Nursing Professor Named Northeastern Regional Director of the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
Dr. Cheryl Spencer, Professor in the department of Nursing at Queensborough Community College, has been named the Northeastern Regional Director of the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN). OADN is recognized nationally for promoting academic progression of graduates in furthering education to reach their maximum professional potential. The organization also serves as a platform for faculty to develop and present scholarly works.
“I am extremely honored to receive this recognition and I thank my colleagues for their support, both at OADN and at Queensborough, especially my Chairperson, Professor Anne Marie Menendez,” said Spencer, who joined Queensborough in 2003.
“Our Nursing Department is proud of our colleague,” said Anne Marie Menendez, Professor and Chairperson, Nursing. “Dr. Spencer has been a dynamic faculty member who has contributed her expertise in teaching methodologies and has been a great mentor to both students and faculty.”
At the upcoming November OADN convention, Dr. Spencer and nursing department colleagues will present a project to attendees based on their collaboration to create a leadership learning experience for senior nursing students. They will share ways to integrate these active learning experiences at other colleges. This project, called Nursing Grand Rounds, helped senior students take on a leadership role by assessing, describing and analyzing patients’ health status to make recommendations for best practices of care.
“The student response to this leadership learning experience project has been quite positive. Their enthusiasm inspired us to take this idea to the next level and present it at other scholarly venues.”
Spencer, a native New Yorker, graduated from Queensborough with an A.A.S. in Nursing and then attended Adelphi University.
“My experience at Queensborough had a huge impact on my passion for nursing and instilled in me a deep understanding of what it’s like to be a full-time student and hold down a job at the same time. When my students come to me with school and work issues, I feel qualified to say, ‘I get it.’”
Admission to the nursing clinical program is competitive. Results on the RN PAX are reviewed in combination with the student's G.P.A. and overall academic record. Students who successfully complete the program devote themselves as future caregivers during the traditional Candlelighting Ceremony, held in the fall and in the spring.
“Our nursing graduates demonstrate the extraordinary discipline, sacrifice and determination necessary to successfully complete this competitive program and go on to succeed in one of the most demanding fields in healthcare.”
Queensborough’s nursing program is renowned for its diligence in keeping pace with technology, addressing the needs of veterans and offering dual/joint programs with CUNY’s Hunter College, York College and CUNY School of Professional Studies. Queensborough is above the national average in NCLEX scores, over 90 per cent for the past three years and has had the highest NCLEX scores within CUNY.
“It is my hope that being on the board of directors of OADN, I will be able to share some of Queensborough’s successful strategies of student engagement, education and advancement with a national audience.”
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