NJSNA: Nurses in the News

New Jersey Nurse, Jan/Feb 2006

We are pleased to announce that SANDRA L. QUINN, MSN, RN, BC, CNE has passed the Certified Nurse Educator Examination making her one of the first in the country to become a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE).

Sandra is the Director of Capital Health System School of Nursing in Trenton, New Jersey. She obtained her bachelor's in Nursing from the Pennsylvania State University and her Master's in Adult Health and Illness with a Minor in Teaching from the University of Pennsylvania.

Certification goes above and beyond just having a license to practice nursing. Nursing licensure is a legal permit granted by states to allow individuals to practice nursing and use the professional title of nurse. Nursing licensure is mandatory in all states. Certification is a voluntary practice that validates that a nurse has met minimum competence in a specialty area.

The Certified Nurse Educator Examination is offered by the National League for Nursing (NLN). The pilot examination was given for the first time this year. The examination was based on the newly developed Scope of Practice for Academic Nurse Educators (NLN, 2005). This certification creates a means for faculty to demonstrate expertise in the role of academic nurse educator and establishes nursing education as a specialty area of practice. "Certification is a mark of distinction for nursing faculty," writes the NLN (2005).

According to the NLN (2005) the goals of Certified Nurse Educator Certification are as follows:

* Distinguish academic nursing education as a specialty area of practice and an advanced practice role within professional nursing.

* Recognize the academic nurse educator's specialized knowledge, skills and abilities and excellence in practice.

* Strengthen the use of core competencies of nurse educator practice.

* Demonstrate a commitment to professional development, life-long learning and nursing education as a career.

References

National League for Nursing. Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) 2005 Candidate Handbook. New York: NLN; 2005.

The Mid-State Black Nurses Association of New Jersey presents its Outstanding Educator award to Deborah Walker-McCall

The Mid-State Black Nurses Association of New Jersey will present its Outstanding Educator award to DEBORAH WALKER-McCALL, director of the College of Nursing-Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The award ceremony will take place at The Pines Manor in Edison on Nov. 12.

Walker-McCall, who is also director of the Rutgers College of Nursing's Minority Nurse Leadership Institute (MNLI), is receiving the award for her work in the EOF program and the MNLI.

The Rutgers College of Nursing-EOF program is a state sponsored program that provides academic, financial and counseling support to educationally and economically disadvantaged students.

The MNLI is designed to help minority nurses who have a desire to be leaders in the field of nursing. The program provides them with the leadership skills necessary to realize their goals as well as encourages them to pursue advanced degrees.

"I'm humbled, very touched, and, of course, very flattered. It is always a wonderful feeling to be recognized by your peers for the work you love and for your efforts to make a difference," said Walker-McCall, a West Orange resident. "I stand on the shoulders of giants, people who opened the door for me and took me under their wing during my career. My work in the Rutgers College of Nursing's EOF program and the Minority Nurse Leadership Institute in opening the door and helping others to succeed in the nursing profession is something that I always wanted to do."

Walker-McCall has mentored and assisted hundreds of students to obtain their baccalaureate degree and helped registered nurses realize their leadership potential through their involvement in EOF and MNLI.

A native of Newark, Walker-McCall earned her baccalaureate degree from Rutgers College of Nursing, where she was the first African-American to receive the college's Outstanding Senior Award. She received her MBA degree from Rutgers Graduate School of Management.

She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the National League for Nursing, the Rutgers Alumni Association, the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund Professional Association, the American Nurses Association, the New Jersey State Nurses Association, the National Black Nurses Association, and the Northern New Jersey Black Nurses Association.