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North Bergen, NJ - August 15, 2008 - The New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) recently presented its prestigious lifetime achievement award to Ruben D. Fernandez, MA, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, NJ, by inducting him into its Roll of Honor. Fernandez was officially inducted during the NJSNA's Annual Convention in Atlantic City. The Roll of Honor is the highest award given by a state nurses association. Past Roll of Honor inductees include Clara Barton, Clara Louise Mass, Walt Whitman, Dorothea Lynde Dix, and Faye Abdellah.
Fernandez has more than 20 years experience in senior leadership within the healthcare industry. At Palisades Medical Center, Fernandez has created many work re-design initiatives that have been credited with empowering hospital staff and improving patent safety and care. He has also made frequent contributions to publications about nursing practice, nursing administration and public policy issues.
Fernandez has provided leadership to the NJSNA, the American Nurses Association, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center, where he served as its Secretary for two years. Fernandez has also served as a surveyor for the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Magnet Recognition Program.
Prior to joining Palisades, Fernandez served as Vice President of Patient Care Services at North General Hospital in Harlem, New York. He also served as the Associate Dean for Administration at the College of Nursing at Rutgers University's Newark campus.
Fernandez received a BSN from Seton Hall University (1975) and a Masters in Nursing Administration from NYU (1982). Fernandez is currently in the PhD program in Nursing at Seton Hall University.
Fernandez has been honored and recognized for his contribution to nursing by various entities, including the Margaret C. Haley Award, Distinguished Alumni, Seton Hall University 1993; The Agnes and Rosemary Ludden Award for Innovative Nursing Practice, New York, University, 1991; Honor Roll for Men in Nursing, National Nursing Museum, University of Texas School of Nursing, Austin Texas, 1995; The Don Award, New Jersey Institute for Nursing, 1999, and the Seton Hall University Hall of Honor, 2000.
Fernandez resides in West Orange, NJ.
New Jersey State Nurses Association
The NJSNA is comprised of professional nurses and advances the profession, delineating the practice of nursing through standard setting, education and research, formulating public policy and fostering excellence and quality of health delivery.
Palisades Medical Center
Palisades Medical Center is located in North Bergen, NJ, and serves a population of 350,000 in Hudson and Southern Bergen Counties. The Medical Center is a member of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, and features a 202-bed hospital and The Harborage, a 245-bed nursing home and rehabilitation center.
