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Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research

“It is the goal of the Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research to provide our professional nurses with guidance and a dynamic and centralized resource of learning opportunities that assist in the development and maintenance of continuing competence, enhancement of professional practice and career goal achievement.”

Mary Beth Russell PhD, MA, RN, NPDA-BC, NEA-BC, FNAP, CPHQ

Meet our Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research Team

Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research Directors

  • Children's Specialized Hospital - Adriana Senatore MSN RN CPNP Director for the Center of Professional Development Innovation and Research/ Interim Administrative Director, Nursing Operations
  • Clara Maass Medical Center - Cynthia Basile DNP, MSN, RN, CCRN, Director, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • Community Medical Center - Susan Urbanek MSN, RNC-OB, Director, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center - Stephanie Richter MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CEN, Director, The Center for Professional Development Innovation and Research
  • Jersey City Medical Center - Michele Lopez MSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC, Director, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus - Diana Tocko MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NE-BC, Regional Administrative Director, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • Newark Beth Israel Medical Center - Leslie Wright-Brown PhDc, RN, NPD-BC, Assistant Vice President, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • RWJUH Hamilton - Cheryl Prall MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • RWJUH – Claudia Pagani MSN, RN-BC, NPD-BC | AVP, Center for Professional Development, Innovation & Research
  • Alberto Rodriguez MSN, RN, NE-BC, Director, The Center for Professional Development Innovation & Research

  • RWJUH Rahway Marcia Nettingham DNP, RN, NE-BC, Director, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • RWJUH Somerset - Kathleen Wilson MSN, RN, CNL, SCRN, Director, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research
  • Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - Karen Visich MSN, RN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, Director, Professional Practice and Development
  • RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health Center & Behavioral Health Network - Jennifer Tucker MSN, RN-PMH-BC, Education Manager, The Center for Professional Development, Innovation and Research

RWJBarnabas Health facilities are committed to provide a healthy work environment which supports the highest safety, service, and quality outcomes for patients, families, nurses, interprofessional colleagues, and staff. This is accomplished through the development and implementation of strong structures and processes which support shared governance structures, reward and recognition, nursing quality outcomes, and evidence-based practice and research. Magnet® program leaders at each facility utilize Magnet standards to foster excellence in nursing practice.

Magnet Designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), recognizes organizations for creating and sustaining an environment of nursing excellence where collaborative working relationships are fostered among different departments and disciplines. This journey to excellence enables organizations to advance professional nursing practice, recognize excellence in the delivery of nursing services, promote innovation, and provide the structures necessary for the implementing and disseminating best practices.

The five components of Magnet Model include Transformational Leadership, Structural Empowerment, Exemplary Professional Practice, New Knowledge Innovations and Improvements and Empirical Outcomes. The Magnet Standards within the five model components provide a framework to support nursing excellence. At RWJBarnabas Health nurses are highly- valued, participate in decision-making through shared governance, promote exemplary professional practices both at the local and system levels, actively participate in research and evidence- based activities, and are supported to engaged in lifelong learning.