"I love adult learners. They are motivated for all of the right reasons. They choose to be in school and choose to be learning. I admire the fact that they bring so much knowledge and experience to the classroom and online discussion forums. I also love being surrounded by smart, experienced students who often teach their peers far better than I because of their rich experiences," said Dr. Gail Johnson, mentor in the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing's DNP Program

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program alum Dr. Celeste Bethon, now serving as vice president of Medical-Surgical Nursing for Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., said the DNP program structure and timeline fulfilled her personal and professional goals. Learn more in the Spring 2019 Invention Magazine.

Meet a Mentor: Gail Johnson, EdD

Dr. Gail Johnson was always drawn to leadership roles. What she didn’t realize was where that inclination would lead her.

Johnson's professional nursing career began on the night shift in the intensive care unit at the Helene Fuld Medical Center in Trenton, N.J. (now Capital Health Regional Medical Center).

Since that time, she's had increasing responsibilities as a patient care coordinator, director of critical care and dean of the school. "I’ve always known that I had leadership tendencies, but I never imagined that my career would take such an interesting, influential path."

Johnson currently serves as director of Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Education and Infection Prevention at Capital Health Regional Medical Center's Trenton and Hopewell campuses in New Jersey.

At Thomas Edison State University's W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing, Johnson serves as a nursing mentor for Organizational and Systems Leadership I (NUR-832); Organizational and Systems Leadership II (NUR-842); Scholarly Immersion II: Project Management and Mentored Practicum (NUR-912); and Scholarly Immersion III: Project Completion and Mentored Practicum (NUR-922) for the School's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.

Originally, Johnson was attracted to the profession as a high school student whose interest in science sparked an associated attraction to the field of nursing. She began her higher education journey in Helene Fuld School of Nursing's three-year diploma program.

"By my senior year, I knew that my nursing diploma was not going to be enough, so I enrolled in the University of the State of New York's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and began taking challenge exams to receive college credits for what I had already learned in diploma school." As she neared completion of her BSN degree requirements, she enrolled in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at Widener University in Chester, Pa., and continued on her trajectory, eventually earning an EdD in higher education with a specialization in healthcare education in 1997 from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She now serves as a dissertation chair in NSU's doctoral programs.

In her executive role at Capital Health, she leads three distinct yet influential teams: Infection Prevention, Clinical Education and Regulatory Affairs. "Each is supervised by a manager or a coordinator with whom I work very closely. I attend a lot of meetings, but each one is critical," noted Johnson, who is often at the table when pivotal decisions are being made about patient care policies and practices. "Those meetings remind me of why I became a nurse and remind me of the reason why we are all here: to provide the best possible care for our patients, their families and our community. We cannot lose focus on that primary goal." Her roles allow her to witness firsthand the positive effects of nurse education.

"At Capital Health, we are very fortunate to have many opportunities for our staff to advance their education. As an institution, we strongly encourage our nurses to obtain a BSN degree as a minimum degree for practice. There is a major shift taking place around the country with many hospitals only accepting applications from nurses who hold a BSN. We believe higher education produces an RN who is better-prepared to take on the evolving challenges and complexities of the profession. We also know that nurses who continue their education have more exposure to evidence-based practices through course work and interactions with their peers. This translates to better critical-thinking skills at the bedside.”

According to Johnson, degree program options at TESU are built around working adults and consider the needs of this population. "The programs are self-paced and allow you time to ease back into the academic world if necessary," she noted. "There are allowances for credits earned in other academic programs and credits awarded for professional experience, licenses and certifications. Often, students are surprised at how few credits they really need to complete their degree program."

Johnson said the resulting effects are immediate and measurable in the nursing students she meets at the University.

"TESU is developing true nurse leaders. Every assignment is geared toward helping them formulate opinions based in the literature, thinking through all sides of an issue and seeing the bigger picture beyond just their current role. They are required to articulate what they have learned and the conclusions they have drawn in a scholarly manner – whether it's through a discussion post, a formal class assignment or in a verbal multimedia presentation," she said. "As nurse leaders, they will use these skills multiple times each day. What they are learning in their courses, along with the communication skills required in their assignments, are exactly what they need to prepare for leadership."

In meeting with, teaching, mentoring, counseling and collaborating with nurses in multiple settings, Johnson has had more opportunities than most to evaluate adult learners.

"I love adult learners. They are motivated for all of the right reasons. They choose to be in school and choose to be learning," she said. "I admire the fact that they bring so much knowledge and experience to the classroom and online discussion forums. I also love being surrounded by smart, experienced students who often teach their peers far better than I because of their rich experiences. Sometimes I just sit back and marvel at the discussions taking place in our Moodle courses. The students are on target and understand the issues, they coach one another and offer wonderful ideas and resources to each other."

Johnson, who lives in Robbinsville, N.J., is a, "Proud great aunt to 13 terrific kids ranging from 9 months to 23 years of age." Her other loves include traveling and her two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Oliver and Annie.

Learn more about TESU's Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Insights Home »