Breakthrough to Nursing

​ Committee

​Revitalize, Redesign, Revolutionize

Jessica Searock
​BTN Director
St. Luke's School of Nursing
Bethlehem, PA
Memos
Connect on Social Media

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 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, scholarship 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. 
Hello NSNA members,

Wishing you all a happy new year and I hope the Spring 2025 semester is off to a great start!
Many of you are graduating this semester, or have graduated recently, and will be entering the professional world of nursing. This is an incredible milestone in your journey as a nurse and I wish you immense congratulations! 

The 42nd MidYear Conference was a great success, providing an opportunity to meet new faces and reconnect with old friends. Your passion for pursuing leadership in nursing was evident, and your attentiveness and flexibility throughout the conference were commendable. The BTN committee hosted a session for sharing and collaborating on ideas to support your state and local communities, as well as updating on our progress. The discussion was fantastic, with many excellent ideas shared. We have numerous exciting opportunities ahead for you to learn more about BTN. The BTN Toolkit, discussed during the session, remains the best way to consolidate great ideas from across the country in one convenient location. This ever-growing document is filled with successful BTN projects for future nursing students of the NSNA to draw from. If you have a project, BTN story, or any articles you think would be great to feature in the toolkit, please email me! We also discussed the use of social media to stay aligned with NSNA and BTN announcements and initiatives.

​Read full Spring 2025 Memo here ...
BTN Monthly February 2025 Winner
Student Nurses' Association at Penn State
University Park, PA 

​Goal for the month of February is to continue advocacy for Black History Month. By resourcing discussions and events with Penn State Health along with providing educational slides and social media posts more people can be aware of racism in nursing and the world. 
Our social media has many viewers from freshman to alumni. This post allowed for a larger impact due to the content in it and the audience it reached. Additionally, this submission includes slides from our University Park and Hershey members which also increases impact.

BTN Resources
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​How to Establish a Mentor-Mentee Program At Your School ​​