Seton Hall Honors N.J. Nurses CEO

College of Nursing Recognizes Judith Schmidt for Leadership

TRENTON, N.J.—Oct. 15, 2019— The New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) Chief Executive Officer Judith Schmidt, MSN, DHA (c), RN, CCRN was honored for her leadership skills and passion for nursing last night by Seton Hall University College of Nursing.

Schmidt was presented with the George J. Hebert Leadership Award for her career of nursing leadership at the 48th Annual College of Nursing Margaret C. Haley Awards, advocating for the profession of nursing in New Jersey and nationally. For many years, she has been one of the most visible proponents of the advancement of the nursing profession as CEO of NJSNA where she represents the interests of more than 110,000 registered and advanced practice nurses in New Jersey.

Several weeks ago, Schmidt and NJSNA were recognized for best practices in achieving and measuring peak performance by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey and its flagship publication, COMMERCE Magazine, at the 6th Annual Best Practices Conference on September 24, 2019.

“Success is all about increasing membership, fiscal viability and legislative successes,” explained Schmidt. “If we can increase the numbers of our engaged and active nurse members, it only strengthens our voice. The stronger the number of engaged active members, the stronger we are financially so we can continue our mission of advocacy for excellence in patient care and the practice of nursing in New Jersey.”

Most recently, Schmidt led New Jersey’s entry into the multi-state nursing compact so nurses can practice in states that are members without obtaining a separate license, which will help alleviate a pending nursing shortage. She is also advocating for nurse title protection and to increase consumer access to care with the removal of joint protocol.

“Through legislative success, we can truly make a difference in the health care system for healthier patients who have more access to care,” she added. “The secret to all of this is increasing our visibility and voice through active participation in the political arena then communicating those activities to members and non-members to showcase the value of membership. This has worked for us because NJSNA has more doubled membership in the past four years.”

She was also honored by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) with the 2019 Advocate State Award for Excellence for her exceptional nurse leadership and service to nurses.

Schmidt received her Master’s degree in the Science of Nursing from Seton Hall University in 1993. She has been CEO of NJNSA since 2015 and prior to that, she served as president of the organization with a long record of board service and volunteerism for more than 30 years.

To learn more about NJSNA please visit njsna.org.

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About NJSNA
NJSNA, which was established in 1901, is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association.  The New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) represents the interests of 110,000 registered nurses and advanced practice nurses as an advocate for the nursing profession. NJSNA’s lobbying arm continues to protect the nursing profession through legislative victories. Its nonprofit foundation, Institute for Nursing, helps nurses further their careers by providing continuing education, scholarships and research grants in addition to invaluable networking opportunities. For more information, nurses can visit njsna.org or contact NJSNA at njsna@njsna.org or call (609) 883-5335.