Meet the Consultants

Sharon Cusanza brings over 40 years of nursing experience to her consultation practice. She has extensive experience as a leader/director including a background in quality improvement, education, and accreditation. Her experience also includes chairing institutional level quality, nursing leadership, and shared decision-making committees. She is currently the lead of risk management education at LAMMICO/Medical Interactive where she oversees ACCME accreditation with commendation and ANCC accreditation with distinction. She was formerly the Magnet Program Director at a large tertiary care hospital, where she successfully wrote two sets of Magnet application documents and coordinated the accompanying site visits. Sharon possesses in-depth understanding and analysis of the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®, the Pathway to Excellence Program®, and the Accreditation® Program. She is a Fundamentals of Magnet® certificate holder. Fundamentals of Magnet® is a professional credential for consultants who guide hospitals as they apply for Magnet recognition. She also has over 15 years of experience developing local and regional conferences for professional organizations.

In addition to consulting and nursing education, she has presented her own nursing research studies and quality improvement projects at ANCC National Magnet Conferences, AONL, ACCME conferences, and the ANCC NPD Summit.

Summary of Services

• Conducts gap analysis and readiness assessments and provides strategies for success.
• Develops customized education and training to support organizational needs.
• Assists organizations with document development and review.
• Assists with electronic document submission.
• Conducts comprehensive on-site reviews in preparation for site visits.
• Works with all stakeholders to achieve organizational goals.

Education

• BSN, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA
• MSN in executive nursing, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

Certifications

• American Nurses Credentialing Center–Certificate Holder in Fundamentals of Magnet®
• American Nurses Credentialing Center–Nurse Executive, Advanced
• Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions-Certified Healthcare CPD Professional

Professional Memberships

• Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions
• Association for Nursing Professional Development
• American Nursing Association
• American Organization of Nurse Leaders
• American Society for Healthcare Risk Management

Dr. Mary Ann Donohue-Ryan has been a pioneer in the early Magnet® movement: She contributed to the foundational Magnet standards in the early 1990s and was one of the authors of the first written application at the second facility in the nation (the first after the University of Washington) to receive ANCC Magnet designation in the United States. A speaker at the very first national Magnet Conference and presenter for many national Magnet and local conferences,  senior leaders throughout New Jersey asked Dr. Donohue-Ryan to create formal and informal mentoring programs that could assist them in their individual journeys to Magnet designation. As an active member and future president of New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA), Dr. Donohue-Ryan worked with organizations to develop their unique self-assessment methods that became known as the first gap analysis tools. The reflection of success led to invitations to help other organizations across the country to form Magnet gap analysis initiatives within their own facilities. This occurred at the local and regional level in New Jersey and then extended to other states across the country, and she began to receive recognition in the literature; in research (Cheung & Aiken, 2006; Kramer, et. al., 2007) and quality journals (Lundmark & Hickey, 2007), and in a textbook (Barker & Sullivan, 2006). Subsequently, Dr. Donohue-Ryan consulted with hospitals in the United Kingdom and Singapore, leading to the first international Magnet designations in the U.K. and in Asia. Dr. Donohue-Ryan served for two terms on the ANCC Institute for Credentialing Innovation Governing Council and she was credited with having originated early Magnet research communities. In New Jersey, she instituted Journey to Excellence workshops while president of NJSNA to stimulate sharing of best practices.

Since 1995, Dr. Donohue-Ryan has served in progressively advanced clinical and nursing leadership positions, including Magnet® program director, director of professional practice and most recently, chief nursing officer at three organizations, leading two of them to their 4^th (Englewood Health) and 5^th (Jersey Shore University Medical Center) Magnet® designations, respectively.

Her passion is strengthening decision making at the unit level, building intra-professional teams, developing strategy and practical goal setting business plans, and leading innovation for patient as well as staff satisfaction initiatives. Dr. Donohue-Ryan is a capable team leader, and is known for being an advocate for the frontline clinical nurse, who unequivocally endorse her for her advocacy, leadership and inspiration to pursue the highest patient- and family-centered outcomes.   Astute in organizational leadership, Dr. Donohue-Ryan is well well familiar with bargaining unit negotiation and the coordination of mutual goal setting toward successful designation in a union environment. In addition, Dr. Donohue-Ryan has a track record of obtaining philanthropic grant funding to achieve nursing strategic goals such as increased national board certification rates, reducing unexplained absences by 25%, and staff nurse representation at national conferences. Dr. Donohue-Ryan helped to implement a new EMR in her last facility, earning highest marks for nursing involvement and metric compliance as well as video monitoring units and unit-based intraprofessional shared governance teams.

Summary of Services

• Assists organizations to determine readiness for the Journey to Magnet® designation or Pathway to Excellence application
• Engages all members of the nursing team and intraprofessional administrative, management and frontline clinicians to collaborate, resulting in an effective action plan around the organization’s gap analysis and strategic planning
• Works closely with the organization’s Magnet Coordinator in all phases of application submission and to site visit
• Coaches staff at the unit and manager level, with respect to contributing to the actual document preparation and appraisal visit and beyond

Education

• BSN, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ
• MA, New York University, New York, NY
• D. Adelphi University
• Post-Master’s Certificate, adult psychiatric nurse practitioner Columbia University
• Certified Professional in Health Care Quality (CPHQ)
• Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC)
• Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
• Certificate Holder, Fundamentals of Magnet® by the American Nurses Credentialing Center

Professional Memberships

• American Nurses’ Association, NJSNA (President 2010 – 2012)
• American College of Healthcare Executives
• Sigma Theta Tau
• American Organization of Nurse Executives
• National Association of Healthcare Quality

Special Acknowledgements

Recently named to the Editorial Board of Nursing Economic$, Dr. Donohue-Ryan has published numerous editorials and articles related to leadership including:

 Donohue, M. (2014, 2018). Self Management: Stress and Time. In P. Yoder-Wise (Ed.), Leading and Managing in Nursing. (6th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby

Donohue, M. (2011). Leading Change. In P. Yoder-Wise (Ed.), Leading and Managing in Nursing. (5th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.

Donohue, M.A. (2007, 2003). Conflict: The cutting edge of change. In P. Yoder-Wise (Ed.),

Leading and Managing in Nursing. (3rd & 4th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby

Energetic, visionary, authentic and insightful, Rhonda Foster is a published and highly sought-after hospital consultant with a penchant for driving change, quality and organizational improvement. Her consultation experience has allowed her to provide expertise in the United States in community hospitals, academic medical centers, and systems, as well as to organizations in Brazil, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

In addition to being a consultant, Foster has a wealth of nursing administration and leadership experience, having served as vice president for clinical services and CNO for Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, interim senior vice president and chief nursing and patient care services officer at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif.; interim CNO with St. Joseph Health—Sonoma County in Petaluma, Calif.; vice president of patient care services and CNO at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit; and assistant vice president of Women & Children’s Services at Mercy Health—St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio.

She has earned a doctorate in education from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Public Health degree from the Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health, a Master of Science degree in nursing administration from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Toledo, where she was celebrated as the Outstanding Alumnus in Nursing. In addition, Foster was honored by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a 2021 Women of Influence in Healthcare. She also holds numerous certifications and board appointments and has authored more than a dozen publications on nursing, leadership, and quality improvement.  

Summary of Services

• Conducts readiness assessments and provides strategies for success.
• Develops customized education and training to support organizational needs.
• Assists organizations with document development and review.
• Submits electronic documents.
• Conducts comprehensive on-site assessments in preparation for site visits.
• Works with all stakeholders to achieve organizational goals and strategic alignment.

Education

• ADN – Michael J. Owens Technical College
• BSN – University of Toledo
• MSN – Nursing Administration in Health Services – Georgetown University
• Master's in Public Health Administration – Northwest Consortium for Public Health
• Doctorate of Education in Leadership Studies – Bowling Green State University

Certifications

• American Nurses Credentialing Center – Certificate Holder in Fundamentals of Magnet®
• American Nurses Credentialing Center – Nurse Executive, Advanced

Professional Memberships

• American College of Health Care Executives
• American Nurses Association
• American Organization of Nurse Executives
• National Association of Health Service Executives
• Sigma Theta Tau International

Dr. Maggie Johnson Glover brings with her 33 years of nursing experience that includes progressive leadership positions, as well as 15 years as a Nurse Scientist, academic appointments, and served as a  senior healthcare consultant. She is skilled in engagement with varied leadership levels across multiple disciplines, utilizes effective methods to impact varied outcomes such as: quality, core measures, nurse sensitive indicators, patient and staff satisfaction. She has extensive experience as a Director/ AVP, Professional Practice Research, Education & Magnet Program; and chairing institutional level quality and nursing leadership committees.

Summary Services

• Development Research and EBP Program: Establishes an infrastructure for ongoing scholarship by assisting staff with establishing unit based and hospital level processes for Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and research generation.
• Evidence Based Practice:
  • Educates varied levels of staff and leadership on the key principles of Evidence Based Methodology and implementation of innovations.
  • Develops and provides EBP workshops on assessing and appraising evidence utilizing an evidence hierarchy, grading schema, and summarization technique.
  • Utilizes a scientific Evidence Based Model and research as a framework for designing a systematic response to identified problems and associated question(s).
• Magnet: Implements organizational Magnet operations, staff coaching on crafting new knowledge chapters linked to institutional EBP and research, conceptual model development and linkage to practice based outcomes required for model evaluation, develops strategies to increase nursing certification and nursing satisfaction, establishes professional development processes that support leadership in advancing the knowledge and education of nursing staff;  and supports development of an evidence based nursing career ladder.
• Community and Healthcare Organization Engagement: Utilizes a systems approach to identifying key components and implementation strategies for solutions to community and healthcare organization needs. Design strategies for generating questions and solutions to organizational, population, and community relevant problems.
• Research & Research Protections:  Institutional level research and EBP protocol development, scientific and regulatory review of inter-disciplinary research protocols.
• Staff Education: Data driven unit-based education and EBP delivery, RN professional development, and conducts educational needs assessment (staff RN to CNO level).

Education

• PhD, Nursing, The University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
• MSN, Community Health, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
• BSN, Texas Woman’s University, Dallas, TX

Professional Memberships

• Sigma Theta Tau International
• American Nurses Association
• American Organization of Nurse Executives

Advisory Panels & Review Boards

• Primary IRB Member:  CNO representative for review of nursing and medical research(14 years’ experience)
• Member Scientific Review Panel: TriService Nursing Research Program (TSNRP) & HRSA
• Chair Scientific Review Panel B: TriService Nursing Research Program
• Military Nursing Representative: The National Institute For Nursing Research (NINR) National Advisory Council for Research (NACNR).

Special Acknowledgements

• Served as Associate Professor for 14 years and engaged faculty in academic settings at the BSN, MSN, and PhD levels at Howard University in Washington, DC. Served as Adjunct Faculty and Dissertation Committee member at The University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus
• Published articles, predominantly on knowledge development in mass casualty care, and Evidence Based Nursing Practice.
• Provided recommendations for community engagement for program development for opioid addiction
• Developed and conducted faith based workshops for women empowerment and goal attainment.

With 30+ years of experience in Health care and over 10 years of consulting experience, Marsha Hughes-Rease brings a wealth of knowledge about organizational effectiveness, culture change management, and group process to her consulting practice. She integrates this knowledge with her consulting expertise to help Health care organizations operationalize the Magnet^® Model to achieve a professional practice environment focused on achieving empirical outcomes in a changing Health care environment.

Marsha has consulted with Health care administrators, nurse leaders, and clinical nurses in 30+ Health care organizations that have earned ANCC Magnet Recognition, or who are on the Magnet or Pathway to Excellence® journey. Using an intentional and inclusive consulting approach, she focuses on engaging clinical nurses, nurse managers, and other key stakeholders to accelerate the achievement of Magnet Recognition or Pathway to Excellence. She collaborates with senior nurse leaders and the chief nurse executive to identify and take strategic actions to create organizational alignment and commitment to the organization's mission and vision.

Marsha’s consulting specialty areas include providing an organizational assessment and gap analysis for Magnet Recognition or Pathway to Excellence, identification of concrete actions to close the gaps, facilitating the development and implementation of a professional practice model, facilitating the development and implementation of a shared decision-making model compatible with the organization's governance structure, review of written documents for Magnet Recognition submission, readiness preparation for a Magnet Recognition site visit, and customized training. Marsha regularly facilitates the two day Journey to Magnet Excellence^® workshop. She has also co-designed and facilitates the one day workshop, Empirical Outcomes: Exceeding Magnet Expectations, which provides participants with an integration of practical tools to excel as change leaders.

Summary of Services

• Helps determine readiness to submit a Magnet or Pathway to Excellence application based on a gap analysis.
• Conducts a self-assessment that familiarizes participants with the Sources of Evidence in the Magnet Model while simultaneously gathering quantitative data to use as part of the gap analysis report.
• Conducts a self-assessment that familiarizes participants with the Pathway to Excellence Elements of Performance while engaging them in action planning to address perceived gaps.
• Conducts comprehensive on-site readiness assessments in preparation for Magnet site visits, a process which includes helping clinical nurses learn a communication technique that reflects self-confidence and competence, and articulates the value of nursing at the unit level.
• Provides transformational leadership development specifically facilitating peer coaching techniques to address complex issues
• Uses creative strategic planning techniques to increase staff nurse engagement, alignment with nursing strategic goals, and effective execution at the unit level.
• Customizes education and just-in-time training on transformational leadership, structural empowerment, and change management
• Works with senior leaders to design strategic interventions to address performance gaps.
• Works with nurse executives to address challenges at all levels that may potentially derail the Magnet Recognition or Pathway to Excellence designation process.

Education

• BSN, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• MSN, Nursing Administration, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
• MS, Organizational Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Certifications

• American Nurses Credentialing Center – Certificate Holder in Fundamentals of Magnet^®
• Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA – Graduate Certificate, Leadership Coaching
• Graduate Certificate, Skilled Facilitator, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Professional Memberships

• American College of Healthcare Executives
• American Nurses Association
• American Organization of Nurse Executives
• American Society of Training and Development
• Institute of Coaching
• International Coaching Federation
• International Leaders Association
• Plexus Institute
• Sigma Theta Tau International

Special Acknowledgements

• Published numerous articles and book chapters including a chapter on Transformational Leadership in the award-winning text, Nursing Management Principles and Practice(2011, Oncology Nursing Society)
• Served as adjunct faculty member at George Mason University College of Nursing, is a faculty member at Duke Corporate Education, and is a certified Executive Coach.

Ashley Amorello Kellish has been a nurse for 12 years and has worked in a variety of education and leadership roles. Ashley has served as a Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP)™ appraiser since the inception of the accreditation process and has used her knowledge, skills and abilities within nursing competency, transition of practice, and education to provide expertise.

Ashley has a passion for nursing but also for the human behind the nurse and she is always searching for ways to elevate the profession. Ashley also has an extensive background in simulation modalities, leadership development and mentorship. 

Summary of Services

• Conducts gap analysis and readiness assessments, and provides strategies for success.
• Develops customized education and training to support organizational needs.
• Assists organizations with document development and review.
• Conducts comprehensive on-site reviews in preparation for site visits.
• Works with all stakeholders to achieve organizational goals.

Education

• BSN, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
• MSN, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
• DNP, Duke University, Durham, NC

Certifications

• Basic Life Support
• Critical Care Nursing 
• Oncology Nursing Society 
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor

Professional Memberships

• American Association of Critical Care Nurses
• North Carolina Nursing Association

Dr. Karen Gabel Speroni helps hospitals and hospital systems through all phases of their nursing excellence journey, including Magnet®.

She is a research infrastructure and process expert who uniquely integrates organizational missions with research goals to facilitate evidence-informed practice of nursing, ultimately to advance the practice of nursing, including patient outcomes and work environment.

She has over 30 years of experience in biomedical research and hospital consultation, including hospital-based research, nursing excellence and evidence-based practice, as well serving on Institutional Review Boards, and university teaching.

Currently, Dr. Speroni:

• Serves as a consultant and educator with the American Nurses Association, for hospitals on their Magnet® and Pathway to Excellence® journey; Certificate Holder, Fundamentals of Magnet;
• Is adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins School of nursing, serving as a Principal Investigator in multi-center, international research;
• Provides inquiry methods and research consultation to develop and sustain research programs for Magnet recognition for multiple health care systems and hospital, including Johns Hopkins;
• Presents research processes and research findings nationally and internationally, and
• Authors research / healthcare related publications.

Summary of Services

• Conducts organizational assessments.
• Reviews application documents for Magnet.
• Reviews ANCC requests for supplemental information and assists with responses.
• Prepares organizations for successful ANCC site visits working with hospital groups, shared governance councils, and clinical nurses.
• Assists with strategic planning for nursing excellence.
• Mentors and works with teams to successfully achieve strategic outcomes.
• Helps organizations develop effective shared leadership and decision-making structures, processes and outcomes, shared governance models and professional practice models.
• Research process expert.
• Utilizes iQuERY (Innovation, QUality improvement, Evidence-based practice, Research & You) to facilitate inquiry method best practices, a model which she innovated.

Education

• PhD, Business Administration-Health Care Management, Eastern University
• MHSA, Policy, Planning and Marketing, The George Washington University
• BSN, Research College of Nursing-Rockhurst University

Certifications

• American Nurses Credentialing Center–Certificate Holder in Fundamentals of Magnet^®

Professional Memberships

• American Nurses Association
• Sigma Theta Tau International
• Virginia Nurses Association

Selected Recent Publications

1) Speroni, K.G., Antol, S., Lisle, L., Aroom, W. (2023). Differences by Nurse Type in Professional Quality of Life Perceptions from Pre-COVID-19 to Intra-COVID-19. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 28, No. 3. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol28No03PPT75

2) Speroni, K.G. Remote Work in Nursing: Facilitators and Barriers. (2023). OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 28, No. 2, Manuscript 1, DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol28No02Man01

3) Speroni, K.G. Letter to the Editor by Karen G. Speroni to OJIN topic: Professional Pathways in Nursing: Options to Seek, Start, and Sustain a Career. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. March 20, 2023. Retrieved from: Letter to the Editor by Karen G. Speroni to OJIN topic: “Professional Pathways in Nursing: Options to Seek, Start, and Sustain a Career” | OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (nursingworld.org)

4) Speroni, K.G., Budhathoki, C, Walters, C., Dutton, S., Mackay, P., Oguariri, R.M. (2022). Survey Research: Do all RN types have the same perceptions regarding professional nursing governance? Journal of Nursing Administration, 52(5) 258-265. 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001014

5) May, V, Knitting, J, Speroni, KG, Adil, M. Utilization of Emergent MRI in the Diagnosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke. (2022). Journal of Radiology Nursing.1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2022.02.012

6) Hess, R., & Speroni, K.G. (2021). Onboarding best practices for professional nursing governance. Voice of Nursing Leadership, November: 4-6.

7) Speroni, K.G., & Hess, R. (2021). Pandemics challenges. Keeping nursing research alive. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(7/8): 364-365.

8) Speroni, K.G., Wisner, K., Ober, M., Haines, F., Walters, C., & Budhathoki, C. (2021). Effect of Shared Governance on Nurse Sensitive Indicator and Satisfaction Outcomes by Magnet Recognition Status. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51 (7/8): 379-388. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001033

9) Speroni, K.G., Wisner, K., Stafford, A., Haines, F., AL-Ruzzieh, M.A., Walters, C., & Budhathoki, C. (2021). Effect of Shared Governance on Nurse Sensitive Indicator and Satisfaction Outcomes: An International Comparison. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(5): 287-296. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001014

10) Lindauer, C., Speroni, K.G., Godinez, K., Lurz, T., Oakley, R., & Zakes, A. (2021). Effect of A Nurse-Led, Patient-Centered, Gratitude Intervention on Patient Hospitalization Experience. Journal of Nursing Administration. 51(4): 192-199. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33734178/

11) Cusanza, S., Speroni, K., Curran, C., & Azizi, D. (2020). Effect of Individualized Learning Plans on Nurse Learning Outcomes and Risk Mitigation. Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. 40(4): 17-29. DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.21442

12) Hess, B., Weaver, S., & Speroni, K.G. (2020). Shared Governance During A Pandemic. Nurse Leader. doi: 10.1016/j.mnl.2020.05.008

13) Lisle, L., Speroni, K.G., Aroom, W., Crouch, L., & Honigsberg, H. (2020). Differences in Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue and Work Environment Factors by Hospital Registered Nurse Types. Online Journal for Issues in Nursing; 25(3). DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol25No03PPT44

14) Speroni, K.G. (2020). Call to Action for a US Nurse General: From Ebola to Corona. Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(5): E1-E2.

15) Speroni, K.G., McLaughlin, M., Friesen, M.A. (2020). Use of Evidence-based Practice Models and Research Findings in Magnet®-Designated Hospitals Across the United States: National Survey Results. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing; 17(2): 98-10.

16) Baker, A., Speroni, K.G., Ruby, D., & Honigsberg, H. (2020). Health Care Professionals' Perceptions of Life-Sustaining Treatment Orders. Nursing2020; 50(2): 64-69.

For a listing of publications, click here