Nursing Scholar Earns Prestigious American Academy of Nursing Fellowship for Contributions to the Profession
Robin Cogan, a lecturer at Rutgers University–Camden, and a school nurse in Camden, has been selected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), one of the highest honors that can be bestowed in the field.
Cogan is among 225 Fellows of the class of 2021, joining a small group of school nurse leaders inducted into the academy. FAAN selection criteria include contributions to nursing and health care, reducing health disparities and inequalities, and influencing health policies and health care delivery.
“School nurses have been a hidden healthcare system for far too long,” says Cogan, of Cherry Hill. “Our presence democratizes health equity for our most underserved and under-resourced communities.”
A school nurse for 21 years, Cogan is a leading voice for school nurses and an advocate for children.
Her blog, The Relentless School Nurse, shares school nurses’ stories from across the country.
“Robin Cogan’s efforts and energy for addressing such important issues of gun violence, safety, and prevention during COVID-19 have been far reaching,” says Donna Nickitas, dean of the Rutgers School of Nursing‒Camden. “Not a day goes by without Robin addressing the needs of school nurses on how to protect students, informing families about the risks of COVID-19, and how to keep students and teachers safe in their classrooms and buildings."
Robin Cogan advocates for school nurses and the health and safety of children.
At the Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden, Cogan teaches the next generation of school nurses in the school nurse certificate program. In 2018, she received the Rutgers University–Camden Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award for part-time faculty.
A scholar on issues such as school nursing, population health, and children’s health and safety issues, Cogan is the recipient of multiple honors and awards for her work.
She was honored in two consecutive years with the National Association of School Nurses President’s Award. Cogan received the Nationally Certified School Nurse Award for School Nurse of the Year, the Johnson & Johnson School Nurse of the Year, and the New Jersey Department of Health Population Health Hero Award.
The lead author of an article in Current Trauma Reports about active shooter drills in schools, Cogan says exposing students to frighteningly realistic scenarios with masked intruders and loud gunfire sounds does more harm than good. Cogan suggests that school nurses are ideally positioned to work with other medical professionals, law enforcement, and government officials to prevent mass shootings.
Cogan became interested in school nursing after losing her occupational health job in a company takeover. Having some time off from work gave her the opportunity to attend summer camp with her twin daughters. Encouraged by school nurses at the camp, Cogan pursued a new career as a school nurse in the Camden City School District.
