A national fellowship program focused on expanding the role of nurses to lead change in the U.S. health care system has been awarded to Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, Ph.D., RN, ACNS-BC, Associate Dean and Associate Professor in Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. Dr. Glasgow is one of twenty nurses selected nationwide as a 2009 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation® (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellow. Now in its 12th year, the three-year fellowship program provides extensive leadership development for nurses in executive roles in public or community health, science and research, corporate health, academia, government or military health service. Fellows remain in their current positions while they receive training, mentoring, and the opportunity to implement innovative health care strategies in their communities. “Nurses provide a unique perspective in the health care system, understanding both the patient experience and the way policies and procedures affect health outcomes,” said Marilyn P. Chow, D.N.Sc., R.N., F.A.A.N., the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows national program director. “We are thrilled to have Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow join the 2009 group of fellows. “The experience will enable her to bring new skills and resources to improve health care in the Greater Philadelphia community.”As part of the fellowship, Glasgow will have an opportunity to design and implement a leadership project to address issues of essential importance to the future of nursing education, as well as to the broader health care system. “I am honored and excited to have this opportunity to explore new solutions for developing academic nurse leaders,” said Glasgow a resident of Medford. NJ. “Leaders who can mentor nursing faculty who in turn will do an excellent job in preparing knowledgeable, skilled, and caring nurses who will work in some of the most challenging health care delivery systems,”. As Associate Dean Glasgow developed several undergraduate nursing programs and has responsibility for the College’s undergraduate programs in a number of health professions and nursing education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Drexel University graduates annually the highest number of Bachelor of Science in Nursing majors among all of the universities and colleges in Pennsylvania and these graduates continue to have very high pass rates on the national council licensing examination (NCLEX). Glasgow has recognized the shortage in nursing faculty in the region and across the country and is working to accelerate the preparation of more academic nurse leaders. The fellowship is supported through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and matching funds from Drexel University. For more information about the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows program visit: www.enfp-info.orgFounded in 1891 in Philadelphia, Drexel is the nation’s 16th largest private university and is ranked as one of the nation’s most innovative universities by US News & World Report. Drexel is widely recognized for its focus on experiential learning through its co-operative education program, technology and use-inspired research. Drexel is comprised of eleven colleges and schools, including the College of Nursing and Health Professions which traces its history of training nurses back 130 years and now offers more than 15 degree programs in the health care professions. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. News Media Contact: Niki Gianakaris, Director, Drexel News Bureau 215-895-6741, 215-778-7752 (cell) or ngianakaris@drexel.edu
