Contact the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions

W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions
Thomas Edison State University
301 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08618
(609) 633-6460
nursing@tesu.edu

Dr. Lia van Rijswijk is the Chief Nursing Administrator at the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions. Lia obtained her Nursing Education Certification and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from La Salle University; her BSN from the University of Rotterdam Medical Center, School of Nursing; and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from West Chester University. She is a Certified Wound Care nurse with more than 30 years’ experience across multiple disciplines to improve the health of populations and global wound care practices. She also has more than 20 years’ experience in nursing eduction and nurse education administration, including teaching at LaSalle University, Holy Family University and Thomas Edison State University.

Lia has served as Clinical Editor for the journal Wound Management and Prevention (formerly Ostomy Wound Management) for more than 20 years. Her research interests and publications continue to center on& evidence-based practice as well as outcomes in health care and nursing education.

Maureen Clark-Gallagher is the Assistant Dean/Director of Distance Learning at the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing. She received her basic and advanced nursing education in the State of New York at Pace University. She has practiced nursing in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Her background is medical/surgical nursing (staff and management), instructor at schools of nursing, nurse educator, Divisional Director of Clinical Education/School of Nursing, Magnet Project Director, Clinical Education Advisor, Associate Director/Occupational Health Nurse/Case Manager of a medical department. She was also a mentor for the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing for eight years. She has been ANCC certified as a clinical nurse specialist in adult health.

She is an active member of the Upsilon Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Thomas Edison State University W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing Chapter) since its inception and a career long member of the American Nurses Association among other professional nursing organizations. She is currently the President of the New Jersey State Nurses Association Region 4.

Maggie Ciocco is a Nursing Program Advisor for the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Seton Hall University and a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University in Adult Primary Health, Maggie is an experienced nurse educator with over 30 years’ experience in both staff development and associate degree programs, working in both clinical and nursing lab settings as an instructor, mentor and preceptor. She has been a board certified American Nurses Association Medical Surgical nurse for over 28 years and is an author with three Springer Publishing Company published works in nursing including “Fast Facts for the Medical Surgical Nurse – Clinical Orientation in a Nutshell”, “Fast Facts for the Nurse Preceptor – Keys to Providing a Successful Preceptorship in a Nutshell” and “Fast Facts on Combating Nurse Bullying, Incivility and Workplace Violence”. Her book on bullying won second place in the 2017 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year in the Professional Issues category and a coveted 5 star rating from Doody’s Medical Review. She is also a freelance blogger for Dailynurse.com. She is a past member of Sigma Theta Tau – Lambda Delta Chapter, to which she was inducted in 1996 as a Community Leader and from where she received the Hannelore Sweetwood Mentor of the Year award in 2012. She is also a member of the National League for Nursing.

Holly Leahan is the Graduate Student and Practicum Advisor for the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing at Thomas Edison State University. She is certified in medical-surgical nursing and has taught students in both on-ground and online settings. She is a second degree RN, with her first BS degree in Sports Medicine from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She earned her BSN through Drexel University’s Accelerated Career Entry Program, as well as completed her MSN online through Drexel University. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Upsilon Rho Chapter, Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, and the National League for Nursing.

Janet McGuire was appointed as Nursing Program Assistant in 2013. She is the assistant to the Dean of the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing. Her background experience is in non-profit organizations, including 22 years at NJN Public Television and Radio, primarily as a Producer/Director. She earned her BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.