Nurses deserve to be celebrated, especially now.
Check out this collection of stories and Royals Respond honor roll entries that highlight our Royal Nurses!
Learn more about a Graduate Nursing education at Scranton:
The second edition of “Nurses Making Policy: From Bedside to Boardroom,” edited by Margarete Lieb Zalon, Ph.D., R.N., A.C.N.S.-B.C., F.A.A.N., professor of nursing and director of the University’s online master of science in health informatics program, Rebecca M. Patton, D.N.P., R.N., C.N.O.R., F.A.A.N., and Ruth Ludwick, Ph.D., R.N.-B.C., A.P.R.N.-C.N.S., F.A.A.N., won second place in the History and Public Policy category of the 2019 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards.
The American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards is an esteemed and prestigious competition in which the best in nursing publishing are chosen by a panel of judges who are experienced and well-established in the healthcare community. Awards are given for first, second, and third places across 20 categories. 2019 marked the 50th year of the awards.
The second edition of “Nurses Making Policy” explores the nurse’s integral role in facilitating health policy change and advocating for the patient, both in the hospital and in the larger political system. The editors have donated all their royalties from both editions of the book to the Washington Fellowship Fund at the American Nurses Foundation, which is the philanthropic entity of American Nurses Association. The Washington Fellowships Fund is focused on getting nurses a seat at the highest-policy making tables and maximizing nurses’ participation on Capitol Hill committees.
Dr. Zalon, who has been a member of Scranton’s faculty since 1988, was inducted as an American Academy of Nursing Fellow in 2010 in part for her positive influence on health care policy and delivery. Her leadership legacy includes grassroots advocacy, progressive program design, execution and outcomes in state and national nursing organizations focused on establishing practice and education policy, and building research funding capacity.
Dr. Zalon has authored book chapters, as well as articles published in numerous scholarly journals and other professional publications. She has also made research and health policy presentations at the local, state, national and international levels. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Zalon serves on the American Academy of Nursing’s Acute and Critical Care Expert Panel, and is the president of the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania. She is a past chair of the American Nurses Foundation, a former board member of the American Nurses Association, past vice-president of the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and a past president of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association.
Dr. Zalon is a recipient of the Duke University School of Nursing Distinguished Alumna Award, the PSNA Distinguished Nurse Award and a Leahy Fellowship at The University of Scranton. She also received the University’s Excellence in Graduate Teaching Faculty Senate Award in 2017.
Dr. Zalon received her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and her master’s and Ph.D. in nursing from New York University.
PCPS Dean Debra Pellegrino filled us in on the bright futures for nurses!
Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services. These are the people who devote their lives to caring for mothers and children; giving lifesaving immunizations and health advice; looking after older people and generally meeting everyday essential health needs. They are often, the first and only point of care in their communities. The world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. –World Health Organization
Check out this podcast from NPR:
NPR: Calling the Shots in the Year of the Nurse and Midwife
Check out our graduate nursing programs: Nursing Practice (DNP), Nurse Anesthesia (DNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN), Executive Nurse Leadership (MSN) and Adult Gerontology- Clinical Nurse Specialist (MSN).
This article originally appeared in Challenges, the newsletter from the Panuska College of Professional Studies.
PCPS faculty are leaders in a number of arenas. The faculty are not only members of their professional associations but have taken on leadership roles within those organizations. Being an active member and a leader provides opportunities for networking, enhances your professional growth, and enables you to work with colleagues in advancing the profession and serving others.
Networking is one of the most valuable aspects of association membership. It provides the opportunity to connect with colleagues in your community, regionally, nationally and globally. Association colleagues are a source of new friends, provide mentorship and often guide members in seeking new opportunities. These lifelong professional relationships not only provide opportunities for personal growth, but opportunities to contribute to society.
One benefit of association membership is keeping you in touch with the latest developments in your discipline through continuing education, publications and conferences. Opportunities are provided to influence policy to not only strengthen your profession but to improve society. The early development of the professions is replete with stories of leaders who single-handedly influenced the development of their disciplines. However, in an increasingly interdependent society, working together to achieve professional goals is now the norm and a necessity. Changes in legislation and policy occur as a collaborative effort. While we might not always agree with an organization’s stance, being a member provides a powerful means of influencing its direction, positions, policies, and spheres of influence. Connecting with others who have chosen the same career path allows you to gain new perspectives, share common experiences and collaborate in addressing issues within the profession and beyond. You can easily become a well-informed member of the profession.
In my career, I have not only accrued these personal benefits, but when I have been privileged to serve in an organization by volunteering, or holding appointed and/or elected office, I have brought back what I have learned to my workplace — in this instance, the classroom. Likewise, each of us brings a unique set of experiences to an organization that helps achieve its mission. Being an active member and leader helped me to pave the way for my students by working to improve the practice environment and the communities we serve. Connecting with colleagues across the country has enabled me to gain new insights on contemporary solutions to practice challenges. Active participation is a means of not only enhancing one’s credibility as a leader but also providing visibility for your organization beyond the local community. Having a ringside seat to the deliberations of association leaders as they address complex issues has allowed me to articulate the rationale for the decisions made and collaborate more effectively in developing solutions for the future.
Joining a professional association provides you with a built-in opportunity for professional growth. Associations are always looking for new members. While opportunities for leadership and advancement may be limited in some workplaces, setting your sights on leadership opportunities in an association can provide you with valuable experiences as you seek to advance your own career and prepare for new roles within your workplace. It can boost your confidence in taking risks as you assume more responsibility. Professional growth also means taking others.
Read more in Challenges, here.
Mary Jane Hanson, Ph.D., professor of nursing and director of the Department of Nursing’s graduate and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs at The University of Scranton, was re-elected as chair of the board for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for 2020. This will be her second term.
CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency that ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education programs and nurse residency and fellowship programs. The University’s nursing programs hold CCNE accreditation.
Dr. Hanson holds certifications as an Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist, Adult Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner and maintains a current part-time family nurse practitioner practice. She also maintains numerous professional memberships.
Dr. Hanson has published more than 30 papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals including Nursing Research, Western Journal of Nursing Research, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Nursing Education Perspectives, Journal of Health Management and Public Health, The Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Journal of Critical Care, The American Journal for Nurse Practitioners, American Journal of Nursing, and Nursing Management. Her research interests include cigarette smoking, women’s health, cross-cultural study, adolescents’ risk behaviors and primary health care.
In addition, Dr. Hanson has been very successful at securing grant funding and has successfully authored federal grants for the graduate nursing program totaling more than three million dollars.
Dr. Hanson earned her bachelor’s degree from Cedar Crest College and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She joined the faculty at University in 1996.
Learn more about the DNP program at The University of Scranton.