William Paterson University Nursing Educator Named as New NJSNA President
The New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) welcomes nursing educator Sandra Foley, DNP, MSN, RN, as its 49th president.
Since 2021, Foley has served as chair of the Board of Trustees for the association’s foundation, the Institute for Nursing, which funds innovative programs, including scholarships, education and research grants, to advance the practice of nursing.
“Addressing the current state of nursing that the pandemic has amplified is paramount, such as finding ways to relieve the burden of the current staffing shortages,” said Foley, who has earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from William Patterson University, where she teaches. “I am also grateful to be in this position to collaborate and connect with all nurses across the state to drive nursing diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as ensure that all nurses are aware of NJSNA’s advocacy to influence legislation, which in turn promotes nurse and consumer focused issues.”
Foley is an undergraduate/graduate nursing educator who has also earned a Master of Nursing in Science with a concentration in nursing education and Bachelor of Nursing in Science degree at the College of St. Elizabeth. She had previously earned an Associate Degree in Nursing from Monroe Community College. She is a full-time faculty member in the Nursing Department at William Paterson University bringing 35 years of specialized experience in the acute clinical care hospital emergency department.
Foley is also serving as the NJSNA Region 1 immediate-past president, where she instituted the region’s first education scholarship, the region’s first Research Day and held many educational events. Under her leadership, the Florence Nightingale notecard was designed with the sale of the cards, continuing almost five years later, in support of the region’s philanthropy. Proceeds support NJSNA Region 1 education and scholarship opportunities.
In recent years, Foley has made several presentations to the medical community, including one of her professional interests, laughter yoga. Her DNP final project was titled, “The Effect of Laughter Yoga and Reducing the Stress of Emergency Department Nurses, a Mixed Method Study.” She is a certified laughter yoga instructor and is passionate about its effects on reducing stress and importance in overall health.
