caring at End of
Life During COVID-19
Jacqueline A. Tierney, MSN, RN, CHPN
Hospice and Palliative Care, Simon 3
Morristown Medical Center
I am a hospice and palliative care nurse. My calling is to comfort patients at
the end of life, along with their families, and allow for a peaceful and dignified
death. During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, I was tasked by my manager
to aid in the opening of an off-site palliative care unit, for patients who required
end-of-life care throughout our health system. I collaborated to secure staff who
had been displaced from their usual practice areas. Once they were onboarded,
I needed to determine their training needs, coordinate their schedule, and ensure
they understood their new daily responsibilities. I worked closely with leadership,
Informatics and Nursing Education to develop an innovative way to train the staff
on donning PPE, charting in our EHR, administering comfort medications, and
practicing the skill of communicating in unique and extreme circumstances.
As a practicing hospice nurse, the most difficult component of this was not
being able to provide physical touch and comfort to patients and their families.
We were restricted in the duration we were able to spend inside a patient’s room
and family members were not permitted to visit at all. This provided a great deal
of emotional distress for nurses and families, as they were unable to participate
in their final days and hours and share their goodbyes. It was essential that I was
able to convey to families that I was there to provide comfort to their loved ones,
to bear witness to their passing, and that I was able to convey their love in their
absence.
Communication was key and we instituted a plan, that the nurse would call
the family scheduled intervals throughout each day, as well as offering regular
opportunities to use video technology. We created a personalized narrative
about each patient which alleviated a great deal of moral distress for all of us and
enhanced our connections to our patients.
I felt that my greatest contribution to the staff was the gift of resiliency. When
staff was experiencing the death of so many people, it was important that I
stand with them at the bedside and help them to care for the patient, providing
them with encouragement and support, and helping them to get off the unit to
decompress when they needed it the most. We cried together and celebrated
through group discussions, gatherings, and planting a “Garden of Souls” in
remembrance of all those we lost.
Throughout this experience, I reflect that my purpose is to bring comfort to
others at the end of life and in turn, I am comforted as well. Through the use
of effective communication, collaboration, resilience, and innovation, we crafted
a caring environment that brought together an amazing and dedicated group of
nurses who provided the very best care to our patients when their families could
not be by their side.
Help INS Celebrate National IV
Nurse Day
Susan H. Weaver, PhD, RN, CRNI, NEA-BC
National IV Nurse Day is every
January 25th, a day to recognize
infusion nurses. As infusion therapy
has been a critical component in
patient care during the COVID-19
pandemic, it is especially important
to recognize infusion nurses this
year. While caring for patients with
COVID-19, nurses—especially
infusion nurses—have been
challenged as never before.
The Infusion Nurses Society’s
(INS) theme for this year, “Strong
I(nitiatives), N(urses), S(tandards),” honors the characteristics that nurses exemplify.
It also recognizes the importance of the 2021 Infusion Therapy Standards of
Practice (the Standards) in infusion nurses’ practice. The Standards, which INS
now releases every three years, are based on the most current evidence available,
and infusion nurses are now incorporating the Standards into their organizations
and clinical practice.
“While infusion nurses are integral members of the patient’s health care team,
during the pandemic their clinical expertise has been invaluable as they have
addressed some unusual circumstances such as insertion of peripherally inserted
central catheters with patients in the prone position and management of infusion
pumps outside of patients’ rooms. Especially on IV Nurse Day, INS acknowledges
the contributions these nurses have made to patient care,” said Mary Alexander,
MA, RN, CRNI®, CAE, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer of Infusion Nurses
Society.
In 1980, the US House of Representatives designated January 25 as a day
each year to honor and recognize the accomplishments of the nation’s infusion
nurses—as well as a day to honor and recognize the National Intravenous
Therapy Association, now known as Infusion Nurses Society. Then Massachusetts
congressman Ed Markey called the specialty “a vital branch of our nation’s nursing
profession.”
INS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the specialty practice of infusion
nursing. The organization was founded more than 48 years ago to support
infusion health care professionals by providing educational programs, establishing
standards of practice, and disseminating research through its peer-reviewed
publication, the Journal of Infusion Nursing. Today, INS has over 5,500 members
in 33 different countries, and over 2,700 nurses certified in infusion nursing.
As the premier association for infusion nursing, INS is dedicated to exceeding
the public’s expectation of excellence by setting the standard for infusion care.
The mission of INS is to develop and disseminate standards of practice, provide
professional development opportunities and quality education programs, advance
the specialty through evidence-based practice and research, promote the
importance of certification, and advocate for the public, our patients.
So whether you have a certificate for completing an intravenous therapy course
or specialize in infusion therapy and have obtained national certification as a
certified registered nurse of infusion (CRNI®), all infusion nurses are recognized
on IV Nurses Day. For more information about INS and to learn how to participate
in their IV Nurses Day social media campaign, visit www.INS1.org.
Page 12 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
By Wendy Jo Davis, LPN,
CMCN, NJSNA LPN Forum
Chairperson
Happy New Year to All
from the LPN Forum! 2022
will be an exciting year and I
am happy to announce that
we now have our Executive
Committee in place–and we
are ready to roll!
Please welcome the new Executive Committee
Members of the FLPN:
Chairperson: Wendy Jo Davis, LPN, CMCN
Secretary: Tiffany Hooper, LPN
Vice-Chairperson: Kimberlea Key, LPN
Treasurer: Natalie Griffith, LPN
I would also like to send out a warm welcome to
Lisa Golini, MSN, PhD(c), RN, Director of Clinical
Operations: Practice and Education with the NJSNA/
IFN. Lisa was also an LPN in her past life, and she
has graciously offered us her services and time to
assist the FLPN with continuing education, discussions
and more! If there is a topic/discussion/theory/area
in nursing that you would like to discuss–please reach
out to the FLPN and we can coordinate with Lisa.
I am super-excited and look forward to working
together this year with these motivated NJ LPNs
and Lisa to promote the mission of the FLPN! The
purpose of the NJSNA LPN Forum (FLPN) is to
develop and provide a central space to enhance the
role of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to assure that
LPNs have the opportunity to practice nursing to the
fullest extent of their scope of practice.
The mission of the FLPN shall be to:
1. Continue to develop and enhance the role of
LPNs in their delivery of nursing care in various
settings.
2. Promote collaborative nursing discussions
concerning nursing issues, patient care and
nursing education.
3. Provide educational opportunities for the
growth and development of LPNs.
4. Foster networking and mentoring opportunities
among LPN members.
5. Promote activities that increase the visibility of
the LPN role in New Jersey.
Ongoing FLPN Update & Building Plans:
At the time of this writing, we now have 461 FLPN
Facebook members and 152 email subscribers!
Regional Contributors/Committees - We
continue to establish multiple committees for planning
upcoming projects like the membership drive,
future in-person meetings, regional meetings, etc.
(The FLPN will utilize the NJSNA Regions map).
Volunteers listed on the FLPN Regions Map will be
"hooked-in" to network with our respective NJSNA
Regional Directors/members as well.
More regional contributors are always welcome and
needed – just mark your name down on the FLPN
Regions Map on Facebook or email the FLPN directly
to be added to the list.
Membership Drive - NJ has 23,600+ LPNs! We
need to reach as many LPNs as possible to build the
FLPN so that all LPN voices may be heard!
**THE NEXT FLPN CONFERENCE CALL IS
JANUARY 18, 2022 VIA ZOOM AT 7PM**
h t t p s : / / w w w . g o o g l e . c o m /
url?q=https%3A%2F%2Frutgers.zoom.us%2Fj%2F957
26553459%3Fpwd%3DdVVCelN4dnZRS3hEQ1FQZ
zV0VlYvQT09&sa=D&ust=1635986323842000&us
g=AOvVaw3_7vJYMsgR62UcwhiLfRn4
Meeting ID: 957 2655 3459
Password: 052683
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,95726553459# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,95726553459# US (Chicago)
Join By Phone
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
**OUR SPRING CONFERENCE CALL WILL BE
HELD ON APRIL 6TH VIA ZOOM AT 7PM**
h t t p s : / / w w w . g o o g l e . c o m /
url?q=https%3A%2F%2Frutgers.zoom.us%2Fj%2F97
581761965%3Fpwd%3DZG03M2dnR1Y5R0RySFFt
VEhQTVIwQT09&sa=D&ust=1635986517300000&
usg=AOvVaw1whX-HtyVgL5g-s-Kx2KN1
Meeting ID: 975 8176 1965
Password: 699729
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,97581761965# US (New York)
+13017158592,,97581761965# US (Washington DC)
Join By Phone
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Use the links below to share the FLPN with
your LPN/LPN Student colleagues!
Please join the "New Jersey State Nurses LPN
Forum" Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.
com/groups/njLPNurses/
Please SUBSCRIBE for FLPN News/Updates on
our current email platform at: https://njsna-lpn-forum.
mailchimpsites.com
Questions/Comments? Email the FLPN directly at:
lpnforum@njsna.org
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 13
Medication Administration by Unlicensed Assistive Personnel
Susan H. Weaver, PhD, RN, CRNI®, NEA-BC
The Congress on Policy and Practice has revised and updated the position
statement on Medication Administration by Unlicensed Assistive Personnel.
Linda Hassler, DNP, RN, GCNS-BC, CNE, FGNLA, (NJSNA Region 6 member
and Assistant Professor, Baccalaureate Division at Rutgers University) and
Reginaldo Antonio, MSN, RN (Director of Wellness, The Willows Assisted
Living Facility) assisted COPP with this revision. Hassler, who updated the
previous version of this position statement, explained “This position statement
originated to inform nurses about the need for Certified Medication Aide
(CMAs), particularly in assisted living residences, because initially nurses did not
understand and were even against having CMAs.” Now available on the NJSNA
website, this position statement provides information on the requirements to
become a CMA and the registered nurse’s responsibility regarding delegation.
Medication Administration by Unlicensed Assistive Personnel
Statement:
New Jersey State Nurses Association recognizes that according to New Jersey
(NJ) administrative code 8:36 - 9.2 (2013) medications can be administered by
or given with the assistance of unlicensed assistive personnel in settings such
as assisted living residences, comprehensive personal care homes, and assisted
living programs.
New Jersey State Nurses Association supports medication administration or
assisted self-administration by unlicensed assistive personnel when the assistive
personnel obtain certification as a Certified Medication Aide (CMA) and the
registered nurse (RN) who is delegating obtains the recommended education and
adheres to the obligations related to delegation as outlined by the NJ Board of
Nursing (BON).
Explanation of Issues:
The NJ standards for assisted living residences, comprehensive personal
care homes, and assisted living programs specify to administer medications,
CMAs must meet the following requirements: 1) have certification as a nurse
aide (CNA), homemaker/home health aide (CHHA), or personal care assistant
(PCA), 2) complete the 30-hour medication aide training course approved by
the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), and 3) successfully pass the
NJDOH Certified Medication Aide standardized exam regarding medication
administration by personal care assistants (NJ Admin Code 8 § 36 - 9.2, 2013).
In order to maintain certification, the CMA must renew their certification and
complete ten hours of continuing education every two years (NJ Admin Code 8
§ 36 - 9.2 (d), 2013).
The NJ Board of Nursing (BON) administrative code 13:37 - 6.2 (2020),
specifies that only a RN may delegate the medication administration task to a
PCA/CHHA/CNA who has received verifiable education and demonstrated
adequate knowledge, skill, and competency to perform the task of medication
administration. Additionally, the NJ BON administrative code, 13:376.4 (2020)
outlines the RNs’ obligations relating to delegations to a certified HHA or
assistive person.
To assist facility trainers/instructors in preparing qualified PCAs, CHHAs,
and CNAs to administer medications, under circumstances when the RN
delegates the task, the NJDOH requires trainers to attend the Train-the-Trainer
Workshop offered by the Health Care Association of New Jersey (HCANJ).
The NJDOH has also developed the “Trainer Manual: A resource guide for
medication administration" to prepare PCAs, CHHAs, and CNAs to administer
medications in assisted living residences, comprehensive personal care homes,
or assisted living programs (NJDOH, 2014). It is strongly recommended that
RNs who delegate to CMAs attend the Train-the-Trainer Workshop offered by
the HCANJ.
Explanation/Definition of Terms
Note that a Certified Medication Aide (CMA) is different from a Certified
Medical Assistant. A certified medical assistant is a medical assistant who has
achieved certification through the Certifying Board of the American Association
of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and has been educated and tested in a wide scope
of general, clinical, and administrative responsibilities.
Unlicensed assistive personnel are defined as those individuals who have
not completed a nursing course of study and have not passed a licensing
examination by the Board of Nursing.
Rationale:
An essential element of assisted living is that residents are encouraged
to maintain their autonomy and to participate in self-care. To the extent that
they are capable, residents in assisted living settings should self-administer their
medications and keep their supply of medications in their own apartment/room.
When residents are unable to independently self-administer medications, CMAs
can supervise or assist the resident in taking the medications or administer the
medications.
References:
American Association of Medical Assistants. https://www.aama-ntl.org/medicalassisting/what-is-a-cma
NJ Admin. Code tit. 8 § 36 - 9.2. (2013, December 23). https://nj.gov/health/
healthfacilities/documents/rfpappendixes/appendix_a.pdf
NJ Admin. Code tit. 13 § 37-6.2 and 6.4 (2020, October 19). https://www.
njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapter-37-New-Jersey-Board-of-Nursing.pdf
NJ Department of Health. (n.d.) Certified Medication Aide.
https://www.nj.gov/health/healthfacilities/certification-licensing/certified-medicationaide/index.shtml
NJ Department of Health. (2014). Trainer Manual: A resource guide for medication
administration.
https://www.nj.gov/health/healthfacilities/documents/
rfpappendixes/appendix_d.pdf
Written by: Congress on Policy and Practice
Formulated: April 1993 - Legislative Committee
Revised: January 2011, by Linda Hassler & Karla Tramutola, COPP members
Revised: June 2021, Congress on Policy and Practice, Susan H. Weaver, PhD, RN, Linda
Hassler, DNP, RN, and Reginaldo Antonio, MSN, RN
Approved: September 14, 2021, Congress on Policy and Practice
Adopted: September 28, 2021, NJSNA Board of Directors
How will you help your community?
MRC Volunteers support local public
health & emergency response efforts in
the community.
Interested in joining?
Apply online:
https://njlmn.njlincs.net/jsp/mrc-index.jsp
Somerset County Department of Health
www.co.somerset.nj.us/health
908-231-7155
Page 14 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
Healthy Nurse Healthy New Jersey
One Step Closer to Where You’d Like to Be
Lisa Ertle, BA, RN and the Healthy Nurse Healthy
New Jersey Team
I love it when someone new comes to where I
work. Sometimes it’s a brand-new nurse, a surgical
technician, or someone who is hired to run the front
desk. Occasionally I’ll have the pleasure of watching a
new physician’s assistant or resident learn the ropes,
or in some cases a medical device representative takes
on a new territory—or even starts his or her first job
out of college. One of my absolute favorites is the
mid-career nurse who just got off of nights for the
first time in 15 years because he wanted to be awake
during the day to spend more time with his children
and start taking classes.
I enjoy watching these change embracers learn and
adjust to their new positions until they’ve got it down
pat. All of them remind me that while the cocoon can
be uncomfortable, the joy of transformation can far
outweigh the struggles.
Last year, I watched one Healthy Nurse friend change
jobs two times before she found the right fit. “I know it
seems crazy, she said, “but I love what I do, and I know
there is a place I can be happier.” Another left her job
only a few years before retirement because the stress she
was experiencing from the changes at her hospital were
making her sick. One month out, both of them looked
happier and more relaxed than I’d ever seen them.
Job changes aren’t the only professional changes that
inspire me. I watched another Healthy Nurse take on a
volunteer political position because she wanted to be an
advocate and leader for nurses in the state.
Three years ago, at age 46, I took an opportunity
to learn the OR. Once I had gotten my bearings, I
used the momentum from the job change to go back
to school. Talk about growing pains! Once I got the
hang of fully online classes, I really started to see how
I could use what I was learning in my current work
and beyond. There’s no denying I was somewhat
trepidatious about taking on these new experiences,
but I used the courage I saw in others to take my
own leap of faith. My mentor from back in nursing
school, after graduating with her DNP, reminded me
that it’s never too late to go for it. Getting to the other
side can be exhilarating. And often in hindsight, the
struggle can be beautiful as well.
Healthy New Jersey Nurses, let’s make 2022 the year
of changes that will ultimately bring us joy. They don’t
have to be drastic. For example, if you’ve been unhappy
with your job, set up some interviews to explore new
work environments. Keep an open mind. If you would
like to feel healthier, start with a short walk each day.
If you are thinking of going back to school, and if time
and finances allow, you can always take one class at a
time. And then there’s diving right in. When you lack the
courage to take a leap of faith, look to those around you
who are in various stages of personal and professional
growth. They can be great teachers.
Take good care of yourselves.
HNHNJ welcomes you to enhance our community
by posting your favorite healthy ideas, recipes,
workouts, meditations and the like to our New Jersey
State Healthy Nurses Facebook page at https://www.
facebook.com/groups/1660211840668754/ and visit
our HNHNJ site at https://njsna.org/healthy-nurse/
to read essays by nurses, for nurses and take the
Healthy Nurse Pledge. For monthly challenges, visit
https://www.healthynursehealthynation.org/
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 15
Will Your Next Prescription
be for the Pharmacy or the
Farmacy?
Making a Difference in Mental
Health on College Campus
and in NJ
Joanne Evans MEd, RN, PMHCNS-BC
Adapted from the
Indiana Nurse Association Bulletin
Almost 2500 years ago, Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and
medicine be thy food”. These words are still relevant today. Over 20,000
prescription drug products are approved for marketing and pharmaceutical
companies benefit the most from people being sick.
There has been extensive research for well over 40 years showing how
food can be used to treat and sometimes reverse many chronic diseases. What
specifically is plant-based nutrition PBN? What does it include?
• Vegetables – dark greens, dark yellows and orange, sweet potato, etc.
• Whole Grains – pasta, rice, corn, whole grain bread, tortilla, etc.
• Fruit – whole fruit
• Legumes – beans, peas, lentils, tofu, soymilk, chickpeas, etc.
• Nuts and seeds
• Limited processed foods
• Avoiding oil, flour, and sugar
With over 3 million nurses we can make a dramatic change in health care
for people if we share information about PBN. There seems to be many
reasons nurses do not do this. Some feel they do not know enough and are
worried they could not answer the patient’s questions; they think it is too
difficult; do not know whom to refer patients to; think it may be too expensive
to adhere to, and think patients may not be interested .
All the nurses who interviewed for Cultivating Seeds of Health with Plant-
Based Nutrition, Nurses Share Educational Approaches to Prevent and Reverse
Chronic Disease, learned about PBN after graduation from their nursing
programs.
There are several groups available for nurses interested in learning more
about PBN. Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM) hosts
the Nurses Nutrition Network, which provides educational programs for nurses
(https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-for-clinicians/nurses-nutritionnetwork).
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine has a nurse support group and
provides educational presentations open to all nurses. https://lifestylemedicine.
org/What-is-Lifestyle-Medicine.
Our patients need to have a choice on how they will resolve their chronic
health issues, and nurses are well-positioned to educate patients on nutritional
options to help prevent and possibly reverse many chronic diseases. Patients
should be given all the options to make an educated decision about their
health. Sometimes it starts with medications while they are making nutrition
and lifestyle changes. Eventually, it may be the nutritional changes that reverse
the chronic disease process. Let 2021 be the year of change!
By Faith Atte, PhD, RN and
Renee Pevour, MS, RN
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a daylong training to reduce the stigma
towards mental illness and increase a person's likelihood to refer others for
support and professional help. Dr. Faith Ikarede Atte PhD, RN previously
offered this content to William Paterson Nursing Students. However, to
expand the reach Dr. Atte, Assistant Professor and her mentor Dr. Brenda
Marshall, Professor, both faculty at the Department of Nursing at William
Paterson University put together a training project – We Provide Mental
Health Awareness (WP MHA) and were awarded a grant of $625,000 from
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
WP MHA is projected to reach over 3,000 individuals with the SAMHSA
approved, evidence-based MHFA trainings (youth, teen and adult). This
expansion will provide instruction for faculty, staff, and students and also
include the community.
The program will offer first aid certification and will also offer a train the
trainer component. Providing the MHFA trainer training to William Paterson
University faculty, staff, students as well as the surrounding community
members will increase the capacity to deliver MHFA to the even larger NJ
community. The training will include assessment of suicide and self-harm
thus increasing the understanding of the spectrum of mental illness and
continuum of mental health to the diverse community of WPUNJ.
Given the recent pandemic of 2020 and its impact on mental health –
WP MHA is timely and needed. This training can change the community
awareness and attitudes toward challenges of mental illness and provide the
needed skills for the diverse faculty, staff, students and community members
to identify high risk behaviors that indicate the need for mental health
services.
To obtain more information or schedule a session, contact Dr. Faith
Ikarede Atte PhD, RN at attef@wpunj.edu
Resources for learning about PBN are the following:
• Campbell, T. C., & Campbell,T. The China Study. Startling implications
for diet, weight loss and long-term health.
• Greger, M. How not to die.
• Esselstyn, C. Prevent and reverse heart disease
Websites:
• Dr. Greger - https://nutritionfacts.org
• Dr. McDougall - www.drmcdougall.com
• Forks Over Knives - https://www.forksoverknives.com/
• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – https://www.pcrm.org
Apps:
• 21-Day Vegan Kickstart – PCRM
• Forks Over Knives
• Dr. Gregers’ Daily Dozen
Plant-based movies include:
• Forks Over Knives – especially for diabetes, heart disease, and chronic
health issues
• Code Blue – focusing on medical training and health care system
• Game Changers - focus on vegan athletes
Visit nursingALD.com today!
Search job listings
in all 50 states, and filter by
location and credentials.
Browse our online database
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for nursing professionals in your area.
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nursing jobs, research, and events.
Page 16 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
Help for Children, Women and Families, is Just a Phone Call Away
As schools, retail businesses and places of employment advance economic
recovery from the pandemic, children and families may continue to struggle
– afraid and not knowing how to take steps toward a new normal. Nurses are
often the first line of contact with a child experiencing physical or mental health
challenges, whether it occurs at school, requires an appointment with the
pediatrician or results in a trip to a hospital emergency department.
You can connect them to important programs and needed supports through the
New Jersey Department of Children and Families.
• The 2nd Floor Youth Helpline, http://www.2ndfloor.org/ accepts calls and
text messages from young people, ages 10 to 24. 2nd Floor’s website has
many resources that address the issues young people are facing.
• The Department of Children and Families’ Child Abuse Hotline, 1-877-652-
2873, also serves as a resource for families who may benefit from referrals
to social services.
• DCF’s Children’s System of Care, DCF | Children's System of Care (nj.gov)
serves children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral health care
challenges, children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and
children with substance use challenges and their families.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership, and for all you do to help New
Jersey’s families be safe, healthy and connected.
LOOKING FOR A CHANGE??
Barbara Maher RN BSN NJ-CSN
Lead Nurse Rahway School District
Franklin School Nurse
President, Union County School Nurses Association
Membership Chair and County Liaison NJSSNA
Are you tired of 12-hour shifts, being on call and working holidays and
weekends? How would you like a career where your schedule matches that of
your school age children? If that sounds interesting, then you should consider a
career in school nursing. There is a huge need for school nurses and a gratifying
career could be waiting for you. Along with an enviable schedule, school nursing
provides generous compensation and a defined pension. But the benefits are not
all material.
The dedication and energy that you bring as a school nurse can make a real
difference in the lives of our children. It’s not uncommon that a school nurse is
the primary or even the only health care provider a child sees. Families frequently
need help navigating the various requirements for vaccinations and the pitfalls and
confusion of government programs. From basic hygiene and nutrition to procuring
dental care and eyeglasses, your efforts and skill can have a real tangible impact.
The rapport you build with your kids is something you are likely to treasure for a
lifetime.
School nurse certification programs are available at most NJ colleges. If you are
tired of the rat race and are looking for a way to provide a significant and lasting
contribution, please consider a career as a school nurse.
For more information, visit the New Jersey State School Nurses Association’s
website @ www.njssna.org.
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 17
A Double Whammy:
Widowhood and Covid 19 Pandemic.
Dr. Prisca Anuforo, DNP, CTN-A, RN, Executive
Director
Kristal Suggs, B.A, Graduate Assistant
School of Nursing, Kean University, Union New
Jersey
All correspondences should be sent to: Prisca
Anuforo, DNP, CTN-A, RN
School of Nursing, Kean University, Union New
Jersey, 07083
Email: anuforop@kean.edu
The only certainty in life is that it must come to an
end. How and when it comes to that end is unknown
to humanity. When life ends, there is always someone
left to mourn the loss. The Covid-19 pandemic
resulted in over 700,000 deaths leaving children,
widows, and widowers to mourn the loss of their
loved ones. Widowhood is defined as the disruption of
marriage due to the death of the spouse. A widow is a
woman whose husband is deceased, while a widower
is a man whose wife is dead (Cliffnotes, 2021).
Widowhood affects Blacks and women at a higher
rate than other groups (Umberson et al., 2017). In
the United States, there are about 15,307,085 million
widows in 2019 (Curtin, Tejada-Vera, & Anderson,
2021). This number is presumed to be much higher
because of Covid-19 pandemic and bereaved
individuals who lived together as partners but did not
have an official marriage certificate.
Widowhood comes with grave consequences. The
average life expectancy of widowed individuals is 15
years after the spouse has passed away (Curtin, S.
C., Tejada-Vera B., 2019). Widowed adults had the
highest age-adjusted death rates of all marital status
groups, increasing 4% from 2010 to 2019 (Curtin,
Tejada-Vera, & Anderson, 2021). Bereavement
is ranked number 1 on the Holmes-Rahe Stress
Inventory (American Institute of Stress, 2020), and
because of social isolation imposed by COVID, the
stress in this population is magnified. Widows are
dying at a higher rate and are sicker than married
couples. Compared to unmarried people, widows
have the worst health and elevated mortality risk (Liu
& Umberson, 2008). Men have the highest death
rate within three months of bereavement, known as
the widowhood effect. Within all gender and racialethnic
subgroups, widowhood effects on mortality
were largest for Hispanic men. Hispanic and Black
women also suffered significant widowhood effects on
mortality than the white women (Liu, Umberson, &
Xu, 2020).
It appears from the statistics presented that
widowhood is a death sentence sooner or later. As
healthcare professionals, the plight of widows and
widowers should be on our radar. Some interventions
are known to improve wellness in widowhood.
However, more needs to be done to improve the
health and welfare of widows and widowers. The
most effective way to overcome an illness is to
prevent it from occurring in the first place. NINR
supports research to promote long-term health,
including healthy behaviors, and avoid disease and
comorbidities across health conditions, settings, and
the lifespan. Research supported in this area focuses
on the physical, social, behavioral, and environmental
causes of illness, determinants of health, and
assessment of behaviors that lead to healthy lifestyle
choices (Grady, 2017). Most of the available research
on widowhood is from the social sciences. This article
brings awareness to the health status in widowhood
and a call to action to improve the health of widows
by nurses. We can mitigate these health conditions
and improve lives. The widowed should not die
because they lost a loved one.
References
American Institute of Stress. The Holmes Rahe Stress
Inventory. 2020. https://www.stress.org/holmes-rahestress-inventory-pdf.
Curtin, S. C., Tejada-Vera, B. & Anderson, R. N. (2021).
Death Rates by Marital Status for Leading Causes
of Death: United States, 2010–2019 National Vital
Statistics Report Volume 70 no 10. Hyattsville, MD:
National Center for Health Statistics. DOI: https://
dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:109161.
Cliffnotes. Widowhood. Retrieved October 30, 2021
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/
psychology/development-psychology/death-anddying/widowhood).
Grady, P. A. (2017). Advancing Science, Improving Lives:
NINR's New Strategic Plan and the Future of Nursing
Science. Journal of Nursing Scholarship: an official
publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor
Society of Nursing, 49(3), 247-248. https://doi.
org/10.1111/jnu.12286
Liu H, Umberson DJ. (2008). The times they are
a-changin’: Marital status and health differentials from
1972 to 2003. Journal of Health Social Behavior
49(3):239–53.
Liu, H., Umberson, D., & Xu, M. (2020). Widowhood
and mortality: gender, race/ethnicity, and the role
of economic resources. Annals of Epidemiology,
45, 69–75.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
annepidem.2020.02.006
Umberson DJ, Olson JS, Crosnoe R, Liu H, Pudrovska
T, Donnelly R. Death of family members as an
overlooked source of racial disadvantage in the United
States. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences 2017;114(5):915–20.
Page 18 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
Judith T. Caruso, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC,
FACHE, ONL NJ NWESC Commission and Susan
Cholewka, MBA, Executive Director ONL NJ
Strong Interest Continues: Additional Hospitals
Participate
Strong interest continues in New Jersey to create
and sustain healthy work environments. In November
2021, the Organization of Nurse Leaders New Jersey
(ONL NJ) welcomed six more hospitals into the
statewide program for education and implementation
of this statewide innovative Nurse Workplace
Environment and Staffing Councils (NWESC), joining
the 38 acute care hospitals (more than 50 percent of
NJ hospitals) currently involved statewide. See exhibit
1 of the state map. This Cohort Group #5 includes
the following additional hospitals:
• Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck*
• Atlantic Health System - Chilton Medical
Center, Pompton Plains*
• Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean
Medical Center, Manahawkin*
• Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical
Center, North Bergen*
• Atlantic Health System - Overlook Medical
Center, Summit NJ*
• Hackensack Meridian Health - Ocean
University Medical Center, Brick, NJ*
* not included on the map
The series of three virtual education programs
were scheduled for November 2021, January 2022
and March 2022. More than eleven existing hospitals
with their own NWESC also sent council members
for orientation and/or updates as desired. The six
interdependent American Association of Critical-
Care Nurses (AACN) Standards for Establishing
and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments and
Continued Actions to Improve Nurse
Workplace Environments in New Jersey
evidenced-based practices related to these standards
for a healthy work environment were discussed in
detail: skilled communication, authentic leadership,
effective decision making, meaningful recognition,
true collaboration, and appropriate staffing (AACN,
2016). Evidenced-based practices on personal, unit
based, and organizational resiliency were also added
to the conference content.
Research Continues: Work Environment Improves
Qualitative research published from the original
cohort #1 in 2017 was reported from firsthand
accounts described by clinical nurses of a healthy
work environment (HWE) with the importance of
teamwork, like a “symphony” working together,
being valued and having meaningful recognition. The
nurse managers stressed the importance of respect
and collaboration across all discipline (Johansen, de
Cordova & Weaver, 2021). A manuscript from the
recent research based on the three years work of
cohort #1 hospitals has been submitted and reports
the continued improvement over time in the six
standards for a HWE as measured by the AACN
Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool (Connor
et al., 2018).
National Interest Continues: Presentations
Scheduled
There is national interest in this innovative
statewide model for healthy work environments.
A presentation by ONL NJ leaders regarding the
statewide action plan implementing and sustaining
healthy work environments is scheduled at the
American Hospital Association Advancing Care
national conference March 7-9, 2022 in Chicago.
Additional abstracts have been submitted to the
American Association of Critical Care Nurses
(AACN), the American Organization of Nurse Leaders
(AONL), and Sigma Theta Tau for presentations at
conferences in 2022.
Healthy Work Environments in New Jersey: Future
Plans
The ONL NJ NWESC Commission goal is to have
a strong healthy work environment focus through
NWESC in 90% of acute care hospitals by the end of
2022. Plans are already in place for the Cohort #6 to
start their education in spring of 2022. Current and
new NWESC members can also attend for education
updates.
For more information, contact Susan Cholewka,
executive director of ONL NJ, at scholewka@onlnj.org.
References
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. (2016).
AACN standards for establishing and sustaining
healthy work environment: a journey to excellence
(2nd Ed.). Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/
nursing-excellence/standards/aacn-standardsfor-establishing-and-sustaining-healthy-workenvironments.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Healthy
Work Environment Assessment Tool. Aliso
Viejo, CA: American Association of Critical-Care
Nurses. ©AACN. All rights reserved. Modified with
permission.
Connor, J. A., Ziniel, S. I., Porter, C., Doherty, D., Moonan,
M., Dwyer, P., …Hickey, P. A. (2018). Use and
calibration of the AACN Healthy Work Environment
Assessment Tool. American Journal of Critical Care,
27(5), 363-371.
Johansen, M., de Cordova, P., & Weaver, S. (2021).
Exploration of the meaning of healthy work
environment for nurses. Nurse Leader, 97(4), 383-
389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2020.06.011
Ulrich, B., Barden, C., Cassidy, L., & Varn-Davis, N.
(2019). Critical care nurse work environments 2018:
Findings and implications. Critical Care Nurse, 39(2),
67–84.
Exhibit 1: NWESC Hospitals by County in NJ
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 19
Attendance & Motions for NJSNA September 28, 2021
Board of Director’s Meeting
Mary Ellen Levine – President
Sandra Foley – President-Elect
Regina Adams – Vice President
Daniel Misa – Treasurer
Linda Gural – Secretary
Margaret Daingerfield – Director
Tara Heagle – Director
JoAnne Penn – Director/Staff Nurse
Susan Weaver – COPP Chair
Patricia Baxter – Region 1 President
Mary Genuino – Region 2 President
Norma Rodgers – Region 3 President
Maureen Clark-Gallagher – Region 4 President
Barbara McCormick – Region 5 President
Judy Schmidt – CEO
Jennifer Chanti – Executive Assistant
Debra Harwell – Deputy Director
Terri Ivory – RAMP Director
Lisa Golini – Director Clinical Operations
Lynne Stauffer – Bookkeeper
Kathleen Gillespie – Immediate Past President
Wendy Jo Davis – Chair LPN Forum
Beth Knox – Bylaws Committee Chair
Motion #1
Motion #2
Motion #3
Agenda
Motion passed
Minutes
Accept minutes from May, June, July
2021 as edited
Motion passed.
Treasurer Dan Misa presented three
RFP for Accountant
Move that NJSNA/IFN BOD approve
Motion #4
Motion #5
Motion #6
Motion #7
Non-profit Accounting Solutions, LLC
Motion passed, Treasurers report out
of committee and filed.
Conflict of Interest Policy, Move that
Conflict-of-Interest Policy is approved
with Correction, Approved with
unanimous consent
Financial Philosophy, Policies, and
Guidelines for the NJSNA and IFN
Investment Portfolio, Move that
Financial Philosophy is approved,
Policy referred back to committee
Purchase of Services Policy
Move that Purchase of Services
Policy be accepted with correction of
NJSNA before CEO in Procedures #2,
Adopted as edited
Resolutions Policy
Move Archive Call for Resolutions
and Policy on resolution and approve
Resolutions Policy, Policy referred
back to committee and hold archiving
to next meeting
Motion #8 Position Statement, Medication
Administration by Unlicensed Assistive
Personnel
Moved by Sue Weaver adoption by
NJSNA Board of Directors.
Adoption as presented
Motion #9
Motion #10
Motion to break for lunch, Adopted
with unanimous consent
Convention 2021, Motion to cancel
Convention 2021, Discussion
Motion #11
Motion #12
Motion #13
Motion #14
Motion #15
Motion #16
Motion #17
Motion #18
Motion #19
concerning fee for cancellation, annual
meeting, and poster presentation,
Motion passed
Call the Question Motion, Motion
passed
Annual meeting, Motion to hold an
annual meeting virtually, Motion
passed
Move Annual Meeting, Motion to
move the annual meeting to Spring of
2022
Motion passed
Motion to move the discussion on
Motion 13 to after the discussion,
Motion failed
LPN Schools, Motion to support the
Home Health and Hospice to lift the
moratorium on new LPN schools,
Susan Weaver asked to wait until
she does some research on the LPN
schools
Motion to table Motion #15, Motion
passed
Marijuana Task Force, Motion to
appoint Rosemary Smentkowski to
the Marijuana Task Force, Adopted
without objection
Oversight Body, Motion to discharge
member from the Oversight Body due
to Absence, Adopted without objection
Adjournment 3:45pm
Page 20 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
Providing Competent, Supportive Care for
People Who are Transgender
F. Patrick Robinson, PhD, RN, ACRN, CNE, FAAN
Sherry L Roper, PhD, RN
Reprinted with permission from Illinois The Nursing
Voice, June 2021 issue
The idea that gender is binary (male or female) and
determined at birth predominates Western cultures.
However, research evidence and lived experiences
suggest that gender exists on a spectrum with many
options. Some people identify as a gender different
from their gender determined at birth (Deutsch, 2016).
Our traditional understanding of gender, based on
chromosomes and primary (genitalia) and secondary
sex characteristics, is often called biological sex or
gender (or sex) assigned at birth. Gender identity, on
the other hand, is the innermost concept of self as
male, female, a blend of both, or neither (Lambda
Legal, 2016.).
The majority of people are cisgender, which occurs
when gender assigned at birth and gender identity are
the same. However, the best available data suggest
that approximately 1.4 million adults do not selfidentify
with their gender assignments (e.g., someone
assigned female at birth but identifies as male) (Flores
et al., 2016). Transgender is an umbrella term for this
population. A visibly growing segment of the U.S.
population does not identify with the binary notion
of gender. Nonbinary is a collective term for this
population, but individuals may use terms such as
genderqueer, gender fluid, or gender non-conforming.
There is no standard or correct way to be (or
be seen as) transgender. Some people who are
transgender choose gender-affirming hormone
therapy to achieve masculinizing or feminizing effects;
others do not. Surgery that revises genitals to conform
to gender identity is a critical part of the transition
for many people who are transgender (Deutsch et
al., 2019). Others do not feel that genital surgery is
a necessary part of transition but may opt for nongenital
surgeries to produce desired characteristics,
including breast augmentation or removal and
body contouring procedures. In other words, the
importance of therapy related to the quality of life
varies by individual. Also, some people who are
transgender may want these services but do not have
access to them because they are (a) unavailable in the
community; (b) not covered by insurance (even if the
individual has insurance, and many do not), and (c) too
expensive.
Remember: there is no one way to "be"
transgender or cisgender. People choose to express
their gender identities in personally satisfying ways,
which may or may not match social expectations
of what it means to look and behave as a male or
female. Some transgender women choose not to wear
makeup or dresses, and some cisgender men choose
to wear their hair long and earrings.
Health Disparities in People Who are
Transgender
Negative attitudes and discrimination toward
the transgender community create inequalities that
prevent the delivery of competent healthcare and
elevate the risk for various health problems (Grant
et al., 2011). In comparison to their cisgender
counterparts, people who are transgender experience
higher incidences of cancer, mental health challenges,
and other health problems (Department of Health
& Human Services, n.d.). For instance, transgender
women, compared to all other populations, are at
the highest risk of injury from violence and death by
homicide. People who are transgender are also more
likely to smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs, and engage
in risk behaviors (Institute of Medicine, 2011).
Furthermore, discrimination and social stigma
increase poverty and homelessness in people who
are transgender (Safer et al., 2017). The inability to
afford basic living needs may lead to employment in
underground economies, such as survival sex work or
the illegal drug trade, which place the person who is
transgender at an even higher risk for violence, drug
use, and sexually transmitted infections (Deutsch,
2016).
People who are transgender are more likely to
rely on public health insurance or be uninsured than
the general population. Even those insured report
coverage gaps caused by low-cost coverage that
does not include standard services for preventative,
behavioral health, or gender-affirming therapies,
including hormones (Deutsch et al., 2019). Lack of
access to comprehensive health care leads some
people who are transgender to seek hormones from
the community and social networks without clinical
support and monitoring, putting them at additional
risk for adverse reactions and complications.
Researchers suggest that healthcare providers'
inability to deliver supportive and competent care
serves as a powerful mechanism underlying health
disparities (Fenway Institute, 2016). The experiences
of people who are transgender are often not included
in healthcare provider diversity and inclusiveness
training. While transgender-related content in health
professions basic education programs would effectively
improve provider knowledge, skills, and attitudes,
transgender health has not been prioritized in
nursing education. The result is a nursing workforce
inadequately prepared to care for people who are
transgender (McDowell & Bower, 2016).
Nursing Care of People Who Are Transgender
Competent, supportive transgender care requires
nurses to recognize potential biases and understand
gender that may differ from their current beliefs
and social norms. Honest reflection on these
feelings is an essential step in providing competent
transgender care. Using a lens of cultural humility,
where cisgender nurses acknowledge that they do
not adequately know about being transgender while
also being open to learning, is helpful. In this spirit,
open, transparent inquiry on the part of nurses when
they do not know something (When I speak to your
children, what name should I use to refer to you?) or
how to proceed with care (I need to place a catheter
into your bladder, and I know you have had genderaffirming
surgery. Do you want to give me any special
instructions?) can build trust.
While gender-affirming care such as hormones,
androgen-blocking agents, and surgeries require
specialist care management, nurses will encounter
transgender patients in all healthcare areas. Assessing
the history and current status of gender-affirming
therapies is critical to inform safe care. For example,
hormone-induced changes in muscle and bone
mass, along with menstruation or amenorrhea, can
alter gender-defined reference ranges for laboratory
tests such as hemoglobin/hematocrit, alkaline
phosphatase, and creatinine (Deutsch, 2016).
Nurses should consider the gender assigned at
birth (especially if it is the only gender information
to which the lab has access) and gender-affirming
therapy-induced physiological changes to make valid
inferences about lab values. Nurses should also ensure
that a complete history of the use of hormones and
androgen blockers (including those obtained from nonlicensed
providers) is taken. Nurses should work with
other providers to ensure that hormone therapy does
not stop with hospitalization unless contraindicated by
current pathology or prescribed medications. Abrupt
cessation of hormone therapy can have a significant
and negative impact on emotional and physiological
health.
Systems-Level Policies, Processes, and
Advocacy
Professional nurses can play a crucial role by
advocating for policies and processes that promote
safe, effective, and supportive care for people who
17 LANSING STREET, AUBURN, NY 13021 | AUBURNHOSPITAL.ORG
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 21
are transgender. Misgendering a patient (making an
incorrect assumption about gender identity) can cause
emotional distress and erode patient-provider trust.
Unfortunately, electronic health records (EHR) often
do not support competent care for people who are
transgender. For instance, healthcare providers should
use a 2-step gender identification process (Deutsch,
2016). However, many do not, and EHR systems
rarely provide prompts for the processor space for
easy documentation and access to information derived
from the process. Asking about a patient's current
gender identity can result in several responses. The
EHR should make checkboxes for a reasonable
number of those responses, including male, female,
transgender male, transgender female, and nonbinary.
A fill-in-the-blank is needed for other identifies. The
gender assigned at birth also requires options beyond
male or female; people born with external genitalia,
gonads, or both that do not conform to what is
typically male or female (intersex) may have been
identified incorrectly at birth. The EHR should provide
an intersex option to this question. Some people
who are transgender are uncomfortable revealing
gender assigned at birth, so decline-to-state should be
another option. Note that this process should be the
standard for all patients, not just those assumed to be
transgender.
People who are transgender may use names
other than their legal names (Lambda Legal, 2016).
Navigating a legal name change is complicated
and costly. Some people who are transgender do
not have the resources for a legal name change; for
others, it may not be safe, given current social or
legal circumstances. Using a patient's chosen name
and pronouns is critical to patient-centered care.
The EHR should prominently document the patient's
chosen name and pronouns, which should also be
used outside the EHR, including for appointments
and prescriptions. Patients should only have to
provide the information once, decreasing the need
to correct providers and improving patient-provider
relationships. EHRs should also contain an organ
inventory, perhaps as part of surgical history, as
providers will need to know about the presence or
absence of reproductive and gonadal organs to inform
clinical decision-making. This information must be
clear, unambiguous, and easily accessible in the EHR
to inform care and prevent medical and surgical
errors.
Nurses should work within governance
processes to ensure that all institutional policies
support transgender patients, staff, and visitors.
Nondiscrimination statements should include gender
identity. Policies about restrooms and staff changing
rooms (usually labeled in gender-binary terms) should
state that a person's gender identity rightly determines
the room to be used and that that right should not
require any proof (e.g., health provider confirmation)
related to gender or gender identity. Finally, clear
guidelines concerning non-private room assignments
should include assigning roommates based on gender
identity rather than gender assigned at birth.
Power to Make a Difference
The ANA Code of Ethics obligates nurses to
practice "compassion and respect for the inherent
dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every
person" (ANA, 2015, para 1). While some nurses
may intentionally discriminate against people who
are transgender, it is more likely that a lack of
knowledge and experience leads to nursing actions
that result in suboptimal care. Nurses play critical
roles in transgender care by (a) providing supportive,
affirming care, (b) creating an inclusive environment,
and (c) leading interprofessional teams toward genderaffirming
care. Education and a commitment to
understanding the lived experiences of people who
are transgender is, therefore, essential for all nurses.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). What is the nursing
code of ethics? https://nurse.org/education/nursingcode-of-ethics/
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.).
Healthy people. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender health. https://www.healthypeople.
gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/lesbian-gaybisexual-and-transgender-health
Deutsch, M.B. (2016). Guidelines for the primary and
gender-affirming care of transgender and gender
nonbinary people (2nd ed.). Center of Excellence for
Transgender Health, University of California at San
Francisco. https://transcare.ucsf.edu/sites/transcare.
ucsf.edu/files/Transgender-PGACG-6-17-16.pdf
Deutsch, M.B, Bowers, M.L., Radix, A., & Carmel, T.C.
(2019). Transgender medical care in the United States:
A historical perspective. In J.S. Schneider, V.M.B.
Silenzio, & Erikson-Schroth, L. (Eds.). The GLMA
Handbook on LGBT Health (1, 83-131). Santa
Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Fenway Institute, National LGBT Health Education Center.
(2016). Providing inclusive services and care for
LGBT people. https://www.lgbtqiahealtheducation.
org/publication/learning-guide/
Flores, A.R., Herman, J.L., Gates, G.J., & Brown, T.N.T.
(2016). How many adults identify as transgender in
the United States? UCLA School of Law, William
Institute. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/
publications/trans-adults-united-states/
Grant, J. M., Mottet, L. A., Tanis, J., Harrison, J., Herman,
J. L., & Keisling, M. (2011). Injustice at every turn:
A report of the National Transgender Discrimination
Survey. https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/
files/docs/resources/NTDS_Report.pdf
Institute of Medicine. (2011). The health of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender people: Building a
foundation for better understanding. http://www.
nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2011/The-
Health-of-Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-and-
Lambda Legal. (2016). Transgender rights toolkit. https://
www.lambdalegal.org/issues/transgender-rights
McDowell, A. & Bower, K. (2016). Transgender health care
for nurses: An innovative approach to diversifying
nursing curricula to address health inequalities.
Journal of Nursing Education, 55(8), 476-479. DOI
10.3928/01484834-20160715-11
Safer, J. D., Coleman, E., Feldman, J., Garofal, R.,
Hembree, W., Radix, A., & Sevelius, S. (2017).
Barriers to health care for transgender individuals.
Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes,
and Obesity, 23(2), 168-171. DOI: 10.1097/
MED.0000000000000227
Singh, S., & Durso, L. E. (2017). Widespread
discrimination continues to shape LGBT people's
lives in both subtle and significant ways. Center for
American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.
org/issues/lgbt/news/2017/05/02/429529/
widespread-discrimination-continues-shape-lgbtpeoples-lives-subtle-significant-ways/
Happy Holidays
from the Board of Directors and Staff of
New Jersey State Nurses Association/
Institute for Nursing
Page 22 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter January 2022
Nursing Contributions for Safe & Effective Opioid
Pain Management
Delores Jackson, PhD, MSN, BSN, ASN, RN
Reprinted with permission from Tennessee Nurse May 2021 issue
Dependency and Abuse of Opioids
Prescribing opioids is not the problem. Opioids provide highly effective
pain management for acute pain originating from injury, surgery, cancer, and
palliative or end-of-life-care. Appropriate prescribing achieves adequate pain
control; reduces patient addiction risks, abuse, or toxicity; and minimizes drug
diversion.
Nevertheless, abuse and overdose deaths are still problematic, although data
indicate US healthcare providers are making headway; since 2012, prescription
overdose deaths have been declining. There were 67,367 US drug overdose
deaths in 2018, which represented a 4.1% decline from 2017. Seventy percent
of US drug overdose cases involved opioids. But deaths from natural and semisynthetic
opioids such as those typically prescribed by primary care practitioners
(hydrocodone, oxycodone, or codeine) actually declined 14% from 2017 to 2018.
Tennessee deaths from prescribed opioids also declined in 2018.
Nursing Roles
All RNs contribute to safe care delivery, patient assessment, pain
management and education, whether working as an office RN, Advanced
Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), or Nurse Practitioner (NP) with advanced
practice credentials that include specialized pharmacology education with
prescriptive authority.
The diversified roles of RNs extend beyond primary care to assorted direct
patient care and leadership positions. As skilled educators and patient advocates,
nurses help patients and families understand other pain management modalities
such as physical therapy, psychological management options, complementary
medicine and non-opioid management strategies to ease the burden of pain. The
American Nurses Association (ANA) noted that in part, the current US crisis
has been created by ineffective medical efforts to manage chronic pain. The
ANA applauds nurses as key players for pain management by providing early
recognition and pain interventions in primary care settings, including patientcentered,
interdisciplinary and self-management strategies.
How Can Nurses Provide Safe Pain Management?
Remove Barriers to Effective Pain Management
Several barriers exist that can impact effective pain management. Nurses can
overcome these barriers by transforming their practice to eliminate key problems
that interfere with adequate pain control.
1) At the clinical institution level, interdisciplinary teams can develop best
practices for pain management, treatment plans and drug prescriptions.
2) Individually, nurses should expand their education by attending
conferences, searching for current evidence-based practices via
professional literature, and taking additional coursework (CEUs) on
opioid prescription best practices. Best practice should include an
interdisciplinary focus that includes mental health, behavioral health, and
complementary or alternative pain management approaches.
3) Nurses must remain diligent to avoid cultural or societal stigma for those
who report pain. It is our duty and responsibility to treat pain to promote
an optimal quality of life and reduce suffering. Likewise, we must be
cognizant that patient cultural barriers might exist that could impede the
patient’s willingness to discuss pain.
4) Costs of pain management can be a barrier, particularly if we recommend
or order treatment plans other than drug management. Some insurances
will not pay for alternative or complementary medicine options, mental
health services, or other care modalities outside drug regimens. Antiinflammatory
herbals may be useful, but not if the patient cannot afford
these expensive nutritional supplements. Even rehabilitation services such
as PT may be limited under many insurances and Medicare plans.
Know State Regulations for Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
(PDMP)
All 50 states have developed PDMPs. Access to PDMPs may determine
if the patient has a history of using multiple doctors, frequent ER visits, or
demonstrates other evidence of prior drug abuse such as frequent opioid
prescriptions. The PDMP also records primary care prescription activity. It is
the provider’s responsibility to know all state regulations and required reporting.
Unfortunately, inconsistent data collection and non-standardized regulations have
created confusion for providers and thus have not been as effective as hoped.
Worse, in some cases, these regulations have thwarted some primary care
providers’ desire to order opioids, which have caused fears that some patients’
pain management needs are not effectively met which could lead to patients
seeking illicit pain relief strategies.
Other state or federal guidelines. To curb abuses, states mandate physical
assessments prior to prescribing an opioid drug. To protect the public,
prosecution immunity is enacted for citizens who attempt to assist a person
who may have overdosed. Drug disposal, community education, and expanded
naloxone distribution are other safety mechanisms set forth by legislation.
Create Treatment Plans that Include Addiction Risk Assessments
Nurses obtain thorough patient histories and should verify injury by usual
diagnostic assessments. Assessments should include level and intensity of pain;
pain relief measures; how pain interferes with quality of life, such as its impacts
on physical and psychological function; household support systems; and if pain
is interfering with work, home relationships, mood, sleep, exercise, leisure
activities, or food consumption.
Information from family members, the patient interview, and a thorough
assessment include screening tools to define the patient’s addiction risks. Lowrisk
patients would receive the usual amount of monitoring and follow-up. As
the risk increases, the level of monitoring and frequency of follow-up visits
increase. Monitoring could include pill counts and urine drug screens. Higher
risk patients should be referred to pain management clinics and always receive
short acting opioid formulas.
Based on the patient’s history and family member accounts, the nurse
determines if the patient demonstrates or verbalizes behaviors that might suggest
high risk for drug addiction or abuse. Behaviors that might suggest a problematic
return to normal daily activities include daytime sleeping instead of night; lack of
usual family involvement and interactions; decreased appetite; poor hygiene and
appearance, mood swings or volatility; and impaired functioning due to potential
effects of drug use.
The decision to continue, alter, or stop opioid drug regimens is based on the
patient’s progress in meeting treatment plan objectives while avoiding adverse
behaviors suggestive of overdose or diversion. Satisfactory plan of care outcomes
are improving pain levels, function, and quality of life.
January 2022 New Jersey Nurse & Institute for Nursing Newsletter Page 23
Opioid Prescription Patient Education by Nurses
1) Take opioid as prescribed, noting the importance of sticking with the dose
regimen. Patients should know what to do if they miss a dose or if pain is
not managed by the recommended doses.
2) Remind patients that the medication should not be crushed or chewed.
3) Warn patients of the dangers of using CNS depressants, including
sedatives, alcohol, or illicit drugs.
Achieving Racial and
Ethnic Equity in US Health
Care: A Scorecard of State
Performance
4) Reinforce the fact that due to the addictive nature of the drugs,
discontinuation should be accomplished by tapering the drug’s dosing with
primary care provider assistance.
5) Drugs should never be shared. To avoid diversion, opioids should be
locked up in a secure location.
6) Potential side effects include death due to respiratory depression.
7) The drug could impact one’s ability to drive, operate machines, or affect
balance that could cause falls.
8) Instruct the patient on safe disposal of unused opioids. Many senior
centers or primary care offices are depositories for unused drugs.
Community awareness. Nurses are often instrumental in providing community
education. These educational sessions might be in schools, at hospitals, senior
centers, or at other community locations. All aspects of opioid safety should be
taught to interested key community members to heighten awareness.
Naloxone. Release of Naloxone (Narcan) toolkits to the general public,
families of those who use opioids, and patients themselves has increased in
the US over the last few years. These life-saving kits do not treat overdoses of
benzodiazepines, stimulants, or barbiturates but do reverse the effects of opioids,
including heroin and fentanyl, when the first symptoms of respiratory arrest or
coma occur. Since 2019, Narcan can be dispensed for Tennessee individuals at
risk of opiate-related overdose.
Conclusion
The ANA advocates for all RNs, APRNs and NPs to practice in the fullest
extent of their education and practice authority for the implementation of patient
treatment plans and access to care to combat pain and the opioid crisis. The
ANA promotes care delivery instead of litigation or legal actions against those
who have fallen victim to this national epidemic.
Commonwealth Fund Report
The Commonwealth Fund has conducted a recent study, "Achieving Racial
and Ethnic Equity in US Health Care: A Scorecard of State Performance"
(November 2021).The study reports that "profound racial and ethnic disparities
in health and well-being have long been the norm in the United Sates" (p.1).
Black and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) people are more likely to die
from treatable conditions, to die during or after pregnancy and to suffer serious
pregnancy-related complications, and to lose children in infancy. They are also
at higher risk for many chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
Racial and ethnic health inequities are impacted by issues unrelated to the
health care system. In communities of color poverty rates are higher than
average, residents work in lower paying jobs, and may live in higher risk
environments.
In a state-by-state analysis, New Jersey data reported access to quality
care and outcomes for Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Americans, Native
Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans While White and Asian
people ranked in 90th and 94th percentile higher than the median in the US,
Hispanics were at 47% and Blacks at the 42% percentile. Deaths of Blacks
before the age of 75 were notable, reported in relation to the population as
141 per 100,000, compared to Whites at 67 per 100,000, Hispanics at 55,
and Asians at 37.
The data reported in the score care is the primarily from 2019 government
sources, they do not account for the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Inequities reported in the study are likely to be worse.
Reference:
The Commonwealth Fund (November, 2021). Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in
US: Health Care: A Scorecard of State Performance. New York, NY.
Stainton, L.H. (November 18, 2021). NJ Faces Challenges on Healthcare Inequity for
Blacks, Hispanics, Healthcare Scoreboard Finds Spotlight.org
Come Join the East Orange
General Hospital Family.
Our Mission: To improve the health of the community by working
collaboratively to provide high quality, efficient, safe and accessible
health care services with the utmost respect and compassion.
We are actively searching for Nurses and LPNs in
all specialties along with many other positions.
We offer the following competitive benefits along with new more
competitive rates:
– Special Incentives:
• $10,000 sign on bonus for Full Time RN positions
• $5,000 Tuition reimbursement
• $2,500 Referral Bonus
– Health and Welfare:
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Short and Long Term Disability
• Hospital paid Basic Life and Accidental Death Insurance
• Hospital paid Travel Insurance
• Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• A variety of Voluntary Benefits
– Retirement:
• John Hancock 401k with an employer match
Apply On line at: https://www.evh.org/careers.
For any additional questions, call the Human Resources
Department at: 973-672-4020
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