Shenandoah University and the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing are pleased to announce that Dr. Janice Smith, Ph.D., R.N. ’74 and Dr. Pamela Cangelosi, Ph.D., R.N. ’86, ’89 will be inducted into the National League for Nursing’s (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education, with the credential of “Fellow.” Upon their induction on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013, the two will join the academy’s 144 fellows representing nursing schools and programs throughout the United States.
“Janice and Pamela are shining examples of the outstanding educators we have in the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing,” said Dean Kathryn Ganske, Ph.D., R.N. “They set the bar high, advancing the education of nurses at the local, regional and national levels. Their expertise and professionalism make them very deserving of this high honor. I am proud of these colleagues, who will be the first from Shenandoah University to be inducted into the Academy of Nursing Education.”
As newly named fellows, Dr. Smith and Dr. Cangelosi have been lauded for their innovative teaching, nursing education research, academic leadership and collaborative community partnerships.
“I was very surprised and honored to be selected as an Academy of Nursing Education Fellow,” said Smith. “I am proud to be recognized by my peers in this way, and look forward to continuing the development of nursing education across the country.”
“I see fellowship in the Academy of Nursing Education as a significant honor,” said Cangelosi. “Fellowship provides wonderful opportunities to help advance nursing education and be an active participant in the future of nursing education.”
Smith, a former emergency department nurse, serves as associate dean for student affairs and associate professor. Her teaching career at Shenandoah University spans more than 25 years and she is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE).
Smith has integrated disaster preparedness into the nursing curriculum, implementing a partnership with the local chapter of the American Red Cross to train all senior nursing students in “Health Services: An Overview” and “Health Services Response.” She has also developed emergency preparedness and disaster nursing courses at Shenandoah. In addition to teaching for the American Red Cross, she is active in the local Medical Reserve Corps.
A member of the American Nurses Association, Virginia Nurses Association and Virginia League for Nursing, Smith is also a founding member and past-president of the Rho Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. She serves as a NLN Ambassador and faculty advisor for the Shenandoah University Student Nurses Association.
Cangelosi serves as associate dean for academics and her expertise focuses on medical-surgical nursing and nursing education. She has made contributions to nursing education through her research, which focuses on students and faculty in nontraditional nursing programs. Cangelosi mentors others in qualitative research, has presented her research at national and international conferences, and has been published in respected, peer-reviewed journals.
In her role as associate dean, Cangelosi leads the development, implementation and evaluation of nursing curricula and ensures the daily operation of academic programs in the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing. Cangelosi teaches at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. She is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), an on-site evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is a current member of NLN and a past NLN Ambassador.
A lifelong teacher, Cangelosi has also taught nursing courses at George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, University of Phoenix and Loudoun County School of Practical Nursing. She is a member of the American Nurses Association, Virginia League for Nursing, Loudoun County Medical Reserve Corps, Virginia Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International and Delta Epsilon Sigma.
The NLN established the Academy of Nursing Education in 2007 to foster excellence in nursing education by recognizing and capitalizing on the wisdom of nurse educators who have made sustained and significant contributions to nursing education. Fellows provide visionary leadership in nursing education and in the Academy of Nursing Education and support the vision of the NLN to promote standards of excellence in nursing education that will increase the number of graduates from all types of nursing programs. Fellows serve as important role models and resources for new educators and for those who aspire to become nurse educators.
“The National League for Nursing relies on these accomplished individuals as allies in our efforts to prepare the numbers of excellent nurse educators we need if we are to eliminate the shortage of nurses plaguing America’s health care institutions,” said NLN CEO Dr. Beverly A. Malone. “Nurse faculty and colleagues from other fields who contribute to excellence in nursing education and to the preparation of a nursing workforce that meets the needs of our ever-changing health care environment deserve this public recognition and the gratitude of all who are eager to elevate the status of the profession.”
The fellowships have been awarded by the NLN Board of Governors, the oversight body of the Academy of Nursing Education. The induction of new fellows and a meeting of fellows in the Academy of Nursing Education will be held in conjunction with the NLN’s annual Education Summit in the fall.