NJSSNA - Nurse of the Year

Congratulations to
Amy Billera

East Amwell Township School Nurse

Hunterdon County

New Jersey State School Nurses Association is pleased to announce that Amy Billera, BSN, RN, NCSN, has been named NJ State School Nurse of the Year and will represent New Jersey in the National Association of School Nurses competition. Amy has served as the school nurse at the East Amwell Township School in Ringoes, NJ for the past 11 years. She is a member of the Hunterdon County School Nurses Association which nominated her for the state competition.

Amy received her AAS/RN with honors, from Mercer County Community College in 1979. She graduated from The College of New Jersey in 1999 with a BSN and School Nurse Certification. She received her Master's Degree in School Nursing from Monmouth University in December, 2009.

Prior to becoming a certified school nurse, Amy was a medical/surgical nurse at Mercer Medical Center, Trenton; a coronary care nurse at the Medical Center at Princeton; a utilization review nurse at Morristown Memorial Hospital; an intensive care nurse at Hunterdon Medical Center; an assisted living nurse at Independence Manor at Hunterdon and a summer school nurse for residential and non-residential students at the Katzenbach School for the Deaf, West Trenton.

Mary Ellen Bowlby, President of Hunterdon County School Nurses Association summed up Amy's contributions to school nursing in her nominating letter. "She is knowledgeable about school nursing issues, regularly attends county meetings and submits summaries for the newsletter. She shares her knowledge with other school professionals, parents, students and community members. She appropriately seeks support from nursing colleagues when needed. She is completing her Master's in School Nursing at Monmouth University and her research pilot study is entitled, 'The Experience of Hope in an Individual Awaiting a Kidney Transplant from a Living Donor.' She encourages all of her colleagues to continue their education and believes that school nurses link families with valuable health promoting resources, as well as care for children with acute and chronic illnesses and injuries."

Amy recently won a NJSSNA mini-grant to run a new Yoga for Middle School Students program at her school this year. She is enthusiastic about the opportunity to incorporate yoga as a form of stress-reduction and relaxation for the students at her school.

In fulfilling the requirements for competition to become NJ State School Nurse of the Year, Amy completed a 20 page portfolio addressing the Scope and Standards of Professional School Nursing Practice set forth by NASN. Her role as a school nurse was best delineated by her principal, John Capuano, who wrote in his recommendation: "Mrs. Billera has played an integral role in the success of our school. She is a dedicated individual who takes her position very seriously, but most importantly, she has a warm and caring approach with our student body."

NJSSNA congratulates Amy Billera and wishes her success in her quest to become National School Nurse of the Year.