Student Nurses Association Spring Newsletter May 2012 In This Issue: Hats on Day, 2 Crystal Treptow WSNA Conference, 3 Julie Elliott A Letter From the Incoming SNA Board: The new board members of SNA are excited to start 4 5 6 7 Healthy Habits, Maddie Wentzel NSNA Conference, Chelsea Rentmeester Blood Drive, Elisa Schoofs SNA Partners with APO, Emma Oanes making plans and events for the upcoming year. We wish all the seniors good luck in their future nursing careers. We also look forward to seeing all returning members in the fall for another great semester of volunteering, participation, and building relations. Have a safe and exciting summer! Becca Hennen, Ali Rangel, Bri Salomaki & Jenny Schaefer
SNA would like to extend a big thank-you to everyone who participated in and donated to such a great cause! This semester, the Student Nurses Association collaborated with the UW School of Nursing students and took part in a Hats on Day. Our inspiration for promoting this event came from the WSNA Annual Convention keynote speaker, Leslie Redman. She is one of the major coordinators for Jayln s Chapter, a Wisconsin chapter of the Foundation for Children with Cancer. Hats On Day was founded in 1995 by four sixth-graders in St. Louis, Missouri. They began the fundraiser to help raise money for their friend and classmate, Kevin Beffa, who had been battling cancer. Since then, Hats On Day has continued in Kevin's memory with the aim of creating awareness about childhood cancer. Over the past decade, this fundraiser has moved across the entire nation. The UW Student Nurses Association is very proud and appreciative that we were able to be a part of this movement. We promoted our Hats On Day within the Health Sciences Learning Center on Wednesday, February 15th. We choose to hold the event on that date because it is International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. We asked all of the nursing students to please wear a hat of any kind to help raise awareness about childhood cancer. We also asked that for every person that wears a hat, they donated $1 (or more if they liked), which we donated directly to the Foundation for Children with Cancer. Overall, we collected a total amount of $175. This money will be put to great use in the Wisconsin local FCC chapters, providing financial assistance to the families of pediatric cancer patients for mortgage/rent payments, utilities, groceries, travel and other personal expenses that are incurred while their child receives medical treatment. SNA would like to extend a big thank-you to everyone who participated in and donated to such a great cause!
Diving into Discussions at the Dells: WSNA Conference SNA Attends the Wisconsin Student Nurses Association This year, from February 3rd-5th, 2012, University of Wisconsin-Madison s Student Nurses Association was able to send five representatives (Crystal Treptow, Elisa Schoofs, Chelsea Rentmeester, Julie Elliott, and Melissa Prom) to the annual Wisconsin Student Nurses Association convention at the Kalahari resort in the Wisconsin Dells. We were proud that the entire board was able to attend. The conference offered exhibit booths from professional healthcare organizations, powerful presentations relative to the impact and continued education of the nursing profession, and the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and share ideas among different nursing schools across Wisconsin. All UW-Madison members present participated in the House of Delegates, where schools voted on the WSNA budget proposal and other unique propositions, such as donations and local non-profit run/walk events. The keynote speaker of the conference, Leslie Redman, shared a touching story of her daughter fighting cancer and the creation of a local chapter of the Foundation for Children with Cancer in her honor. Inspired by this cause, UW-Madison s SNA participated in an event, called Hats On Day, for the first time, raising $175 toward FCC. We hope for continued participation and involvement toward this cause from UW-Madison s SNA in the future. Topics discussed in breakout sessions included NCLEX preparation strategies, fluids and electrolytes reviews, resume and interviewing advice, legal issues for nurses, and advice for the future journey. Perspectives, experiences, and expertise were also shared from a nursing student aiming to sustain maternal care in Guatemala and from a certified nurse midwife, a hematology/ oncology/ transplant (HOT) unit nurse, a sexual assault nurse examiner, and a disaster medical assistance team (DMAT) on their specialties of work. Simulation labs were also available for students. Overall, the conference was a valuable experience for all and a good opportunity to get to know others better. We were happy to represent Madison and learn in the process.
Student Nurses Give Back to the Community A group of five Student Nurses Association members recently teamed up with Special Olympics Wisconsin to hold a Healthy Habits Event at a regional basketball tournament at the MAC Sport Center in Verona on March 4th. Along with clinical instructor Denise Contreras, the students volunteered on a Sunday morning to participate in the community event. Statistics reveal that individuals with cognitive disabilities often do not receive the healthcare attention they need. By teaching preventative care practices, Healthy Habits reinforces the importance of developing a healthy lifestyle and integrating healthy choices into an athlete s daily routine. At the March 4th event, athletes, coaches and family members had chance to prepare a free healthy snack and receive educational materials about healthy eating. The students also did blood pressure screenings and taught about ways to stay healthy. Over 100 people visited the Healthy Habits stations, which provided a great learning experience for both the community members and the students who volunteered. The success of this event would not have been possible without the hard work of the students involved. Thank you also to the School of Nursing for donating 100 bags filled with giveaway items for the athletes, and to SNA for providing funds for the healthy snack. For more information on the disciplines offered by Healthy Habits or to volunteer as a health care professional, visit www.specialolympicswisconsin.org The success of this event would not have been possible without the hard work of the students involved.
SNA Board Members at the NSNA Annual Convention in Pittsburgh National Student Nurses Association Convention Three UW-Madison SNA board members were able to attend the National SNA Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this spring. It was an opportunity to network with other students and professionals, and listen to experts in the field in both focus and plenary sessions. These sessions offered insight into professions, such as emergency nursing, and the political environment s affect on the nursing profession. It was inspiring to hear from so many influential and fiery leaders of our profession. During one focus session, a nurse who is a lobbyist in Washington D.C. discussed her advocacy efforts for nursing education. The sessions reminded us of the many roles that professional nurses take on, both caring for our patients and our profession. Attendees attended the exhibit hall, where many vendors, employers and universities piqued the interests of furthering our careers, motivated by both a personal quest for advancement and in accordance with the IOM Report: The Future of Nursing recommendations. Thank you to the Nurses Alumni Organization for their generous grant which facilitated this opportunity.
SNA Knows How to Save a Life How can you save not 1, not 2, but 3 lives in less than an hour? It s easy, donate blood, and that s just what we did. SNA organized a Red Cross blood drive on Monday April 23rd in the atrium of the HSLC. We had 67 participants and 47 successful donations! The blood drive started at 10:30 am after two hours of set up and ended at 4:30pm followed by 2 hours of clean up. We need to thank all our wonderful volunteers for taking time out of their day to help register volunteers, sit at the canteen, and keep everything running smoothly. We would like to extend a special appreciation to everyone who donated blood. The Red Cross states that every blood donation has the potential to save 3 lives, collectively we saved almost 150 lives! The event was such a success that SNA plans to organize another one in the near future. Become a fan of our Facebook page, UW-Madison Student Nurses Association, to get updates on future events and volunteer opportunities. Thank you to all SNA members who showed their support through volunteering. We really appreciate your willingness to go above and beyond!
SNA & APO team up for the Kids' Fun & Fit Field Day! Alpha Phi Omega partnered with the Student Nurses Association to host a health promotion event for kids. The event was held on Saturday, April 21 at the Brittingham Park Shelter in Madison. All involved had lots of fun! To start off the day, a member of the UW-Madison Optima Dance team led a yoga/stretching and hip-hop dance class. Then, SNA members hosted a table with information about ways to lead a healthy lifestyle, using visual aids to facilitate learning. Some topics they discussed were the "MyPlate" nutrition guidelines, how to choose beverages based on sugar content, and reasons not to smoke. They also taught the kids how to check their pulse. Crash Helmet", a mascot promoting helmet use, taught the kids about whey they should always wear a helmet. Healthy snacks were provided, including fresh veggies, string cheese, and a make-your-own trail mix station. The kids then participated in a series of relay races. Each child received a free t-shirt and pedometer, and some won raffle prizes for bowling, rock climbing, and laser tag. Bucky even made an appearance! Funding for the event was provided through generous grants from the UW-Madison Nurses' Alumni Association and Alpha Phi Omega. Alpha Phi Omega is a co-ed community service fraternity at UW- Madison. For more information, visit: http://www.alphaphiomegabetatheta.com