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Mary E. Koch
MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CNOR

Administrative Director Perioperative Education
Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Specialist
RWJBarnabas Health

The New Jersey League for Nursing (NJLN) proudly inducted President, Mary E. Koch during the 2022 NJLN Annual Business Meeting at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City at the conclusion of the NJLN Convention on March 31, 2022.

Mary will serve as President through March 2024.


 

It is my distinct honor to serve as the President of the New Jersey League for Nursing to lead a professional organization that has withstood the test of time as we celebrate 107 years in 2022. This has included an unprecedented worldwide pandemic that has challenged healthcare and nursing in so many ways. However, it is through the commitment and dedication of our members, board of directors, past-president, committees and supporters that enable us to continue to successfully fulfill our mission of promoting excellence in nursing education and to build a diverse and inclusive workforce year after year. I could not be prouder to help guide this organization as we leverage our strong history and plan for our unlimited future.

As I reflect on my time at the NJLN, it all started in 1998 when I became a member at the urging of my best friend and now NJLN Past-President, Donna Murray, MSN, RN, APN-C, WHNP-BC, as a way to become more involved to make a difference at the local New Jersey level, as well as to network and connect with my peers. This is where I met a community of like-minded professionals, where some became my mentors, others wonderful colleagues and many have become lifelong friends. I would have never had this incredible opportunity to cross so many nursing and healthcare boundaries and organizations without my involvement in the NJLN where I have experienced and learned so much along the way. As a new member I joined the Convention Committee, later I would become the Chair of the Membership Committee, as well as participating on several other committees throughout the years, and then I was elected to the Board of Directors where in 2020 I became the President-Elect. Never in my nearly 25 years as part of the NJLN did I expect to become the President, but I just knew the work we were doing was so worthwhile and that it would be my privilege to follow in the footsteps of so many esteemed nurse leaders who came before me. I thank Dr. Tracy Ortelli who most recently led our organization as President during some of the most tumultuous times of the pandemic, and immediate Past-President, John Lanier, MS, RN, NE-BC, who has been instrumental in so much of the work of the NJLN through the years, and most notably now as part of our Finance Committee. Time has a way of preparing you for certain things, and although I am not sure if you are ever ready to become President, it will be my mission to ensure that we continue to focus on the incredible strides we have made as a diverse and inclusive organization to:

  • Continue to engage with our members through multiple communication channels such as our website, email and social media
  • Host virtual and in-person learning events
  • Use technology as a platform to help advance and make our league even more efficient and effective
  • Support nurses and future nurses with their education through scholarship awards
  • Provide recognition programs (stay tuned for more on recognition, an announcement will be coming out soon)
  • Encourage networking and mentoring opportunities with a focus on new and future nurses entering the profession

And there is one specific area for the NJLN that we are all very proud of that I would like to highlight, and that is our ability to provide scholarship awards to help to deliver on our mission and to support nursing students at all levels of their education. In 2022 we will administer over $110,000 in scholarship awards to those entering and advancing in the profession in all facets of nursing. This is one of the most meaningful ways that the NJLN and your membership makes an impact. Through these awards we help those who may not only need the financial support, but also what we have learned is it often boosts confidence to encourage these nurses to continue to reach their education goals.

Also, we have the privilege of honoring a nurse icon and role model, who served as past NJLN President through the Dr. Maureen Sullivan Foley Memorial Scholarship Awards. These awards are made possible through a grant by the Community Health Connections Foundation, Inc. and will substantially impact nurses in New Jersey. We truly feel one of the major pillars that the NJLN is built upon is our scholarship program, which has assisted so many throughout the years and we look forward to continuing to grow in this area.

I would like to end my first message as President by extending a very big thank you to all of our members, you make this organization strong and will be what carries us through for another 100 years. And I ask if you have not already volunteered to serve on a committee, please consider doing so. It is through your active involvement that produces all of the quality programming, selects our scholarship award recipients and helps us strategically plan for our future.

Wishing you a wonderful and safe Summer, and I hope you find time to take a break, relax and recharge.

All the best,






Mary E. Koch was the recipient of the 2019 National League for Nursing (NLN) Excellence in Leadership Award, which was presented during the NLN Summit in September 2019 in the Washington DC area.

Mary was honored during the NJLN 2019 Nurse Recognition and Scholarship Awards event at the Pines Manor in Edison where she was presented with the NLN Constituent League Award. Also, during the same award presentation, Mary received the NJLN President Award from then President, John Lanier, MS, RN, NE-BC.




 
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