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.
Did you know?
- New Jersey is experiencing a significant nursing shortage. The Health Resources & Services Administration projects (based on 2017 information) that by 2030 there will be a 11,400 unfilled RN positions.
- There currently are more than 141,000 licensed nurses (APNs, RNs, and LPNs) in New Jersey.
- On average, 4,500 new graduate nurses join New Jersey’s workforce each year.
- With a goal of achieving workforce solutions, the NJCCN maintains partnerships with multiple New Jersey-based organizations, including the New Jersey Board of Nursing, New Jersey League for Nursing, Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey, New Jersey State Nurses Association, New Jersey Hospital Association, and the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, as well as the American Association for Retired People, labor unions, and academic partners from LPN and RN programs.
- Each year, NJCCN publishes a data report on education capacity, workforce supply, and workforce demand.
- NJCCN supports more than 1,000 graduates in residency programs.
Leadership team
Dr. Edna Cadmus, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Executive Director
NJCCN Executive Director Dr. Edna Cadmus also serves as a clinical professor at the Rutgers University School of Nursing and, since 2010, has been co-lead for the New Jersey Action Coalition. Currently, she is the recipient of two New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development related to apprenticeships for an acute care residency program. A past president of the Organization of Nurse Executives of New Jersey, as well as a past commissioner of the ANCC Pathway to Excellence Program, Cadmus was previously the senior vice president for Patient Care Services at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. She earned her PhD from Adelphi University, and holds a BSN from William Paterson University and a master’s degree in nursing education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Cadmus is a Wharton Fellow, as well as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.
Dr. Pamela de Cordova, PhD, RN-BC, Nurse Scientist
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, PhD, RN, CRNI, NEA-BC, Nurse Scientist
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
- To be the dominant voice on nursing workforce solutions for New Jersey residents.
- Ensure that competent, future-oriented, diverse nursing providers are available in sufficient numbers and are prepared to meet the demands of New Jersey’s evolving healthcare system.
- Transform the healthcare system through research and innovative model programs.
- Create a central repository for education practice and research related to the nursing workforce.
- Engage with academic/practice partners, intern/professional colleagues, government and legislative agencies, consumers, businesses, and industry.
- Promote a positive image for nursing.