NEWS

New Brunswick, N.J. – December 13, 2021 – Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is pleased to announce that one of its nurse leaders, Avril A. Keldo, DNP, MSN, ANP-BC, RN-BC, OCN, director of Professional Practice, Clinical Education and Nursing Research, Simulation Lab and Medical Library, has been honored with the Divisional Leader Award from  the Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey (ONL NJ). ONL NJ is an organization that engages and develops nurse leaders in advocacy, research, education, mentorship, and collaborative relationships. With over 600 members from 90% of the hospitals in New Jersey, ONL NJ is the voice of nursing leadership.
 
This past year, Keldo has served the New Jersey community by being a team lead for Saint Peter’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics, which has resulted in 30,400+ vaccines administered to date. Keldo collaborated on this important health initiative with multiple departments throughout the hospital including Pharmacy, Community Health Services, Child Life, and Information Technology, along with nurses and patient care technicians spanning various departments. Facilitating the COVID-19 vaccine clinics required intricate organizational skills as the Moderna, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), and Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccines were offered concurrently, each on specific dates and at different times.
 
As the director of Professional Practice at Saint Peter’s, Keldo facilitates multiple initiatives within the hospital. She keeps the staff up-to-date on best practices via workshops that focus on building acute care skills, promoting continuing education courses and ensuring competencies through training in the Simulation Center for Interprofessional Learning at Saint Peter’s. The Simulation Center allows nurses to execute procedures on mannequins in a simulated environment without fear of actual harm. Keldo also manages contracts with nursing schools and coordinates scheduling with instructors for students to have an enhanced clinical experience and improve the relationship of nurse mentors with their students on Dedicated Education Units at Saint Peter’s. In addition, she serves on the hospital’s Marketing and Mentoring Committee, spearheading the Nurse Residency Program, an initiative designed to support, educate, and retain new nurses during their first year of nursing, and coordinating the annual Nursing Graduation Ceremony that celebrates the educational achievements of Saint Peter’s nurses.
 
“Throughout her career, Avril has always focused on mentoring other nurses and helping them achieve their professional goals. If someone has a question or needs advice, she never turns them away. In addition, she is a staunch advocate for higher education, advising colleagues as they navigate the many possibilities a career in nursing can offer,” said Linda Carroll, MSN, RN, RN-BC, vice president and Chief Nursing Officer at Saint Peter’s.
 
Keldo is passionate about giving back to the community and frequently organizes fundraisers. She coordinated with Saint Peter’s Foundation to raise funds in support of sending more than 25 nurses to the 2021 American Nurses Credentialing Center National Magnet Conference^® in Atlanta, Georgia, and organized a kickboxing fundraiser for those with breast cancer. She also established an annual charity event, held over the past 13 years in December, that provides gifts and scholarships for children who have lost a parent to cancer at Saint Peter’s.
 
“It is an honor to be named a Divisional Leader by the Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey. I believe in championing the nursing profession and am committed to creating an environment that fosters nursing education and professional mentorship at Saint Peter’s. I am extremely proud that Saint Peter’s continually provides opportunities for nurses to expand their knowledge base as a means to better care for a diverse population. As a result, our nurses will continue to provide the best health care to our patients,” said Keldo.
 
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About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is a state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital offers a midwifery service and the brand-new state-of-the-art Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600.