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As its nursing program has grown to one of the largest in the state, William Paterson University is establishing a dedicated school to the profession within its College of Science and Health.

Beginning with the Fall 2023 semester, William Paterson said Aug. 21 it will offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral-level degrees from the School of Nursing. Additionally, the university announced Minerva Salinas Guttman as founding associate dean for the school.

Joining the institution Aug. 28, Guttman brings more than five decades of experience in nursing, both in the region and internationally. Most recently, she served as the Ferguson Endowed Chair at the Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Applied Health at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Since 2019, William Paterson has seen a surge in enrollment in its nursing degree program. According to the university, the number has more than doubled – from 431 students to more than 1,000 – while graduate enrollment has increased three-fold, from 190 to 713 students.

In a statement, William Paterson President Richard Helldobler said the school was excited to welcome Guttman.

“Our nursing programs have experienced tremendous growth in recent years, demonstrating how vital William Paterson and our graduates are to the future of New Jersey health care,” he said. “Under Dr. Guttman’s leadership, our new School of Nursing will allow us to sustain and leverage that growth to expand strategic partnerships with health care providers and better serve our students and alumni.”

Guttman was with FDU for more than 20 years. Prior to joining that university, she was an assistant dean in the University of Medicine and Dentistry of Nursing School of Nursing and chair of the UMDNJ/Middlesex County College associate’s degree program in nursing. She previously was also a nursing professor and administrator at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, and an instructor at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center College of Nursing, Beth Israel School of Nursing, and General Hospital School of Nursing in Manila, Philippines.

Guttman is currently editor-in-chief of “The International Forum for Nursing and Healthcare,” the official journal for nursing practice, education and research at the University of the Philippines.

Meeting demands

William Paterson’s nursing program first launched in 1966. It established its first doctoral program, the doctor of nursing practice degree, in 2010.

The new School of Nursing will be housed in University Hall and feature six patient simulation laboratories as part of the New Bolger, RN laboratories, with control and debriefing rooms for enhanced clinical training in addition to three state-of-the art nursing basic skills labs, the university said.

Beyond programs offered on-campus, William Paterson has a fully online undergraduate RN to BSN program as well as 12 fully online master’s degree and certificate programs. Its programs are nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

In the Garden State, there were reportedly 13,000 nursing positions open this spring.

In February 2022, the New Jersey Hospital Association released findings from a survey of state hospitals to take the temperature of staffing shortages. According to the results, the vacancy rate for nurses had increased by 64% from 2020 to 2021, while the reliance on agency registered nurses had gone up by 66% during the same time period.

“Hospitals have always faced cyclical staffing shortages, but the disruptive force of COVID-19 has created an unprecedented workforce plight across the entire continuum of care,” NJHA President and CEO Cathy Bennett said at the time. “Providers and policymakers have adopted short-term strategies to get us through the public health emergency, but it will require a coordinated strategic investment to rebuild the pipeline and bring people into these critically important jobs.”

According to the university, it graduated nearly 550 new nurses between 2019 and 2022 – and more than 200 nursing professionals earned advanced degrees and certifications – with many employed in the state and helping to close the gap on shortages. The nursing program is affiliated with more than 50 cooperative agencies in North Jersey, according to William Paterson, such as hospitals, public health agencies, clinics and nursing homes.

And, alumni of the program work at every major hospital in the region, William Paterson said, including: Beth Israel Hospital, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Clara Maass Medical Center, Sloan Kettering, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NYU Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson and others.

“Our nursing program, now one of the largest in the state, is serving a critical need in meeting the health care needs of New Jersey and beyond,” said Joshua Powers, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Dr. Guttman’s leadership in nursing curriculum and program development, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and her work in building community, business, and industry connections, will be instrumental as she collaborates with our excellent faculty and administration to further the School’s growth and development, and the success of our students.”

ICYMI | Staff on strike

A nurses strike at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick recently entered its fourth week, as more than 1,700 workers demonstrate for – among other things – improved staffing ratios.

“We have been clear throughout this process that it’s essential to have staffing ratios that account for acuity and help stave off burnout,” the union wrote in an Aug. 22, 2023, update to members, adding, “Now we need to ensure staffing ratios function as designed so patients get the best possible care and nurses can attend to their own health and well-being.” Get the story here.