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TUESDAY JANUARY 25, 2011
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Today: Cloudy
ON THE FLOOR
High: 38 • Low: 24
The Rutgers gymnastics team took home first place in Saturday’s quad meet at the Livingston Recreation Center. Sophomore Danielle D’Elia and freshman Lousia Leal-Restrepo tied for first place in floor exercises.
RHA revamps procedures for yearly election BY ANDREW SMITH STAFF WRITER
JEFFREY LAZARO / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital earns the Magnet Designation for nursing excellence for the fourth time after submitting data regarding patient care and outcomes. Less than 6 percent of hospitals across the nation earned the recognition.
RWJUH nursing care earns national award BY KRISTINE CHOI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Continuing a tradition of honorar y achievement, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital received its fourth recognition last week by the Magnet Designation for nursing excellence. RWJUH stands among a few other health care organizations to receive the national distinction, which recognizes outstanding nursing talent and expertise. “The Magnet Designation is the highest distinction that any nursing division can achieve, really, anywhere in the
world,” said Joyce Johnson, senior vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer at RWJUH. RWJUH under went an exhaustive review process in which they submitted qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes, she said. Their scores qualified them for an onsite visit from a surveyor, whose report suggested the Commission on Magnet grant the hospital the designation. The nursing staff was recognized for their high patient satisfaction and availability of help, as well as lower 30-day mortality rates, Johnson said.
Historical society honors notable local suffragist
Because of its rigorous criteria, the internationally recognized designation is granted to less than 6 percent of hospitals nationwide, she said. “It’s the brass ring in the nursing profession and it’s one that many hospitals aspire to,” Johnson said. “We are one of six hospitals, internationally, that has received Magnet Designation for the fourth time.” Johnson said this is a tremendous achievement, as the process of getting redesignated becomes more difficult with each designation.
In a move designed to promote stronger core leadership within the University’s Residence Hall Association, several changes have been made to the organization’s electoral procedure despite potential issues they may breed in the upcoming February elections. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) has traditionally held separate elections for residence hall governments and for the executive board, said RHA Coordinator of Special Programs Matthew Zielinski. But members of the organization voted in favor of restructuring elections. “[The changes have] been discussed all fall semester at our general assembly meetings, and all the general assembly voted and agreed upon it,” Zielinski said. “It was put into our constitution and our bylaws so it is permanent, but it’s the first time we’ve done this.” The amendments aim to provide elected members of the organization greater experience through extended training before taking on their roles, RHA President Ryan Harrington said. “There are two major differences,” Harrington said. “The first one is that last year our elections took place in April, so we didn’t have much of a transition process. The other major change is we’re now electing 50 positions before next year starts.” The amendments fulfill the twofold process of establishing more primar y leadership as early as Februar y to allow greater and more expansive training, said Zielinski, advisor to the RHA. “The reason we’re doing this is so that once [the new executive board is] elected to the organization, they actually have half a semester to shadow and to learn from the current executive,” he said. “That way, they won’t be stepping in blind at the end of the semester.”
SEE AWARD ON PAGE 4
SEE RHA ON PAGE 5
TINY TREASURES
INDEX UNIVERSITY RUSA is working to establish a statewide student coalition for higher education.
BY LAURA TRANSUE
OPINIONS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
East Brunswick residents had the opportunity to attend an event Sunday in honor of New Jersey-native suffragist, Alice Paul. The East Brunswick Historical Society event, second in a series called “‘Some’ Remarkable Women of New Jersey,” centered on Paul’s achievements to the countr y as a female activist and featured three guest speakers who explored different areas of her life. Paul, who died in 1977 at 92 years old, was born in South Jersey and became one of America’s most controversial activists for women’s suffrage in the early 1900s, said Kristina Myers, director of Heritage and Outreach at the Alice Paul Institute. “She was a woman who broke a lot of gender roles, and this made her ver y unpopular,” she said.
The Camden Police Department loses about half its officers to close a multimillion dollar budget gap.
UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3 OPINIONS . . . . . . . . 8 DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 10 KEITH FREMAN
The New Brunwsick Free Public Library’s 109-year-old dollhouse returns Friday to the Children’s Room after the Jersey Shore Miniature Society of Neptune restored it.
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . 12 SPORTS . . . . . . BACK
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