Message from the President

Greetings

As I end my term as  President of the Central New Jersey Chapter, I would like to thank all the officers and members for the support extended to make every event and project a success.  We have aligned and maintained our goals with the Mission and Vision of AACN.

As I look back to our humble beginnings, I can truly say that we have made progress from a handful of nurses who met in Princeton Medical Center to revive, establish and register our Chapter name to AACN to increasing our membership to approximately 100 members. Our membership has grown because all of you believed in the importance and benefits of belonging to a professional organization, such as the AACN. 

Our activities and achievements include Quarterly meetings with educational sessions, annual critical care symposium, attending the NTI,  assisted our community through food drives, delivered men's white socks to the Ozanam Inn Men's Shelter in New Brunswick, participated in Hugs for Brady 5K Runs, donated women's Shelter in Allentown, PA, participated in the Garden State Equality event, and also sang Christmas Carols to cheer our Veterans at the VA Menlo Park. 

We have celebrated Nurses' Week in more ways than one. We've had food, cake, motivational speakers, celebration favors such as pens, lunch totes, etc. This year, we might not have celebrated in the way that we were accustomed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in our hearts, we all have experienced what nursing truly is and how gratifying it is to serve and nurture our patients. 

 Though we will not be together anytime soon, I would like to remind you to remain steadfast and hope that one day we will all be together again.  

In closing, please join me in welcoming our incoming Officers:  President, Jacqueline Ciccarelli; Treasurer, Grace Echavez, and Secretary, Nathalie DeLeon. I am sure that with your support, they will continue what we have started and will carry their duties and responsibilities as officers. 

Remember that as Critical Care Nurses...We have a VOICE, We are UNSTOPPABLE.

Sincerely,

Maria Theresa Macalalad, DNP, MBA, RN-BC, CCRN-K

President