Kenyan handed prominent nursing role in the US
By Amina WakoCaroline Ndung’u Njau is the latest Kenyan to be handed a prominent role in the US, following her appointment as the senior vice-president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Children’s Minnesota.
Children’s Minnesota is the seventh-largest pediatric health system in the United States and the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood.
Njau who was the director of hospital and nursing operations at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park becomes the first person of colour to become the chief nursing officer at the hospital.
She is a member of the Children’s Minnesota Executive Leadership team.
“I am deeply humbled and full of joy, gratitude and excitement as I join Children’s Minnesota. Health care has been rapidly evolving over the last few years and we have experienced growth and change in so many ways. As we pave forward our path and design the next generation of pediatric care, we will continue to ground ourselves in our shared values, mission, and vision that make Children’s Minnesota such a treasured part of the community,” said Njau.
In her new role, Njau will be responsible for patient care operations across two hospital campuses, including nursing and patient and family services, as well as nursing strategy, education, and professional development.
“We’re thrilled to have Caroline join the Children’s Minnesota family and bring her wealth of expertise to our patients and families. I’m confident that her optimistic leadership and deep commitment to health equity, diversity, and inclusion, and continuous patient care improvement will help us shape our future to better meet the needs of our patient families today and in the future,” said Dr. Marc Gorelick, president, and CEO of Children’s Minnesota.
Njau, a native of Kenya, began her nursing career in medical-telemetry units at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta and has held a variety of health care leadership positions for more than 15 years.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kennesaw State University in Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.