Northern NJ Black Nurses Association

The National Black Nurses Association has joined forces to implement the recommendations outlined in the sentinel release from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report on the Future of Nursing. It is critical that registered nurses assume leadership roles to meet the increased demand for access to quality health care. As we move forward with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and its intersection with the Transformation of Nursing as outlined with the Future of Nursing, the National Black Nurses Association stands firm with other professional nursing organizations to lead the change and transform health care that will lead us to a healthier nation. 
A Salute to African American Nurses
"African American Nurses Changing the Course of Nursing"
African American Nurses have been inspired by exceptional service, dedication and tenacity demonstrated by leaders such as Harriet Tubman and Mary Eliza Mahoney. Let us celebrate other phenomenal African American Nurses this year - nurses who changed the course of nursing.

Among the Legends

 Mary Elizabeth Carnegie, DPA, RN, FAAN: Dr. Mary Elizabeth Carnegie was a distinguished educator and author in the field of nursing, known for breaking down racial barriers and preserving the history of African-American nurses. She exhibited courage, integrity and commitment to the advancement of the nursing profession, as well as to the advancement of black and other minority nurses. She earned honorary doctorates and countless awards; she is author of all three editions of the award-winning The Path We Tread: Blacks in Nursing Worldwide, 1854-1994. She initiated the baccalaureate nursing program at the historically black Hampton University in Virginia, where the archives are named in her honor. A past president of the American Academy of Nursing (1978-1979) and chair of the ANA's Minority Fellowship Program Advisory Committee (1988-1999), she served as dean and professor of the school of nursing at Florida A&M University (1945-1953). She was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 2000.

Mabel Keaton Staupers: The American Nurses Association website states that Staupers was "a leader of vision, determination and courage" that "helped break down color barriers in nursing at a time when segregation was entrenched in this county." And thanks to her efforts, "black nurses were accepted into educational, institutional, and organization structure of American nursing."

Betty Smith Williams, DrPH, RN, FAAN: Dr. Betty Smith Williams "saw very easy on how activism and collectivism could impact change." She later became the first black graduate to wear the cap of Cleveland, Ohio's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. She became the first black person to teach at either a college or university in the state of California. Dr. Williams was the co-founder of the National Black Nurses Association in 1971. "We created the association to give [African American nurses] a voice and the opportunity to shape our destiny," she says. She was instrumental in pioneering new programs and organizations that have had a huge impact in increasing opportunities for minorities in nursing. She was the First Dean of the American University of Health Sciences, School of Nursing. Dr. Williams was also a founding member of National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association where she serves as President Emeritus of that organization. Dr. Williams was named a "Living Legend" by the American Academy of Nursing. 

Deidre Walton JD MSN RN/PHN