NYU Meyers to Evaluate Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Nursing Initiative

Researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing are leading an independent evaluation of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Nursing Initiative, a $51 million grant program to empower nursing professionals, reduce burnout, address workforce shortages, and improve patient care in hospitals across New York state serving high-need populations.

The evaluation project, which began this summer and is led by Sean Clarke, PhD, RN, FAAN, leverages NYU Meyers’ faculty expertise in nursing workforce issues and how optimal work environments for nurses can improve clinical outcomes. Joining Clarke on the evaluation are NYU Meyers professors Amy Witkoski 

Stimpfel, PhD, RN; Chenjuan Ma, PhD; and Allison Squires, PhD, RN, FAAN.

“We’re so excited to be involved in this pioneering initiative and in telling the stories of how new resources and programs can help hospitals set new courses for managing their nurse workforces in challenging times,” said Clarke, the Ursula Springer Professor in Nursing Leadership at NYU Meyers and principal investigator of the project. 

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation launched its Nursing Initiative in May 2025, awarding grants to 13 New York hospitals to strengthen nurse retention, recruitment, engagement, and patient care. The grants will help hospitals pursue American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition or Pathway to Excellence status, industry-leading frameworks in nursing excellence. The funding will also assist hospitals in establishing or expanding innovative programs to support front-line nurses, as well as help recent nurse graduates transition into the profession through nurse residency programs. 

The evaluation led by NYU Meyers will examine how hospitals implement organizational changes to create more supportive, sustainable environments for nurses, including the implementation of virtual nursing or nursing residency programs. The research team will also explore what factors influence improvements in nurse outcomes (such as nurse well-being, burnout, and retention), clinical outcomes, and how the hospitals attain the goals they have set for themselves with the Foundation.