Meet the new faculty in the Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health
Time to meet two of the new faculty members in the Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health!
FDU: What are some of the factors that go into building a healthy workplace?
Donna Carrazzone: Creating a healthy work environment involves multiple factors that contribute to the overall well-being and accomplishment of employees. First and foremost is clear and open communication. When information flows fluently, it nurtures trust and transparency among team members. Supportive leadership is another key element. Administrators who offer employee development, provide productive feedback, and value a healthy work-life balance contribute significantly to a positive atmosphere. Acknowledgement and gratefulness also have a vital role — recognizing and celebrating achievements enhances morale and motivation. Furthermore, promoting work flexibility, encouraging collaboration, and promoting a culture of inclusivity will help create a healthy work environment.
FDU: At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to be a professor, and why?
DC: Becoming a nursing professor has always been a calling deep-rooted in my passion both in healthcare and education. Many of my family members are either in the healthcare field or education; I am blessed to have the finest of both worlds. The idea of helping the next generation of compassionate and skilled nurses, conveying not only clinical knowledge but also introducing the importance of empathy and holistic patient care, greatly inspires me. It is an honor to share my experiences, insights, and a genuine passion for the nursing profession — with hope that I can contribute to the development of well-rounded and competent healthcare professionals. Teaching gives me the opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and practice, promoting critical thinking and a commitment to learning in our future nurses. Finally, the desire to foster nurses with a compassionate and holistic approach to nursing care, one student at a time, fuels my ambition.
FDU: What brought you to FDU?
DC: I was drawn to teach at FDU because of its commitment to excellence in both education and healthcare. It has an outstanding reputation for fostering a supportive and innovative learning atmosphere, which lines up with my own values as a nurse and educator. The emphasis on cutting-edge educational opportunities and practical application in nursing education resonates with my idea for preparing future nurses to thrive in dynamic healthcare opportunities. Furthermore, FDU offers diverse and inclusive community fostering cultural competence and understanding — a vital aspect of nursing practice.
FDU: As a specialist in women’s healthcare, what do think are the biggest health issues women are facing today. What can we teach students to help their patients face those challenges?
Beth Steinfeld: One of the biggest health challenges facing women in the United States today is maternal morbidity and mortality, especially in women of color. It is imperative for our health care system to decrease or eliminate these pregnancy outcomes. This is a priority not only to us at FDU, as we increase the number of women’s health care providers in the region, but also to the First Lady of New Jersey, Tammy Murphy. She has committed to making maternal and infant health a focus of her policy initiatives (Office of the Governor | Governor Murphy Signs Bill Establishing Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center (nj.gov)).
FDU’s Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program will prepare students interested in the care of women to provide culturally relevant care, including health promotion and disease prevention, providing timely wellness screenings and referrals, and enhancing patient health literacy. It is a very exciting time to be a women’s healthcare educator and advocate, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my experience and expertise with our students, so that we can partner with our communities to accelerate quality healthcare in the region.
FDU: Is there a place in the world where you’ve always wanted to visit but never have?
BS: I would love to see Japan and China and hope to be able to go there someday.
FDU: What brought you to FDU?
BS: Dr. Annie Rohan, dean of the School of Nursing and Allied Health, and I worked together in the past on several regional and national initiatives. While at SUNY, we collaborated on programs to bring underrepresented students into primary care nursing. Our prior university grantsmanship drew in over $3 million in scholarship funding for midwives and nurse practitioner students, which significantly impacted the care of women in underserved regions of Brooklyn and Bronx, N.Y.
I want to continue this work and grow our programs, together with other stakeholders here at FDU. We share a passion for maternal-child health and are passionate about reducing untoward maternal outcomes by increasing the number of well-educated, diverse, and engaged healthcare providers in this field. I am excited to continue pursuing my passion here at FDU and thrilled with the interest I have already received from faculty, staff, and a very supportive administration and Board of Trustees for this important work.