Fairfield University - School of Nursing

     Terry Tavella Quell, PhD, RN is the Assistant Dean and Undergraduate Program Director of Fairfield University School of Nursing. A graduate of Fairfield, ‘79, she worked at the Stamford Hospital until returning to her alma mater as the Supervisor of the Learning Resource Center in 1985. Terry earned her MSN degree from Western Connecticut State University, specializing in Nursing Education and Adult Health. She earned her PhD at the University of Connecticut in the Higher Education Administration program; her dissertation focuses on job satisfaction and the role of the academic dean. Additional areas of interest include leadership, health policy and nursing image.      Quell was named a 2002 Fellow in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Leadership for Academic Nursing Program. She was also the recipient of the 2002 Research Grant Award from the Mu Chi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, and received an AJN Excellence in Writing Award for her article "Cherry Ames and the future of nursing in children's literature." She recently presented the Keynote Address at the 2006 Nightingale Gala for Nurses, speaking on the future of nursing in Connecticut, and the critical need for nursing faculty in the state. In June, she presented her poster “Job satisfaction in the role of the academic nursing dean,” at the Drexel University Nursing Education Institute 2006. 
     Quell is a former member of the Norwalk Board of Education where she chaired the policy, negotiations and finance committees and held offices as chair, vice-chair, and secretary. During her tenure on the Board, school nurses were increased to full-time, and three School-based Health Centers were established. She continues to serve on the Advisory Board for these Health Centers. Other professional activities include the 2003 Connecticut Nurses Association Board of Directors, the Norwalk Community College Nursing Advisory Board, and the Connecticut League for Nursing Articulation Committee. This year, she became a Board Member of Mu Chi, The Fairfield University Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, and last month, she was elected Vice President of the Southwestern Connecticut Area Health Education Center (AHEC).  

University of Minn DPA Student

     An enthusiastic nursing professional. She most recently gained 15 years experience in the pharma industry providing increasing levels of leadership in clinical trial development and monitoring, drug safety and regulatory compliance, and project management.

      A clear and dynamic communicator, Irene is able to present programs to diverse audiences, negotiate agreements with investigators/contractors/vendors, and lead clinical research teams to achieve corporate goals within budget and deadline. She is an experienced medical writer and editor of varied healthcare documents including but not limited to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), New Drug Applications (NDAs), Clinical Trial Reports (CTRs) and manuscripts in preparation for publication submission or presentation.

      Irene began her professional career as a registered nurse in a post-operative coronary bypass unit in Pennsylvania and enjoyed 15 years of progressive clinical success culminating as an organ procurement coordinator for the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) based out of the Philadelphia.  Moving forward in her career, she excelled as a nursing administrator of critical care areas of a large Philadelphia hospital system. After completing an MBA, she pioneered the role of high risk managed care consultant for a regional Philadelphia Health System and transitioned into the role of Director of Managed Care for a national contract physician group

Wolfson Palliative Care of Hospital of Central Connecticut

      Cynthia Kociszewski, APRN, PhD, ACNP-BC, ACHPN, ACNPC, was elected treasurer of the Connecticut Nurses’ Association at its October Annual Business Meeting.
      Kociszewski is manager of Wolfson Palliative Care of the Hospital of Central Connecticut, in New Britain. She was a nursing clinical associate at the University of Connecticut School of Nursing. From 2002-2006 she was a faculty member and acute care nurse track coordinator at UConn. She also has been a assistant professor in the Department of Medicine of the UConn School of Medicine.
     Other positions Kociszewski has held include associate professor of the Adjunct Clinical Faculty at Quinnipiac University, Hamden; acute care nurse practitioner in the Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital of Central Connecticut; home care nurse for Professional Relief Services of Waterbury; and staff nurse/educator at St. Mary’s Hospital/St. Mary’s School of Nursing, in Waterbury.
     Kociszewski holds a PhD, MS, and BS degrees in nursing from UConn. She has published articles in Heart & Lung, Journal of Holistidc Nursing, and Nursing Outlook, .and has given numerous presentations and lectures on a wide range of subjects related to her field.

Brittany Farms Health Center

      I graduated from University of South Carolina at Columbia in May 1982 with an Associate Degree in Nursing. I resided with my husband in South Carolina from 1979-1996. Both of our children were born in Columbia. Ashley is a registered nurse in Newark, Delaware and is currently pursuing her Masters at University of Delaware where she earned her Bachelors in Nursing. Brian graduated high school in May and will be attending Tunxis College in the fall. While living in South Carolina, I was employed at Baptist Medical Center and worked on several med surgical units including urology, neurology, emergency room, recovery room and orthopedics. During my eleven years of working at Baptist, four of those were a head nurse of an orthopedic unit. While in South Carolina, we also lived in Spartanburg and I worked on the Orthopaedic/Neurosurgical unit at Spartanburg Regional on the Baylor plan and then worked also at Mary Black hospital in the acute rehab unit and became certified in ACLS at that time.
     Moving back to Ct. in 1996, I worked at NBGH on the oncology unit and enjoyed this unit very much. Throughout my years, I really have loved every type of nursing I have tried. Nursing is my life and in my blood. Whenever I think about what else I could or could have done, I made the right decision for me in nursing. Completing my Bachelors in Nursing at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain in 2005, I knew that my nitch was to be a nursing instructor at some point. This is where I had my first contact with Connecticut Nurses Association. One of my assignments was to go to a meeting at the Government Relations Committee and I felt the adrenaline flowing as I listened. Then I went to the Capitol and Legislative Building and began to ponder being a legislator at some point in my life. This is one of my goals in the next several years to become more involved in the legislative process. 
      After leaving NBGH in 1998, I began my journey in long-term care. A love for teaching and nursing, I worked in 3 nursing homes as a Staff Development nurse. Other jobs in long-term care have been supervisor, nurse manager and assistant director of nursing. The elderly are very special to me, their knowledge and gratitude are boundless. Presently I am at University of Hartford pursuing my Masters in Nursing Education and hope to educate nursing students. During my last semester, I again had the pleasure of going to Hartford on several occasions and learned about the power that nurses can have if they only recognize it. Polly helped me at the Legislative Office Building meeting people and I worked with Sarah Uhl and Chris Concoran on fighting toxic chemicals in toys. This only reinforced that there is at least a part time place in Hartford for me someday. Going to the convention and meetings at Capitol made me realize that nursing should play a vital role in Connecticut decision making with health legislation. Mary Jane Williams among others has really made the legislators realize nursing wants to be involved. Also to educate the public to make good decisions when it comes to health care and other related policies.
     Throughout the years I have been involved in many organizations to include many roles in church leadership and educating children, a dementia support group with my church, PTA and Girl Scout leader and most recently became a parish nurse. Earning my Bachelors is what brought me to realize my obligation to my professional organization. I want our profession to be recognized for all its knowledge and caring compassionate nurses. I continue to hear from nurses, ‘what can CNA do for me?” and I think of John F. Kennedy and say, no, what can I do for CNA? I feel an obligation to do what I can to make sure that nurses continue to be regarded as the most honored and trusted profession. Nurses have such an immense wealth of knowledge and we are willing to share it, as long as someone is listening. We are also known for our being a trusted profession and it is important for moneymaking decisions to break that down. Nurses need to stand up and tell their stories about what is going on in healthcare and that the changes are not good and need to change for the public. Nurses do not need a union to come together; they have the knowledge to realize it is time to come together to make the nursing profession what it should and must be.

University of Hartford 

     I am first a nurse. Secondly I am an educator of nurses and founder, incorporator and currently president of the Nursing Career Center of Connecticut. I have worked diligently in my role as a leader and educator of nurses in the state to promote the profession in public and political arenas. I am a recognized leader in policy and nursing and have actively lobbied at the state level for support of nursing education funding over the last 10 years in my role as chair of Government Relations for the Connecticut Nurses’ Association. I currently teach a nursing policy course. I have mentored students in policy practicums and have provided opportunity for students to present testimony at the capital to their peers and colleagues during the legislative session and at legislative day seminars. One of my recent graduates initiated legislation that was funded to establish a Diaper Bank in Hartford. 
     I have taught nursing at each level for 38 years. I have also taught continuing education courses for practicing nurses in educational methodology and strategy. I am a frequent spokesperson for nursing. I participated in a national interview on national Public Radio (NPR) Boston with Robin Young and Suzanne Gordon in February related to the shortage. I have a second NPR interview ready for telecast in the near future related to the national workforce issues related to the nursing shortage.
     My ultimate goal as an educator of nurses is to prepare empowered individuals to function at the expert level in their selected roles within the health care delivery system. These educated individuals will contribute members of a global society. The individuals I educate are and will be the leaders in nursing in the next decades. 

Manager Interventional Cardiology
Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Hartford Hospital

      I have a hard time believing that I have been a nurse for over 30 years. I have worked in many different hospitals and physicians offices in several Midwestern and Eastern states. I have worked in CCU/ICU, the operating room, physician’s offices, academic research setting and the cardiac catheterization lab. 
     I am the manager of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Hartford Hospital. In my transition from staff nurse to full time manager, I learned that nurses need to not only take responsibility for clinical development, but to develop leadership and managerial skills. 
     I graduated with a diploma in nursing from St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Hancock, Mich. I was in the last class before the school was closed. I received my bachelor’s degree in nursing from Central Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hartford.
     I have been a member of the Connecticut Nurses’ Association since 1996. I have served on the Board of Directors since 2003 as secretary, vice-president and now as chair of the Committee for Nominations and Appointments. In that role, I work on the succession of the leadership in our organization by working with my committee to recruit candidates for offices and elected positions. We also are charged with approval of members for all of our standing committees. 
    The Connecticut Nurses’ Association needs all members to participate as best they can. As nurses, we need to recognize our individual talents as resources to develop the future of nursing as a profession.