Janice Beitz, a professor in the Rutgers-Camden School of Nursing, has been named a fellow of the National Academies of Practice (NAP). She will be inducted in March at an annual meeting for NAP, an interprofessional, national organization that advises governmental bodies on health care delivery in the United States.
Beitz stated in a press release, “The fellowship in the National Academies of Practice will provide an opportunity for me to influence quality patient care for the future. I am honored to be able to influence decisions based on my clinical expertise and scholarship regarding safe, effective patient care.”
Beitz is an expert in wound, ostomy, and continence care, with more than 40 years of nursing experience in acute, sub-acute, and outpatient care settings. She is the director of the graduate-level Rutgers University‒Camden Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Education Program and board certified as an adult clinical specialist in medical-surgical nursing, and as a nurse of the operating room.
As a nursing educator, Beitz has also created wound/ostomy/continence and perioperative nursing care programs that have been recognized with awards from the Pennsylvania League for Nursing, the WOCN Society Northeast Region, and the American Professional Wound Care Association. Beitz is also a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and a member of the Academy of Nursing Education Fellows (ANEF) for her innovations in improving clinical practice and patient safety through education, practice, and research.
To learn more about Janice Beitz, a professor in the Rutgers-Camden School of Nursing, who has been named a fellow of the National Academies of Practice, visit here.
The National League for Nursing’s (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education recently named Marie O’Toole, a nursing professor at Rutgers University-Camden, a fellow. NLN fellows are selected for their contributions to nursing education — as teachers, mentors, scholars, public policy advocates, practice partners, administrators, and more. O’Toole was one of 16 nurses selected nationwide for the distinction in 2018, recognized for their leadership and expertise in nursing education.
O’Toole serves as senior associate dean in the Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden and is a registered nurse in New Jersey and New York. She began her career serving as a staff nurse at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania before serving as a nursing instructor at Rutgers–Camden and going on to serve a 35-year academic career at several notable institutions. She has also served as the associate dean for the Stratford campus for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Nursing, which is now a part of Rutgers University. O’Toole attended the University of Pennsylvania for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, and earned her doctoral degree from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
O’Toole tells news.camden.rutgers.edu, “I am proud to be a part of a growing, thriving academic community that strives to make a difference in its home city of Camden and also is committed to scholarship that distinguishes it on an international level.”
O’Toole was the recipient of a Fulbright Specialist grant in education in 2016-17 that allowed her to teach and study at Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, Jordan. The grant recognized O’Toole’s innovative work in developing and implementing global nurse education programs with partners in other countries. In the 1990s, she worked with the nonprofit organization Health Volunteers Overseas on a project funded by the US Agency for International Development to develop baccalaureate nursing education in Vietnam. She also served as the principal investigator for a grant funded by the US Department of Education and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture to create the first undergraduate, dual-degree program in nursing addressing the growing need for international recognition of nursing education to facilitate efficient emigration of nurses.
To learn more about Marie O’Toole, a nursing professor at Rutgers University-Camden who was recently named a fellow in the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education, visit here.
The Innovative Health Equity Program seeks to promote health equity for underserved Latino and immigrant populations by strengthening Spanish language skills among future health care professionals. The ACCN’s Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award recognizes the outstanding work of AACN member schools to re-envision traditional models for nursing education and lead programmatic change.
Donna Nickitas, dean of the Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden, tells News.Camden.Rutgers.edu, “Health professionals must be able to serve diverse communities, which is why Rutgers-Camden created this innovative program. We are gratified that the AACN has recognized this exemplary program and its potential to elevate the health of all of our communities.”
Rutgers’ health equity program was developed with the support of a $600,000 grant from the US Department of Education’s International and Foreign Language Education office. Projects nominated for the AACN innovation award must have the potential for replication and dissemination, involve cross-disciplinary teams, and demonstrate advancement of professional nursing education.
To learn more about the Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden receiving the AACN’s Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award, visit here.
Donna Nickitas, noted health policy scholar and nurse educator, was recently appointed the new dean of the Rutgers School of Nursing—Camden, effective July 1. In her new role, Nickitas is expected to lead the growth of the School of Nursing.
Nickitas is currently a professor at City University of New York’s Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing where she is the executive officer of the nursing science PhD program. She plays a critical role in growing enrollment and enhancing the national profile of the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing.
Rutgers School of Nursing—Camden offers nursing degrees from the bachelor’s level (including accelerated and RN to BSN options) to the doctorate level. Nickitas tells News.Camden.Rutgers.edu:
“I am pleased to assume the position of dean at the Rutgers School of Nursing—Camden and excited to build on the school’s tradition of leadership, scholarship, and service to nursing education. The Rutgers School of Nursing—Camden is a unique place that demonstrates how an exceptional educational program prepares and builds the next generation of nurse leaders, clinicians, and scholars.”
Nickitas is a retired major in the US Air Force Nurse Reserve Corps and past assistant director of maternal child health nursing at Bellevue Medical Center in New York. She earned her PhD from Adelphi University, master’s degree from New York University, and bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University. She is also a member of multiple professional and civic organizations. To learn more about Nickitas and her new post as dean at Rutgers School of Nursing—Camden, visit here.
173 nursing professionals in the world were selected for the honor in 2017, representing the nation’s foremost health care thought leaders. Selection criteria for AAN fellows includes evidence of significant contributions to nursing and health care, and a nursing career that influences health policies and health care delivery for Americans.
Scannell-Desch is a retired colonel in the US Air Force Nurse Corps and a former flight nurse who served on active duty across the world from 1972 to 1997. She joined the Rutgers Nursing faculty in January 2016 following a 25-year military career and 15-year teaching career at other universities. During her time in the military, Scannell-Desch held a number of leadership positions including command nurse executive at the US Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon where she directed nursing policy and practice for Air Force Reserve nursing personnel worldwide.
To learn more about Scannell-Desch and her induction as an American Academy of Nursing Fellow, visit here.
