Fighting the Nursing Shortage Through Philanthropy; The American Journal of Nursing Honors New York City Resident Rita Hillman for Contributions to the Nursing Community.

NEW YORK -- The American Journal of Nursing awarded The AJN-Beatrice Renfield Caring for the Caregiver Award to New York resident Rita Hillman for her commitment to fighting the shortage through her generous financial support of projects to support nurses' career development.

According to the American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP), the current nursing shortage is expected to worsen as baby boomers age, and a recent study revealed that by 2020 the number of nurses will likely fall nearly 20 percent below the national need for optimal patient care. Nurses are the largest group of health care professionals in America and are on the front lines of health care. A shortage poses a serious threat to the health care system and, most importantly, to patients.

"Philanthropic efforts supporting nurses and aspiring nurses are relatively rare, yet those who do make the effort are having a positive impact on such public health crises as the nursing shortage. It is with great pleasure that we recognize Rita Hillman," said Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Nursing.

Rita Hillman began contributing to the nursing community in 1989 with the funds raised from the sale of art from her collection. As a result, Ms. Hillman provided funding to establish the Hillman Family Foundation Penn Nursing Program, which has helped more than 1,200 registered nurses complete or enhance their education through scholarships and postgraduate clinical mentoring programs. Students who benefit from the opportunities offered by the Foundation are committed to work for one year at a New York City hospital.

In 1990, Lenox Hill Hospital established the Hillman Partners in Practice Program with funds from the Hillman Foundation. This program is a guided internship partnering new and aspiring nurses with registered nurses for eight weeks during the summer.

"The purpose is to instill in student nurses the core values of empathy, respect, and unconditional positive regards for patients, families, colleagues and coworkers," said Christine Shepard, vice president of patient care services at Lenox Hill. "The program has become a significant source of recruitment for the hospital with five of the six Hillman participants staying on as employees in 2003."

Ms. Hillman's contributions to both New York University (NYU) Division of Nursing and Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing have also established the Hillman Scholars Programs, providing assistance to college graduates seeking a second degree in nursing in return for a commitment to work in New York City for two years. NYU also created Nursing Bound, a program to generate interest in nursing careers among middle-school and high-school students. To date, more than 600 New York area high school students have participated in the program.

In 1996, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing was able to create and house the Hillman Alumni Nursing Network, which works to "maintain and improve patient care through networking, educational opportunities and media support."

It is evident that Ms. Hillman's contributions are significant, and it was through this consistent support of nursing over the years, from scholarships to continued career support, that made her the winner of this year's AJN-Renfield Award.

The AJN-Beatrice Renfield Caring for the Caregiver Award was created to recognize an individual or organization that has provided generous financial support for nurses and the development of excellence in the nursing practice. The award is named in honor of the late Beatrice Renfield who donated millions of dollars to various nursing programs and was a patron and trustee of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

Mrs. Hillman was recognized last Thursday at the Hillman Alumni Network Annual Gala at The Penn Club of New York where Mr. Marcus accepted the award on her behalf.

About AJN 

The American Journal of Nursing (AJN), the official publication of the American Nurses Association and the largest and oldest circulating nursing journal in the world has been charged by CANS to disseminate key Congress decisions. AJN is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a unit of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information for professionals and students in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Major brands include traditional publishers of medical and drug reference tools and textbooks, such as Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Facts & Comparisons, online information services including Ovid Technologies, Medi-Span and SKOLAR, and pharmaceutical information provider Adis International.