Nurses are playing an increasingly critical role in addressing workforce shortages, expanding access to care, and improving health outcomes across New Jersey. These themes were the focus of a recent episode of One-on-One with Steve Adubato, featuring Howard Reid, Senior Vice President, Corporate Brand and Purpose at Johnson & Johnson, and Dr. Bridget Nkatta, Executive Director of Bridge to Life Clinical Care.
A licensed Family Nurse Practitioner in New Jersey and New York, Dr. Nkatta is also an alumna of the Nurse Practitioner Entrepreneur Program powered by Duke Health and supported by the Johnson & Johnson Foundation. During the conversation, she shared how the program helped her launch and grow Bridge to Life Clinical Care, a nurse-led primary care practice serving patients and families across Middlesex and Monmouth counties.
Through the program, Dr. Nkatta gained business, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills that helped her turn patient needs into sustainable solutions while expanding access to culturally responsive, preventive care.
“I was empowered to gain the business skills that I was lacking. I credit [the Nurse Practitioner Entrepreneurship Program] for keeping me in practice today and sustaining my practice,” said Dr. Nkatta. “I gained mentors, coaches, and fellow nurse practitioners from across the country. We learned how to use those business plans to create manuals and processes that helped us.”
Reid highlighted Johnson & Johnson’s longstanding commitment to the nursing profession, which dates back nearly 130 years, and emphasized the vital role nurses play in delivering high-quality care.
“Nursing is a part of J&J’s origin story going back nearly 130 years. We’ve been proud advocates for the nursing profession because we’re clear that nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system and critical to improving patient outcomes,” said Reid.
He also discussed J&J CareCommunity, Johnson & Johnson’s platform supporting nurses and other healthcare workers through education, leadership development, workforce initiatives, and nurse-led innovation programs.
The conversation underscored the essential role nurses play as trusted healthcare leaders and the importance of continued investment in the nursing workforce to build stronger, more resilient healthcare systems.
To learn more about Johnson & Johnson’s support for nurses, visit nursing.jnj.com.