C.J. Newton, MSN, RN, NE-BC

C.J. Newton, MSN, RN, NE-BC — Director of Accreditation for the Forum for Shared Governance

C.J. Newton serves as the Director of Accreditation for the Forum for Shared Governance. She can be contacted at cjnewton@conwayregional.org.

Career at Conway Regional Medical Center

C.J. Newton served at Conway Regional Medical Center (CRMC), Conway, AR, for 23 years as Director of Education and Clinical Excellence. In that role, she led the development and implementation of shared governance before transitioning to the Magnet Program Director role in 2017. Subsequently, the American Nurses Credentialing Center designated CRMC as a Magnet® organization in September 2020. After relocating to Yellville, AR, she returned to CRMC as Magnet Program Coordinator following a year of working in north Arkansas. She also supports nursing excellence in the CHI St. Vincent Arkansas Market organizations.

Leadership Accomplishments

Under her leadership, CRMC developed and implemented a professional practice model, as well as clinical ladder and certification incentive policies. All of these initiatives are interprofessional in scope. In addition, she led the incorporation of nursing peer feedback into the annual performance evaluation process.

Shared Governance Research and Publications

The Forum for Shared Governance accredited CRMC in 2017 based on findings from a study co-led by C.J., The Effect of a Shared Governance Model on Perceptions of Professional Control and Governance. Furthermore, she authored the CRMC case study found in the fourth and fifth editions of Shared Governance: A Practical Approach to Transforming Interprofessional Healthcare by Diana Swihart, PhD, APN CS, RN-BC, FAAN and Robert G. Hess, Jr, PhD, RN, FAAN.

Education

C.J. earned a Master of Science in Nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing in August 1997. Her research project focused on Administration of Intradermal Xylocaine prior to Intravenous Catheterization as a Scope of Practice Issue. Both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and master’s degrees come from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, AR.

Awards and Recognition

C.J. Newton was recognized as one of the top three Nurse Educators of the Year in Arkansas in 2019 and as a Great 100 Nurse of Arkansas in 2020. Since 2016, she has also served as a community representative on the Arkansas State Board of Nursing Practice Committee.