Building a Strong Nursing Workforce for New Jersey

Background

Through the efforts of State Senator Joseph Vitale, legislation was enacted in 2002 to establish the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing (NJCCN).

The organization is focused on supporting nurses and nursing by providing evidence-based policy and other recommendations regarding the nursing workforce and its impact on the health of New Jersey residents. The most immediate challenge for the NJCCN is addressing New Jersey’s shortage of nurses and nursing faculty, which has been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. The organization also focuses strongly on identifying strategies for contributing to the well-being of nurses.

Based in Newark, at the Rutgers University School of Nursing, NJCCN is guided by a 17-member board. All members are appointed either by the governor or the state legislature. 

Leadership Team

Dr. Waszak has been a registered nurse for nearly 30 years and is a board-certified nurse educator and occupational health nurse-specialist. She began her role as Executive Director of the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing (NJCCN) in July 2025, after serving as Assistant Director. She is also a Clinical Associate Professor with Rutgers School of Nursing in the Advanced Practice Division. Her most recent former roles include Associate Dean and Associate Professor at Felician University School of Nursing in the Department of Graduate Nursing and manager at Pfizer Global Occupational and Environmental Health in New York City. Her clinical background includes ambulatory, emergency, occupational health, and forensic nursing. She serves as a member of the Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey Advocacy Committee and Vizient Nurse Residency Program Advisory Board.

She is also a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing and was the inaugural/founding president for the Alpha Beta Chi Chapter of Sigma. She leads an advocacy group, the Nurses Climate Challenge for Sigma Chapters, and is a member of the Climate Action Group at Rutgers Health.

Dr. Pamela de Cordova conducts mixed-method research on improving patient and resident outcomes in hospitals and nursing homes. She uses large, publicly reported datasets to answer research questions pertaining to staffing, the work environment, and how various factors impact patient and resident care. De Cordova’s research has determined that in New Jersey, public reporting increases data transparency and patient choice, with no major changes in staffing levels. She is also currently leading a funded, statewide project examining the impact of RN staffing, availability of personal protective equipment, and work environment support on the psychological well-being of New Jersey, hospital-based, frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic surge. Her findings indicate high levels of burnout and intent to leave among acute care nurses. De Cordova is using these findings to test the impact of RN resource availability of secondary healthcare associated infections developed among COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Susan Weaver is currently a nurse scientist at NJCCN, as well as at Hackensack Meridian health Ann May Center for Nursing. Her research focuses on the home health aide and LPN workforce, as well as on administrative supervisors and nurses who work the night shift. In 2017, she founded the Administrative Supervisor Conference, which has grown to become a multi-state event. The 2021-22 president of the Infusion Nurses Society, Weaver holds a BSN from Penn State University, an MSN in Nursing Administration from Seton Hall University, and a PhD in Nursing from Rutgers University.

Vision / Mission Statement