Return to top of page
President's Message
Dear Student,
"The Sky's the Limit" is the 1999-2000 campaign of the NSNA (National Student Nurses Association) and an appropriate one at that. Nursing is often a stepping stone to other fields in the health care arena, and the USNA (Utah Student Nurses Association) in cooperation with the NSNA strives to assist students in making life choices and offers a bridge between student life and professional careers. These groups have been assisting nurses for almost fifty years and we would like to tell you more about them.
The NSNA is students' national representation while the USNA is the state organization that oversees activity at the school of chapter level. These groups are one, and make it easier for local nursing students to be in touch with the heartbeat of the nation's health care. these organizations teach professionalism, involvement, and more about nursing life outside the patient's room. Nurses are faced not only with snap decisions at the bed side but are confronted with politics, law making, and constant change in their field. The USNA takes a stance on issues on the forefront like: accidental needle sticks, domestic violence, and growing illness. the USNA also offers education, and updated information on old and new career choices for nurses to insure that correct education choices are being made. These types of issues only grow larger and have more of an effect once a student enters the work force.
The USNA would like to urge students to stand up and get involved in the world around them for it has a lot to offer. We believe the nurse to be the key health care provider in a team that holds lives in their hands. It's important that we form an active voice in what choices are being made for nurses everywhere to guarantee the best care for those lives. The question here for nurses: Do we handle life or drift with the current and subject ourselves to whatever happens?
Sincerely,Colby Jacobson
UVSC Nursing Student
USNA President
Return to top of page
USNA News
Hello! My name is Marie Detro and I am your USNA treasurer. I am from Longmont, Colorado and one of my favorite things to do is water ski. I am a student at BYU, and will graduate in August of 2000. After I graduate I plan on moving either to Boston or Salt Lake to work in a Children's hospital. I love working in critical care, and I love working with children.
In January 2000, Dr. Hirsche, his staff, and eight nursing students traveled to Guatemala. Dr. Hirsche specializes in cleft lip/palate repairs and travels all over the world to perform these surgeries for children in developing countries. The cost of the supplies for one surgery is approximately $150. Dr. Hirsche relies on the money from his own pocket and on donations to make this all possible. This year we asked the nursing schools in Utah to get involved in fund-raising activities for this great cause. All of the money collected was donated to the Hirsche Smiles Foundation. Lippincott offered an NCLEX study review CD-ROM program for the college of nursing that raised the most money. BYU raised $2260, winning the contest! UVSC came in second, raising $1550. Good Work!
Coming up on March 4 is the USNA state convention. The convention will be held at Weber State University. It is going to be lots of fun as we prepare for the NSNA convention coming up in April. Keep your eyes open for flyers and information concerning these conventions and get involved. Pre-registration for both of these conventions is greatly appreciated, and in some cases cheaper. So plan ahead, and sign up early. If you have any questions about registration or becoming a member of USNA/NSNA please give me a call. (801) 344-3700. PLEASE contact your school SNA President if you need a registration or membership form. We look forward to meeting you in March.
Marie DetroUSNA Treasurer
Brigham Young University
Return to top of page
NSNA Convention
This is an exciting time to be a nursing student. There are so many amazing advancements in the nursing profession and so many possible career choices it is hard to decide what nursing area to specialize in. The Utah Student Nurse's Association and the National Student Nurse's Association can help students make the decision on what area of interest to pursue. As a member of the USNA/NSNA you will get a glimpse at many different areas of interest varying from Nurse Midwives and Nurse Anesthetists to Med-Surg Nursing and ER Nursing. The best time to learn more about specialized nursing areas is at the annual convention.
The time is drawing near for the NSNA annual convention. In a few short months several thousand nursing students from across the country will converge on Salt Lake City, Utah for the 2000 annual convention. Students will come seeking information on new treatment modalities, information on career choices, and information pertinent to the nursing profession. at the conference students will be introduced to recruiters from top nursing schools around the country and recruiters from hospitals offering new and upcoming graduates employment opportunities.
Nursing students also come to convention seeking a gigantic party involving thousands of people. Convention has many educational and vocational opportunities plus endless opportunities to have a great time. You are surrounded by students experiencing the same titillating emotions as you when creating a care plan and applying nursing diagnosis to your patient. What more could a nursing student ask for? How about nightly parties where everybody cuts loose and forgets every shred of knowledge related to nursing? How about the chance to meet new friends and from around the country all day every day. If that doesn't do it for you then how about a wild toga party where normally same human beings go absolutely out of their minds.
NSNA's 1999 convention was held in Pittsburgh, PA. and it was awesome. I am a nursing student at UVSC and will graduate with an ADN in April. I am the USNA Region III Representative and I was able to attend the Pittsburgh convention. There were so many opportunities to learn more about patient care and the nursing profession than anyone could absorb in four days. The number of students attending was tremendous. There were nearly 3,000 students plus several medical company reps and recruiters from schools and hospitals from all over the country. I met so many people that keeping track of names and faces was impossible. NSNA convention is a tremendous learning experience and a lot of fun. It is something that all nursing students in Utah should be part of because it is rare to have the convention in our state.
NSNA conventions offers something for everyone including leadership opportunities. If you are interested in running for a State or National office or representing your school as a delegate during the NSNA's parliamentary procedures now is the time to start planning. For more information contact your school advisor or USNA Representative.
Jeff J. DunnRegion III Representative
University of Utah
Send me a note! JSdunn0234@aol.com
Return to top of page
Upcoming Events
In preparation for the upcoming national NSNA convention to be held April 12-16th in S.L.C., the Utah Student Nurses' Association will be sponsoring a one day event to prepare nursing students and faculty members for the challenge of hosting a national convention. Not only will students have the opportunity to run for and be elected to fill a USNA board position, but students will learn the ins and outs of parliamentary procedures while acting as a delegate during the convention. Please keep in mind, that each school is allowed during the convention a certain number of delegates depending on the number of NSNA members they have. Cost to join NSNA (which automatically makes you a member of USNA is $25 for the first year and $35 for the second. The state convention, to be held in March, will also give us an opportunity to find and recruit a number of willing nursing students to help the national NSNA committees during the April convention. A guest speaker and refreshments will also be provided. The cost of the state convention in March is $10 and more specific details will be forthcoming. So please mark these events on your calendars and we look forward to seeing you there!
Anja BaldreeVice President USNA
Brigham Young University
Return to top of page
Why Join ANA or UNA
I really hate it when I make one of those "my child will never do that" kind of statements and then (naturally) my child proceeds to do exactly that. Well, I made one of those comments related to membership in my professional organization and sure enough the statement came back to haunt me.
I was immersed in children (four under five) and just barely keeping my head above water. I also needed to work, so I worked two nights a week. The director of my unit came to one of our staff meetings and suggested that we belong to our professional organization and (here it comes) I made the comment, "Why should I, what do they (ANA/UNA) do for me?"
Life has a way of changing your situation and mine did.
Now, I was a member of a district board in the Utah Nurses Association. Our district really wanted to get members involved but our district covered a large geographic area. We determined that we should travel to each of the larger towns in our district and see if we could engender some support for the organization. Very few nurses came to our meetings. The ones that did asked, "what do they (ANA/UNA) do for me?" Deja vu.
Well, NOW I KNOW!!! ANA, but more particularly UNA, is the guardian of our practice act - the rules and laws that govern what we can and can't do as a nurse in the state of Utah. The state legislature passes bills that can either empower nurses or restrict their practice. UNA is the watchdog who monitors that process. If I never attend a meeting or read an article from the Utah Nurse, but choose only to pay my membership dues, it is well worth the money to know that someone is monitoring legislation related to how nurses practice in Utah. Thank you UNA for being there for me.
Vickie JohnsonBYU Professor
USNA Advisor
Return to top of page
Benefits to Joining NSNA
There was a time in high school when you began looking towards college life. All of the people who went to college seemed so mature and so much older and wiser, you wanted to be like them and associate with those crowds. However, once accepted to a school and beginning the work, it begins to take a toll and you begin to wonder what happened to that great ideal you envisioned in high school. Time passes and you get more and more bogged down with work, making ends meet and being able to pass that final chemistry exam. The things you looked forward to, especially being able to work as a nurse, seem to be just out of your reach.
The acceptance to a nursing program was a realization of a goal, and yet only one step to an even greater one with steps really steep to climb. It is times like this when it is good to know that there are others who feel the same way that you do. Student nurses from across the nation have been through these same hurdles and have experienced time when they wondered if it was worth it. The difficult part, however, is being able to meet them and begin to associate with them. It was fort this reason that the National Student Nurses Association was founded.
This is a way that student nurses can band together from all across the nation, support each other and come together for causes that they deem need support. The national convention held annually, is one of the many resources available for networking (meeting and conversing with fellow students) and catching up on politics and other things happening within the nursing profession. The convention has an exhibit hall where you can meet with representatives from organizations across the nation. NSNA is partnered with insurance, NCLEX study aid companies and has many resources for our benefit. A magazine called Imprint contains information pertinent to students in our field.
One great reason to get involved with NSNA is the opportunities for leadership. Elections for the USNA board are coming up in March and in April the NSNA Board will be elected. This is a great opportunity. NSNA offers many opportunities and experiences for learning along with preparing us for a professional life in nursing.
Deborah WaymanUniversity of Utah
Region III Representative
Return to top of page
Mid-year Convention Report
Hello, fellow USNA members. I have enjoyed this last year as the USNA secretary. I have had many fun and exciting opportunities to serve. One particular opportunity was the chance to go to the mid-year convention in Charlotte, NC. It was very exciting to meet new people and learn about the different opportunities in nursing today. The keynote speaker was Beverly Malone, President of the ANA. She spoke on leadership and was very motivating and she challenged us to never give up in our pursuits. I hope you will join us at the upcoming national convention here in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Katherine Davis
USNA Secretary
University of Utah
Return to top of page
NSNA Convention
USNA Officers
Activities
Links
Newsletter
USNA Main Page
UNA Home Page
Site Contents