Highlights from the National Student Nurses’ Association 2015 Convention
Twenty-three members of the Villanova Chapter of the Student Nurses’ Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP) traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to attend the 63rd Annual National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) convention held April 8-12, 2015. The nursing students represented traditional, alternate and second degree accelerated programs from Villanova’s College of Nursing, and were accompanied by their advisor Carol Weingarten. The Villanova Chapter of SNAP continues to be one of only a few nursing programs to achieve national Stellar School designation by the NSNA. Highlights from convention included:
· Senior and 2014 SNAP-Villanova President Julie Suter led the delegation and oriented her co-leader, 2015 President McKayla Swearer, who will lead SNAP-Villanova to the 2015 state SNAP convention and the 2016 NSNA convention in Orlando as she then mentors the 2016 President.
· SNAP-Villanova won the national Robert Piemonte Financial Excellence Award, a major award given through the NSNA.
· SNAP-Villanova's resolution about lyme disease, authored by students Rebecca Ryan, Simone Kassas, Katharine Freudenberg and Shannon Myers and presented to the NSNA House of Delegates by Shannon Myers, Devon Murphy, Simone Kassas and Marianna Cesareo, was passed by the House of Delegates. Marianna Cesareo was also the featured speaker about lyme disease and the chapter's resolution at SNAP-Villanova's April 7, 2015 meeting on campus.
· SNAP-Villanovans Meghan Long and Shannon Meyers were recipients of national scholarships.
· Elizabeth Long completed her 2014-2015 term as NSNA Vice President. In addition to being a frequent speaker and leader at the convention, she also:
o presented a poster based on her qualitative study about human trafficking, completed under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell.
o was awarded an NSNA Leadership University certificate in recognition for the credit bearing independent study in leadership development she completed in Fall 2014 under the mentorship of faculty/SNAP-Villanova advisor Dr. Carol Weingarten. Elizabeth's article, based on her work, will be published in an upcoming issue of Imprint: The Magazine of the National Student Nurses' Association.
· As state SNAP President, Meghan Long, ‘16 CON, led the Pennsylvania delegation at the convention. Under her leadership Pennsylvania won national awards for Image of Nursing (for the LEAD workshop held in Harrisburg for freshmen and sophomores) and Policy and By-Laws. Pennsylvania has one of the highest membership levels in the USA.
· As state Legislative Coordinator, Marianna Cesareo was the primary author and presenter of the state SNAP's resolution about early detection lung cancer screenings for at-risk patients.
· Advisor Carol Weingarten:
o Presented two sessions focusing on working with staff and ill/wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, Joining Forces activities and outcomes of professional involvement that begins during undergraduate education.
o Served as a faculty volunteer in the Career Counseling Center at the convention
o Was recognized with a NSNA Leadership University certificate for faculty volunteer activities with the NSNA.
o Represented Villanova University, acknowledged during the convention's Opening Ceremonies for Institutional Sustaining Membership in the NSNA.