Nursing Student James Spivey is First Male African American Named President of New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc.
Newly admitted Fall 2020 Bloomfield College RN to BSN major, James Spivey, is the first African American male to be named President of New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS), the pre-professional organization representing the nursing students of New Jersey.
“The Bloomfield College Division of Nursing congratulates James, and is very proud to be a part of this history-making moment for New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc.,” said Frances Figueroa Mal, D.M.H., M.A., RN-BC, Chairperson of Bloomfield College’s Frances M. McLaughlin Division of Nursing. “With a growing demand for males in the nursing profession, where only about 12 percent of registered nurses in the U.S. are currently men, we are so delighted to have hard-working students such as James join our class and serve in a student leadership role in support of his peers.”
Spivey, who will serve as President of NJNS for the term 2020-2021, said “I am humbled by this appointment and look forward to working alongside the NJNS Board members and representing all nursing students of New Jersey. My goal is to build a Board that embodies the mission of NJNS, namely to advocate for affordable healthcare, contribute to advances in nursing education and to develop nursing students who are prepared to lead the profession in the future.”
NJNS’s Board of Directors is made up of 12 nursing students who are elected at the organization’s annual convention, in addition to two consultants, two advisors and an organization manager. “During the NJNS convention in Atlantic City, I noticed that there was no male nursing student representation on the NJNS Board of Directors. Seeing this trend in both the chapter level and state level, I felt inspired to fill the missing representation,” added Spivey.
Prior to his enrollment in the RN to BSN program at Bloomfield College, Spivey earned an Associate Degree in Nursing from Essex County College in Newark, and also served as the 2019-2020 Student Nurses’ Association (SNA) President.
According to Norma L. Rodgers ‘99, president of the New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) Region 3, Spivey is the first male African American student to serve as president of NJNS, and only the third African American to serve in this capacity. The first African American was Ms. Rodgers herself, a Class of 1999 Bloomfield College graduate, who is serving as Spivey’s mentor for his new NJNS president’s role.
NJNS is the state constituent of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA), presently one of the largest constituents in the NSNA with close to 1,000 student members. The pre-professional organization is dedicated to fostering the professional growth of nursing students around the country by aiding in the transition from student nurse to professional nurse.