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I N T H I S I S S U E :
“It always seems impossible until it’s done” – Nelson Mandela
UPCOMING DATES
ELF DE-STRESS MOVIE NIGHT
PINNING CEREMONY
NSO SET UP
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
FRIDAY, DEC. 5
FRIDAY, DEC. 18
FRIDAY, JAN. 14
FRIDAY, JAN. 15
At last, the end of the semester has finally come! I
hope it finds all you in good health as you approach
your final clinical days and begin studying for final
exams! It has been an especially wonderful semester
for CNSA. Just to briefly recap a few accomplishments
we have made this semester, we launched our new SDSU-
CSNA website and recreated it to fit the needs of our mem-
bers, initiated a new tutoring program for freshmen nursing students,
surpassed our Light the Night fundraising goal and raised $2,004 to fund
research to advance therapies and treatment for those suffering from
leukemia and lymphoma, hosted Where Will Nursing Take You where
nursing students gained insight to different avenues in nursing through
listening to a variety of guest speakers ranging from navy nurses to
traveling nurses to oncology nurses and so on! The Medication Safety
Administration Event was also a great hit this semester, which offered a
valuable learning experience for all the nursing students to further develop
their critical thinking skills when administering medication. There are
many more notable memories and accomplishments we have made this
semester and it is all due to the commitment, support, and dedication by
members like you! I hope you all continue to excel in this profession and
keep your passion burning as you progress in your endeavors! Best of luck
to you all, and thank you so much for all your dedication to SDSU-CNSA!
A Note from the Communications Director
!
Reflect ions on 46 years in nurs ing
Caro l yn Walker , RN , PhD
I graduated in 1968 and began my
career in an adult ICU. After a year
and a half, I switched to pediatrics
and never looked back!
Things were different then, far fewer
drugs to know, no IV pumps so we
counted drip rates, there were no
nursing diagnoses, the nursing process
was still called the scientific method,
and we wore white nylons and
nursing caps!
On our 42-bed unit, there were 3 RNs
per shift—one who gave medications,
one “team leader” and one charge
nurse who took orders off charts.
I started teaching in 1979 and loved that too. It was a perfect blend of
being with patients and with students. So what has kept me in nursing for
so many years? ♥Just plain love taking care of children and their families.
I hope each of you will find an area in nursing that will keep you
as excited about nursing as pediatrics has for me.
AUTHOR:
GENESIS REYES
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Genetics is a field of medicine that is having a
major impact on how healthcare practitioners treat
disease. The science of genetics has quickly become so
sophisticated that it can be used to treat and prevent
diseases prior to conception. Scientists are able to do
this by creating and testing embryos in a lab, then
implanting the healthy embryos into a mother's womb.
While this field is controversial, individuals who are
worried about passing on defective and potentially
dangerous genes may see this as an opportunity to
“breed out disease.” This new direction in healthcare
warrants nurses to integrate genetics and genomics
based practices into their scope of practice. Nurses
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should be able to effectively translate genetic and genomic
information to patients with an understanding of the
associated ethical issues.
A technique in reproductive genetics called
preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is an embryo
screening procedure that can be used to identify deadly
gene mutations and alter a child's genes. Originally, PGD
was developed to screen embryos for one disease: cystic
fibrosis. Today, due to advances in the mapping of the
human genome, it is reported that this technique
can be used to distinguish virtually any disease
caused by a single defective gene, such as breast
cancer, muscular dystrophy, Sickle-‐cell anemia, and
hemophilia amongst many others. In early October
2014, because of how quickly this industry is growing, the
FDA proposed guidelines to review certain genetic testing in
order to ensure the technology used in the diagnosis of
serious diseases is accurate and safe. But with the promise
of this technology also comes the fear that some parents
would want to use it to select genetic traits in their children
that have nothing to do with disease. Presently, there are no
laws in the United States limiting what this kind of
technology can be used to screen for, which leaves the
decisions up to the scientists.
Legislative Corner:
SELECTIVE HUMAN BREEDING
An important responsibility of the professional nurse in the
healthcare system is health promotion and maintenance of a
health-‐promoting lifestyle. As aspiring professional nurses, we
accept the present and emerging roles of the profession, which
include being a health promoter, provider of health care , and a
role model to our clients. In order to educate our clients about
specific strategies to improve health, there must be an
understanding of health concepts and knowledge of health-‐
promoting behaviors. In addition, nursing students must understand
the importance of their personal health-‐promoting lifestyle and have
responsibility for their own health in order to have the knowledge
and skills to educate their clients.
This can be particularly challenging because despite the
concepts of health promotion in the classrooms that nursing
students are exposed to, studies have found that they do not
particularly apply them to their own lives due to high levels of stress.
In the article Health-Promotion Behaviors of Undergraduate Nursing
Students: A Survey Analysis, previous literature has found that
“compared with students in courses of study other than
nursing, nursing students usually spend more time in class, in
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the laboratory, and in the clinical setting, and
they have more emotional demands made on
them. In addition, to the particular stresses
of a nursing program, these students face
similar issues experienced by mainstream
academic students, including a fear of failure,
lack of free time, and long study hours”
(Bryer, Cherkis, & Raman, 2014).
As a result, the need for self-‐care becomes
significant in the life of a nursing student and in
the aspiration to be a wholesome and
comprehensive nurse in the future.
Self-‐care can be defined as active
participation to better the quality of your
health. It can be a challenge for nursing students
to practice self-‐care because they are primed to
be early nurturers and think of others before
themselves. In addition, nursing students are also
rewarded to put other’s needs before their own,
are high achievers, perfectionists, and can be very
self-‐critical.
Other factors that contribute to the
challenge of practicing self-‐care are the sense of
lack of time, having kids or significant others in
their lives to take care of on top of their studies,
having the inability to say “no” to others, the lack
of assertiveness to ask for help, the feeling of not
wanting to let others down, and feeling guilty or
selfish for practicing self-‐care. The list of factors
that prohibit nursing students from self-‐care can be
endless.
Despite all the contributing factors that
make self-‐care difficult to practice, it remains
significant for nursing students to understand the
importance of self-‐care because “those who do not
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care for themselves are at risk for fatigue,
burnout, and stress” (Wells-‐Federman). It will be a
much more difficult challenge to be a health-‐
promoter and educate others to maintain a health-‐
promoting lifestyle if self-‐care isn’t practiced in
the individual’s life. The lack of self-‐care can also
prohibit the nursing student from becoming the
comprehensive, competent, and wholesome nurse
they aspire to be if self-‐care is neglected.
It is critical to avoid the negative
consequences of lack of self-‐care and reap the
benefits of self-‐care. When we teach our clients
the benefits of self-‐care it includes, but is not
limited to:
“better symptom management, such as
reduced pain, anxiety, depression, and
tiredness; improved feelings of well being;
increased life-‐expectancy; improved quality
of life of greater independence; fewer
outpatient and emergency department
visits; fewer hospital admissions and
shorter stays; regulated or reduced
medicines intake; and fewer days off work”
(Cross, 2011).
As for ourselves, it reduces occupational fatigue,
gives us the ability to manage the demands of our
nursing school curriculum and the demands of our
future profession, and it also makes us better role
models for those around us including our clients. If
you really think about it, caring for the self is a
prerequisite to care for others.
There are many different ways to
incorporate self-‐care to your daily life to keep your
mind, body, and spirit healthy. Try to make time
for self-‐care and create realistic goals for yourself
daily such as: eating healthier foods and fully
daily such as: eating healthier foods and fully nourishing
your body, find the time to move daily and exercise a few
times a week (we all know the benefits of mobility, right?),
avoid those all-‐nighters when studying and make sleep a
priority, develop a breathing and mediation practice, find
something you love to do and do it daily, make time to be
alone when you need to be alone, and learn to develop a
positive attitude and with a spirit of gratitude to end your
day. Practice all these and there will better results in work
and study will be produced. Not only that but your quality
of life will be enhanced and you can be the role model
others will need you to be!
Sources: Cross, S. (2011). THE ROLE OF PRACTICE NURSES IN EDUCATING PATIENTS TO SELF-CARE. Primary Health Care, 21(7), 16-19. Bryer J, Cherkis F, Raman J. Health-‐Promotion Behaviors of Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Survey Analysis. Nursing Education Perspectives [serial online]. November 2013;34(6):410-‐415. Available from: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 30, 2014.
“To me self care means staying balanced in all aspects of my life. Meaning it’s important to take time off of studying to refresh and fill my own cup.” – Sophie Hanson, 1st semester
“What self care means to me is going on a long run outside to get fresh air and relieve the build up of stress, not to mention
the many psychological and physiological benefits running gives your body!”
– Katie Caruso, 2nd semester “Self care to me is taking one hour out of my day to forget about Organic Chemistry or Microbiology, and spend time with my friends while exercising at the gym.” - Sheryl Warfield, Freshman
“Self care: 30 second dance party TID PRN when stressed. --- Predicted outcomes are happiness and
stress relief when effective. If still stressed, increase does to 1 full minute.”
-Jessica Fitch, 2nd semester
!
!
!!!
!!
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Treat Yo-self!
Buy that pair of boots you’ve been wanting, go surfing, get your favorite sushi roll for dinner, take a long bath, or spend the whole day in bed napping. It’s up to you—find what your soul is craving & reward yourself for all that studying—you deserve it!
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2 Change of scenery: Sometimes it can be a really refreshing change of pace to change scenery. Go somewhere new, or explore a beloved place you are familiar with close by. Take a road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to see the lovely coastal sights of Big Sur, or stay local and rearrange your furniture to give yourself a new outlook.
Hang out with friends:
With a busy school schedule, it can be difficult to maintain friendships outside of school. Use this time to rekindle relationships. Have a Christmas cookie decorating or ugly sweater party to make it festive. Laughter is the best medicine, and reviving
your friendships will help you and your friends to recharge. 3
Destress Wr itten By :
Sarah Provencher
As finals come closer, you might catch yourself daydreaming of that day when your freedom returns: winter break.
You may have visions of Netflix marathons, all snug in your bed, or some clean hair on top of your post-finals head.
Perhaps dreaming of ice-skating in a hand knitted wrap, or a lovely burrito induced long winter’s nap.
Fact: nursing school is stressful.
It is important that you give yourself that much needed TLC after the bustle of finals to revamp your mental, emotional, and physical health and wellbeing.
So what are some ways you can do this?? !
v 32 total attendees
v 20 participating
delegates from our
school chapter,
outnumbering other
school chapter
delegates
v 1 Resolution passed by
Devon Vandeweile
v 6 SDSU-CNSA Members
running for state chair
positions
v 2 winners of state chair
positions: Narisa
Kanchana for Cultural
Awareness Chair &
Danielle Gardener for
Mentorship/Membershi
p South chair
v Scholarship Winners:
Elissa Moore & Makalya
Marco
1
This year’s CNSA state convention was held in Pomona, California on October
17-‐19. But what is convention, and what do you do at convention? This question was
asked many times among classmates, at clinical, and during coffee breaks. The CNSA
convention is an amazing opportunity offering growth in leadership, career
development, and inter-chapter nursing community statewide. This year’s theme
was “To Infinity and Beyond: Limitless Opportunities in Nursing”, and the opportunities
really were limitless! There were resume reviews performed by nursing hiring managers,
an extensive eight-‐hour NCLEX review, and informative presentations on advanced
practice nursing opportunities and how to land your first job as an RN. It might seem like
information overload, but the presentations performed by current and retired nursing
leaders were fun, helpful, and concise.
Keynote speakers at convention included nurse leaders Dr. Judith Karshmer,
Judith Berg, and Patricia McFarland, who explored traits that made for a successful
nursing career and challenges facing the nursing profession today. Breakout sessions
included “Rules to Break” for a successful nursing career, and “Limitless Opportunities:
New Roles in Nursing”.
Every year at convention, CSNA chapters across the state come together to vote
on legislature as a community, which then becomes agenda to be presented at the
National level of NSNA. Many students are aware of level of pain being included in
taking vitals, but what many are unaware of is that in 2001, Columbus State University’s
Student Nursing Association submitted a resolution to make pain the 5th vital sign,
The Experience of CNSA State Convention and its Limitless Opportunities Written by Sarah Provencher
2
which was passed by NSNA, supported by the American Nursing Association, and is now included in
Nursing curriculum nationwide.
Delegates are chosen by each CNSA chapter and have the opportunity to vote on resolutions
and engage in discussion amongst the leaders from other state chapters. This year at convention, SDSU
School of Nursing had 20 participating delegates, more than any other chapter in attendance. Devon
Vandeweile, a fourth semester student, was selected to present a resolution she drafted on PTSD
following childbirth, an issue she very passionately declared needed more awareness and support in our
patient populations.
Re-‐elections for state board chair positions also occur at convention. The CNSA state board is
made up of extremely passionate and hard working students from chapters all across California who
oversee CNSA’s performance across the state and offer support to individual chapters. This year, we can
proudly announce that 6 CNSA members from SDSU courageously ran for positions: Oliver Erece for
Communications Director, Sarah Provencher for Breathrough to Nursing, Genesis Reyes for Legislative
Director, and Ariane Luzano for President. We would like to congratulate Danielle Gardner who was
elected as Mentorship and Membership Director of Southern chapters of California, and Narisa
Kanchana, who was elected the position of Cultural Awareness. CNSA president Elissa Moore shared,
“As CNSA president, I would just like to state how proud CNSA is of everyone who ran for state positions
and represented our chapter in such a positive and professional light among other chapters of the state.
Also, we offer a special thanks to the delegates from our chapter who participated at convention”. We
would also like to recognize Elissa Moore for receiving the Association of California Nurse Leaders
Scholarship, and Makayla Marco for being awarded the Katie Bray Guiney Scholarship, both very
prestigious awards.
Convention was a great experience, both personally and collectively. It brought forth inspiration,
challenges, and a sense of teamwork and community among nursing schools across the state. The
experiences gained from attending convention really were to infinity and beyond, and I highly
recommend attending convention at some point during nursing school.
1
When our local Nursing Student chapter
went to the California Nursing Students’
Association (CNSA) state conference, everyone
had the opportunity to run for a position on the
state board. Since I am so passionate about CNSA
and membership in a pre-‐professional
organization, I chose to run for Membership
Director South. Apparently, my speech went well;
I got the majority vote and I became the new
Membership Director South!
As the Membership Director South, I serve
as the liaison between the CNSA State board and
every local chapter from Fresno, California to the
Mexico border. In addition, I am in charge of
planning a CNSA Membership South Meeting. My
goals include expanding California’s overall CNSA
membership numbers by ten percent through
educating school deans and faculty about the
importance of nursing leadership roles that are
available in CNSA and by recommending school
participation in order for students to meet the
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new nursing education core standards set by
the Board of Registered Nursing. I will also
be creating a California-‐specific
membership toolkit for each individual
chapter. Lastly, I hope to increase the
amount of CNSA chapters by ten percent.
This is about three new chapters south of
Fresno, California.
I am extremely excited and
passionate about what will occur in the next
year, and I cannot wait for CNSA to
represent very well at the National Student
Nurses’ Annual Convention this April. It will
be a great year for CNSA memberships! If
you are interested in helping me plan the
Membership South Meeting or in getting
involved at the state level, please contact
me at [email protected].
DA
NIE
LLE
GA
RD
NE
R
Mentors & Mentees Needed!! Whether you had the best mentor in the world, or you didn’t have one at all, we are calling YOU to be a
mentor. The mentorship program here at San Diego State University is a great opportunity to begin
practicing habits that you will carry on into the workplace. It is also a great opportunity to meet new
people, invest in each other’s lives, help another terrified nursing student, and earn cord points (2 per
mentee). If you are a current 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th semester student you are welcome to sign up at this
link: www.surveymonkey.com/s/QXXDQXS. For more information contact Danielle Gardner at
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Hi, my name is Narisa Kanchana and
I will be representing SDSU through
California Nursing Students’ Association
(CNSA) on the state level as cultural
awareness committee chair. My goals are to
develop a cultural awareness committee
with representation throughout the state,
advocate the need for increased culturally
competent practice into statewide nursing
education curriculum, and to educate all
chapters of CNSA about the nursing
implications for various cultures including
aggregate cultures (disability, homeless,
generational, and religious cultures). Our
overall goal for this committee is to give
nursing students the opportunity to act as
large-‐scale patient advocates.
It is truly an honor to be serving as a
chair on the board of an organization that
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allows us nursing students to grow in an
environment that facilitates personal and
professional development! I encourage all of
you to consider joining a committee on the
CNSA state level to gain experience. If you
happen to be interested in joining my
committee, please e-‐mail me at:
NA
RIS
A K
AN
CH
AN
A
CONGRATULATIONS, DEVON VANDEWEILDE Four resolutions were passed during CNSA State Convention, one of
which belonged to our very own SDSU 4th semester nursing student,
Devon Vandeweilde. Her topic was In Support of Increasing
Awareness to Prevent PTSD Following Childbirth. To read
her resolution and the rest of the resolutions presented at the 2014
CNSA State Convention visit: sdsucnsa.weebly.com/resoultions.html
Friday, December 5, 2014 Izaak Walton once stated, “Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter” so
what better way to celebrate your successes of this long semester and de-stress before hiding in cafes and libraries for finals this semester than joining your mentors, mentees, and your nursing friends for a good ol’ movie night! We look forward to seeing you all there!
7:00pm at Sterling Alvarado
Contact Danielle Gardner for more information [email protected]
Elf De-stress Movie Night
This issue was created by the Vital Signs Committee
Aimee Deleon
Sung Eun Jung
Jessica Gomez
Sarah Provencher
Kyle Little
Joanna Gumban
Oliver Erece* Merchandise
Special Photo Credit Danielle Gardner
Marilyn Cerrillo
Narisa Kanchana
Jessica Song
Elyssa Aguirre
Malayna Tolley
Interested in joining the Vital Signs Committee? Sign up on the SDSU-CNSA website at: Sdsucnsa.weebly.com/events—committees.html or contact Aimee Deleon at [email protected] for more information
