Breakthrough to Nursing

​ Committee

Rethink What's Possible: Eradicating the Stigma

Brooke Budniak
BTN Director
Widener University
Chester, PA
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Seasonal Memos​
  • ​​Summer Memo​
  • ​Fall Memo
  • W​inter-Spring Memo

What is the Role of the
Breakthrough to Nursing Committee?

Breakthrough to Nursing® (BTN) is NSNA’s® project to increase the number and diversity of students choosing nursing as a career. The project was established because of NSNA’s® concern over the inadequacy of health care delivery to minority group members and the lack of minority group health care providers. The objectives of the project are to promote career opportunities in nursing, with a focus on substantially increasing the number of students from groups who traditionally have been underrepresented in American nursing. The project has been supported by NSNA since 1965. Its effectiveness seems due, in part, to the peer relationship that can be established between nursing students and minority group elementary, middle and high school students. In addition, through the Foundation of the NSNA, scholarships support is available for diverse nursing students to increase the number of registered nurses from ethnic minorities in the profession. 

BTN also teaches nursing students to be culturally competent in their care of all patients.  Resolutions passed by the NSNA House of Delegates has expanded the Project to include the recruitment of students from all underrepresented populations. 

2021 MidYear Conference Message

"Be a Hero—Be a Nurse!"
"It’s Never too Late to be What You Might Have Been" 

Breakthrough to Nursing Webinar
Lauren Newhouse, NSNA 2021-2022 BTN Director, speaks on the Breakthrough to Nursing Committee during the 2021 NSNA Leadership U Summer Summit.
Lauren Newhouse, NSNA 2021-2022 BTN Director, speaks on the Breakthrough to Nursing Committee 

BTN Monthly Winner (March 2022)

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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It came to my chapter's attention at the beginning of this semester that some students had been seeing things in clinical that they did not feel prepared to emotionally process. Thus, my chapter leadership reached out to our University's Counseling service seeking to partner for a workshop that might help students avoid this issue. We met with one of the staff psychologists, who agreed to put together a presentation specifically tailored for nursing students. We decided to have a theme of "Helping Yourself While Helping Others". The goal of this workshop was to teach nursing students strategies they can utilize to avoid common problems for nursing student and nurses, such as burnout and vicarious traumatization. We also wanted to make sure students were aware that they have access to free and confidential counseling resources at any time they might be in need. Due to Covid concerns, we hosted the event on Zoom. The event was facilitated by the clinical psychologist, but it was very discussion-based, with students sharing their personal experiences in clinical and the ways in which they could improve their self-care.

BTN Resources
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BTN Videos
Nursing—The Ultimate Adventure Video
The NSNA has a video available for use by BTN Committees. Nursing—The Ultimate Adventure, is free of charge to all schools that have official NSNA chapters and BTN committees (student members of the BTN committee must be NSNA members). The video (10 minutes long) is designed to interest teenagers in a nursing career. Informative literature is provided to give to students after they view the video.  Nursing—The Career for a Lifetime
This inspirational program presents accomplished nurses sharing their career journeys and new nurses revealing their dream careers. The DVD includes a main feature with bonus tracks on a variety of nursing career paths, to order, visit the NSNA Store.

​How to Establish a Mentor-Mentee Program At Your School
The BTN Project
Nursing students from all over the country share their thoughts on becoming nurses. Video created by Jennifer Kalenkoski, Breakthrough to Nursing Director (2016-17).