The Canadian Nursing Students Association Membership Information Package

The Canadian Nursing Students Association Membership Information Package

Table of Contents What is CNSA? 3 Membership 4 Services and Benefits 6 Events 7 Committees 8 Board of Directors 10 Helpful Tips for Attending CNSA Meetings 11 Official Documentation and General Information 12 Membership information Package 2

What is CNSA? The Canadian Nursing Students Association (CNSA) is the voice of nursing students and represents students in baccalaureate, practical, and psychiatric nursing entry-to-practice programs in Canada. For over forty years, CNSA has represented the interests of nursing students at local, provincial, national, and international levels, as well as within the nursing and healthcare communities. As a member of CNSA, you have the opportunity to network with other nursing students on educational, professional, and social levels. In the last two years, CNSA members, including the Board of Directors, have been involved in a number of projects and activities that directly affect students and new graduates. The projects include but are not limited to the Canadian Association of School of Nursing Informatics Entry-to-Practice Competencies for Registered Nurses; the Youth Labour Congress review of placements in education and post education; the CNSA NCLEX-RN exam tip sheet and preparation pre conference workshops; the CNSA 2015 Anti-Bullying Campaign We Pledge to Stop Bulling, Do You? ; the Canadian Association of School of Nursing Workplace Readiness Project; and, National Nursing Students Week. CNSA advocates for nursing students through a number of avenues. Board members sit on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. CNSA is a member of the Network of Canadian Nurse Specialties, where the President works with 49 specialty nursing associations. Each year the CNSA President lobbies with the Canadian Nurses Association Board of Directors and has the opportunity to discuss with Members of Parliament key issues that affect the nursing profession, allowing the students voice to be heard. CNSA represents the nursing student voice on an international level through the International Council of Nurses Student Network, and has connections with other student health professional groups, such as the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns. CNSA strives to provide members with tools to help them in their educational journey. The association has position statements and resolutions on a wide range of topics that give support to students. CNSA provides a means of sharing ideas with students across the country through the CNSA website and social media platforms. The CNSA National and Regionals Conferences have many opportunities for students to learn and network with other students, nursing leaders, and potential employers. National Nursing Students Week (NNSW) is an annual week-long event held each November. It showcases the contributions of nursing students to their practice settings and celebrates their accomplishments throughout their program of study. Events are up to the discretion of each chapter. Popular activities in the past have been banner signings, lunchand-learn sessions with various speakers from professional bodies, semi-formal dinners, canned-food drives, etc. (Almost) anything you can think of is on the table, as long as it promotes a positive image of nursing students and the nursing profession. Make it fun and engaging for your chapter members. Membership information Package 3

Membership How Can Your School Become a Chapter Member? If you are interested in starting up a CNSA chapter at your school, you should first contact the CNSA Regional Director (RD) in your area. Each of the five regions in Canada (West, Prairie, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic) has a RD. The RD will be able to answer your questions and provide you with information about CNSA. For contact information please see the CNSA website www.cnsa.ca/english/aboutus/bod. In order to become a CNSA chapter, you need the support of the student body at your school, so start spreading the word about CNSA to your peers and faculty! Your RD can provide you with materials to help introduce your school to CNSA and the many benefits of membership. Once you have the support of the student body, you are ready to start the membership process. We Want To Be Members, Now What? If your school chooses to become a member of CNSA, your next step is to complete a membership package: The first step is to collect the membership fees: Membership fees are $10 per full-time student and $6 per part-time student enrolled in your school s nursing program. This includes BScN students, Practical Nursing students, and Psychiatric Nursing students. You can get this information from the Dean/Director/Chair of your nursing program. Schools that have not previously been a CNSA chapter member in the last five years will receive a 50% membership fee discount for the first two years of membership. After your membership dues are collected, the next step is to fill out the membership form. This form can be obtained on the CNSA website under membership, or by contacting your RD. This form gathers information on the school, the Official and Associate Delegates, and has a letter template that needs to be filled out and signed by the Dean/Director/Chair or Registrar to confirm the number of students enrolled at your school. The membership form and cheque for your fees can be sent via mail to the CNSA s head office: CNSA 1145 Hunt Club Road, Unit 450 Ottawa, ON K1V 0Y3 The CNSA membership year runs form December 1 to November 30, and fees are due on December 1. Membership information Package 4

Membership How do I collect fees? Many schools have membership fees incorporated into their student ancillary fees that are deducted when tuition is paid. The process of adding the membership fee to ancillary fees is different in each school, so check with your Student Union to find out the exact process for your institution. CNSA has found this to be the easiest way to collect fees. Other methods to collect fees include approaching students individually and/or fundraising. For ideas and suggestions around fundraising, contact the Director of Membership Services, at services@cnsa.ca. After Your Fees Are Paid Once your school has completed the membership has been processed by the CNSA head office, your school is officially a chapter member of CNSA. The Official Delegate listed on the membership form will receive an email from the Regional Director with welcome information and details of your chapter s new CNSA email account. This email account will be used for all CNSA correspondence and will have your welcome email, a break down of membership benefits, receipt for membership fees, and the delegate orientation package. CNSA chapters have one vote at the meetings of the Regional Executive and the National Assembly, and all students enrolled in that chapter are able to access all the membership benefits, including applying for CNSA scholarships, NurseONE access, discounted rates at conferences, discounted access to PassPoint (the CNSA endorsed NCLEX-RN prep tool), and discounted group insurance rates. Membership information Package 5

Services and Benefits What CNSA Provides for Members Members get a 25% discount on Lippincott NCLEX-RN PassPoint, the only NCLEX-RN prep guide endorsed by CNSA. All students at chapter member schools can receive free access to NurseONE. NurseONE provides access to best-practice guidelines, clinical competencies, Anatomy TV, and other educational resources. Awards and grants that are only available to CNSA members. For more information on what awards are available please visit the awards section on the CNSA website: www.cnsa.ca/english/awards/. CNSA members have access to the online peer-reviewed Nursing Leadership Journal through Longwoods Publishing. The Longwoods website contains job posting boards and other nursing resources. CNSA members are eligible for reduced group insurance rates for home, auto, and pet insurance with The Personal Insurance Company. CNSA makes a small profit based on how many members purchase insurance at our group rate. Assistance/suggestions with fundraising for member schools. For more information contact the Director of Membership Services at services@cnsa.ca. Opportunities to advocate for student issues at local, regional, national, and international levels, and to influence policy. A chance to get involved in CNSA Committees related to specific areas of interest to nursing students and learn new skills (see page 8 for information on CNSA s Committees). CNSA Regional and National Conferences offer opportunities for education, professional growth, networking with other nursing students and health professionals. Affiliation with the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) with active participation in their meetings. Access to information on other conferences and activities held by students, nurses, and other health professionals in Canada and internationally. Membership information Package 6

CNSA Events Fall Events Regional Conference In the fall a host school in each region holds a regional conference; these conferences usually happen in late October or early November. For more information on the regional conference closest to you, please check out the CNSA website: www.cnsa.ca/english/conferences/. National Nursing Students Week The second week of November is National Nursing Students Week (NNSW). This week-long event urges students and schools to showcase the contributions of nursing students to their practice settings and celebrate their accomplishments throughout their program of study. For more information see the NNSW page on the CNSA website: www.cnsa.ca/english/aboutus/nnsw. Winter Events National Conference Each winter a host school holds the National Conference during the last two weeks of January. The National Conference is the premier event for Canadian nursing students, offering a wide variety of speakers, workshops, and opportunities to network with other students and meet potential employers. For more information see the conference page on the CNSA website: www.cnsa.ca/english/conferences. Awards Following the National Conference, the slate of CNSA awards and scholarships are posted. These awards are available to all nursing students that belong to chapters in good standing and who are not current CNSA board members. For more information on awards please see the awards page on the CNSA website: www.cnsa.ca/ english/awards. Membership information Package 7

Committees CNSA committees are a great opportunity to get more involved in CNSA, learn new skills, and connect with other nursing students. Most committees are open to any student at a CNSA chapter member school, so we encourage you to contact our committee chairs. Advocacy Committee This Committee supports students by raising awareness about issues, exploring and providing resources, advancing goals for the association, and working with stakeholders to create a better experience for students and ensure an academically enriching environment. Contact: president@cnsa.ca Awards Committee This Committee selects a number of deserving applicants for monetary awards to recognize their contribution to the profession of nursing. Contact: vp@cnsa.ca Career & Leadership Development Committee This committee is in charge of organizing National Nursing Student Week (NNSW), an annual, national event, which encompasses all of the CNSA s Chapter Member schools. It highlights the important contributions of Nursing Students to their practice areas, and brings together nursing students from across Canada. Contact: leadership@cnsa.ca Community & Public Health Committee This committee advocates making health equity and health promotion a more prominent component of educational and practice environments. Contact: community@cnsa.ca Diversity Committee This committee promotes education on various topics to ensure that students have a strong background on how to effectively care for patients from diverse populations. Contact: diversity@cnsa.ca Education and Research Committee This committee promotes education and research activities, such as creating guidelines for position statements and resolutions, and creating the online scholarly showcase housed on the CNSA website. Contact: research@cnsa.ca Global Health and Outreach Committee This committee raises awareness and promotes the education and support of programs that empower local groups to develop sustainable solutions through global partnerships. Contact: international@cnsa.ca Membership information Package 8

Committees Governance Committee This committee is responsible for reviewing the governing documents of CNSA and bringing suggested changes to the Board of Directors and the National Assembly. Contact: president@casn.ca Informatics Committee The mandate of the committee is to distribute information from the Board of Directors to CNSA members and the public via information technology and social media. The committee also works on projects such as future website development and a National Nursing Student Week video. Contact: informatics@cnsa.ca Nominations & Elections Committee This committee oversees the association s annual elections and any by-elections that are required. The committee ensures that the current election policy of the association is adhered to. Contact: services@cnsa.ca Translation Committee CNSA is proud to represent and serve Canadian nursing students in both official languages. To do that, CNSA needs a strong group of nursing students to translate and review translated documents, such as blog posts, articles, general CNSA affairs, and much more. Contact: translation@cnsa.ca Membership information Package 9

Board of Directors President Vice President Director of Communications Director of Bilingualism and Translation Director of Career and Leadership Development Director of Membership Services National Conference Director Atlantic Regional Director Quebec Regional Director Ontario Regional Director Prairie Regional Director Western Regional Director Past President Administrative Officer CASN Representative Community and Public Health Committee Chair Diversity Committee Chair Informatics Committee Chair Global Health and Outreach Committee Chair Education and Research Committee Chair president@cnsa.ca vp@cnsa.ca communications@cnsa.ca translation@cnsa.ca leadership@cnsa.ca services@cnsa.ca conference@cnsa.ca atlantic@cnsa.ca quebec@cnsa.ca ontario@cnsa.ca prairie@cnsa.ca west@cnsa.ca pastpresident@cnsa.ca resource@cnsa.ca admin@cnsa.ca community@cnsa.ca diversity@cnsa.ca informatics@cnsa.ca global@cnsa.ca research@cnsa.ca Membership information Package 10

Helpful Tips for Attending CNSA Meetings Welcome to your first official CNSA meeting! Here are a few key points that will help you navigate your way through this meeting. No scented products. Always raise your hand or approach a microphone and wait for your turn to speak. Always state your name and designation before speaking on a point. Avoid repetition of topics. Consider cost and benefit when making decisions. Be hard on problems and soft on people. Ensure cellphones are silent. Be focused on solutions. Use respectful language that promotes dignity for everyone. Business attire to all conference events. Membership information Package 11

Official Documentation and General Information The following information can be obtained on the CNSA website, www.cnsa.ca: The benefits of being a CNSA member Detailed Official Delegate/Associate Delegate responsibilities Governing documents of the Association Code of Professional Conduct, and other policies Awards and grants information Updates on NCLEX-RN preparation and exam news Updates on the work of the Board News on the National Nursing Student Week activities Update on CNSA events and other events Links to follow CNSA on Facebook and Twitter Finally, we encourage all of you to seize the endless opportunities that CNSA and nursing can provide for you. Jump in, get involved, take a stand, and show the world what nursing students can do. Membership information Package 12

Canadian Nursing Students Association 1145 Hunt Club Ave, Suite 450 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 0Y3 t: 613 235-3150 f: 613 235-4479