The New Jersey League for Nursing, Inc. (NJLN), which promotes excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce, awarded W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing doctoral student Natalie A. Jones, MSN, RN, CCRN with the 2020 Dr. Maureen Sullivan Foley Memorial Scholarship Award in the amount of $10,000.

“I’m enormously honored to receive this scholarship and even more committed to continuing my education with the goal of making a difference in healthcare delivery for traditionally underserved populations in New Jersey,” said Jones, a Bordentown resident currently serving as an ICU critical care nurse educator at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton. “The scholarship support will remove a significant budgetary hurdle, allowing me to focus on the completion of my course work.”

Jones was officially honored with the distinction during NJLN’s virtual induction ceremony on June 19. She is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program at TESU.

According to NJLN, the scholarship award was made possible through a grant provided by the Community Health Connections Foundation, Inc., (CHCF), which is managed and administered through the NJLN. The funding focuses on nurses pursuing a master of science or a doctoral degree in nursing, who intend to remain in New Jersey after graduation to support and advocate for the health and wellbeing of the state’s diverse populations.

“The funding will support the completion of my DNP degree,” said Jones, whose day-to-day responsibilities often focus on health literacy, educating patients and families, and guiding interprofessional teams to support patients through a patient and family-centered care model. “For me, being DNP prepared will provide the leadership skills to enhance our working teams’ focus on not only quality care, but in addressing social determinants that will promote access to healthcare for all.”

The DNP program at TESU provides a specialty area in Systems-Level Leadership that can be completed in as little as 18 months and is designed to prepare students to lead complex healthcare organizations.

“The opportunity provided by the CHCF grant enables the NJLN to expand its scholarships to support nurse leaders, like Natalie, enabling them to advance her education, while recognizing Dr. Maureen Sullivan Foley’s legacy as a visionary leader, nurse advocate and past president of the NJLN,” said Tracy A. Ortelli, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, NJLN president.

“The scholarship criteria also underscores Dr. Foley’s focus on the healthcare needs of the state’s diverse populations. With 2020 being declared the ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife,’ and in light of the current pandemic health crisis, our ability to offer scholarships to future nurse leaders couldn’t come at a better time.”

To learn more about the NJLN or to explore the organization’s scholarship opportunities, visit www.njln.org. To learn more about the programs available through the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing, visit: www.tesu.edu/nursing.

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