Dynamic experience
Students bring inspiration home from national conference
Written by Story by Brian Wallheimer
Four Purdue nursing students who attended the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) annual convention last spring hope their experience is one that will impact other students for years to come.
In particular, the students, all members of the Purdue Student Nurses’ Association or Nursing Student Council, were struck by messages about leadership and professionalism in the nursing world and ways in which they can motivate fellow students to stand out in the field to become better advocates for their patients. They’ve spent the better part of a year now sharing what they learned and developing new training, service and mentorship programs for the School of Nursing.
Sam Kochert, a junior, says he felt like many of his Purdue peers were focused so much on classroom work — building their nursing skills — they hadn’t made time or recognized the value in building intangible skills that come with getting involved in student and professional organizations.
It takes certain people to create a spark that other people can feed on to make a flame. Our passion is lit, and we’re bringing it back to campus to spread it to other people. That’s why these trips are so key,” he says. “It was probably the best thing I did this past year.
“It was probably the best thing I did this past year.”
Nicole Kistler, a senior and co-president of the Nursing Student Council, created a four-part leadership and professional development series for underclassmen.
“I just felt incredibly empowered after going to this conference,” she says. “I wanted to share what I had learned.”
In particular, Kistler was inspired by the Nurses on Boards Coalition, which wants to see more than 10,000 nurses on corporate, government, nonprofit and other types of boards where they can use their experience to advocate for patients.
“I thought it was important to introduce these ideas to students early in the nursing program to encourage them to get involved in leadership positions and show them what we can do,” Kistler says.
Sam Huron (BSN ’16) says that prior to the conference she didn’t realize the role she could play in the health care industry. She is on a nursing practice council at the hospital where she works in Orlando, Florida. She also credited the NSNA conference with helping her develop her “nursing voice,” which she says makes her a more effective advocate for her patients.
“Sometimes nurses have an issue speaking up and advocating for their patients and the nursing world in general,” Huron says. “I learned how to use my nursing voice. I realized I need to be confident and not afraid to speak up.”
The students also have developed a mentoring program, named “Nursing Families,” in which a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior are grouped together to provide support for each other. As a senior graduates, a new freshman is added.
“Having these nursing families provides a kind of mentorship that these students can’t find anywhere else,” Kochert says. “They are contributing to a culture change, supporting a culture of professionalism, of academic excellence.”
Keller Phalen, a senior, says peer advice is particularly valued among students.
“As a freshman, it’s nice to have a sophomore, someone closer in age to whom you can relate, and then you have a junior and senior who can help guide you through with their experience,” she says.
Another idea that has evolved from this group is a collaborative community service program for nursing students, something other student groups at NSNA were doing at their universities.
“We saw that a lot of student nurses’ associations were really involved in their communities,” Phalen says. “We are nurses because we care about people and the community. We want to help out our community and give back.”
The students conducted a student body vote that supported all Purdue nursing students becoming members of the National Student Nurses’ Association. They believe that this membership exposes students to professional development opportunities, inspiration and networking that will be valuable during their education and career.
“Purdue does a really great job of not only teaching us to be a bedside nurse but also to be leaders within the profession,” Kistler says. “Being a part of NSNA is another way for us to be connected to the profession while we are students.”
The School of Nursing supported a portion of the students’ costs for the NSNA trip with some funding support coming from friends and alumni who donate to the school. Students appreciate the value of this investment and hope to garner support for future trips.
Elizabeth Richards, an assistant professor and advisor for the School of Nursing Student Council, says the aftermath of the NSNA conference has been fun to watch. She saw the enthusiasm grow in the students who attended the conference and is excited to watch the students bring this back to campus and inspire their classmates.
“It’s really important that they got to see other students, their peers, in leadership positions at the national and state level,” Richards says. “It helps them realize their voice is important and helps them see the power of collective voices. Since nursing is such a large profession, when nurses work together and have a collective voice, they can accomplish more than when they work in silos.”
