Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows hold senior leadership positions in
public health, scientific, governmental and academic organizations

Lynn Babington, Ph.D., RN, professor and dean of Fairfield University's School of Nursing , has been named one of just 20 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellows whose alumni are a virtual 'who's who' of accomplished nurse leaders. Dr. Babington joins this select group of professionals from across the country chosen to participate in a world-class, three-year leadership development program designed to enhance nurse leaders' effectiveness in improving the United States health care system. She plans to share what she has learned with Jesuit nursing schools nationwide.

"At this pivotal moment when the country's health care system is being transformed, we need nurse leaders to help ensure that the changes we adopt improve patient and population health," said Linda Cronenwett, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, who co-directs the Fellows program at the Center for Creative Leadership. "The RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows program is building and enhancing the leadership skills of talented nurses around the country. We know that Lynn Babington and the other members of our 2013 cohort will also make enormous contributions to improving health and health care in our country."

Begun in 1998, the program strengthens the leadership capacity of nurses who aspire to shape health care in their communities, states and nationally, and whose new fellows include professionals from such institutions as Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, the University of Virginia School of Nursing, and the Veterans Administration in San Francisco. The program will provide Dr. Babington and her colleagues with coaching, education and other support to strengthen their abilities to lead teams and organizations working to improve health and health care.

"Being selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow is a wonderful opportunity to continue developing my leadership skills at the national level, and to identify ways to strengthen nursing education and support inter-professional health education," said Dr. Babington, a Bridgeport, Connecticut resident . "Most nurse education takes place outside of academic medical centers, so we face a challenge and needto be creative to ensure that nurses are well-prepared to be leaders on interdisciplinary health care teams. In particular, I look forward to sharing the experiences of this fellowship with the 19 Jesuit schools of nursing around the country. I am in a unique position to do that."

Fellows continue in their current positions during their fellowships, and each develops, plans, and implements a new initiative to improve health care delivery in her or his community.

Dr. Babington leads Fairfield's School of Nursing, which has experienced decade-long expansion in both enrollment and in nationwide reputation as one of the premier nursing schools in the country, known for its top-notch faculty, state-of-the-art resources, and an array of graduate programs for nursing leaders. She previously held numerous leadership roles at Northeastern University. Her accomplishments include developing a non-profit business partnership and strategic alliance between two community health centers in Boston. Since 2000, she has been president of Intercultural Nursing, Inc., providing health care to people in rural communities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In 2011, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Israel.

The full list of 2013 RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows can be found by visiting http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/newsroom-content/2013/08/20-nurse-leaders-from-across-united-states-chosen-for-prestigiou.html .

Posted On: 08-26-2013 11:08 AM

Volume: 46 Number: 26