Breakthrough to Nursing

​ Committee

"Be a Hero—Be a Nurse!"

"It’s Never too Late to be What You Might Have Been" 

Lauren Newhouse
BTN Director
Georgia State University, Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing,
Atlanta, GA
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Seasonal Memos​

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. 

Lauren Newhouse, BTN Director and Chair,
​Breakthrough to Nursing Committee, Summer Memo

Hello NSNA Members:
 
The NSNA Breakthrough to Nursing Committee is excited and eager to work with each of you! It is a privilege to serve as your Breakthrough to Nursing Director for 2021-2022. I have the pleasure of working alongside two committee members, Megan Johnston and Stephanie Smith. We are hopeful for some in-person events later this year, after our transition to online NSNA events due to COVID-19!
 
Thanks to the previous BTN committee, the BTN Toolkit is easier to navigate and easier to understand. This is a helpful resource that provides instructions and ideas for school and state organizations, which includes: school/state projects and the BTN monthly awards, as well as information regarding what BTN is and the role we all play in it. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
 
This year’s theme is: It’s Never Too Late to Be What You Might Have Been.
The goals for the BTN Committee are:
  • Receive 7 submissions for the monthly award
  • Increase the understanding of the goal for the BTN state/school award
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"Be a Hero—Be a Nurse!"
"It’s Never too Late to be What You Might Have Been" 

Lauren Newhouse, ​NSNA 2021-2022 BTN Director

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

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 is free of charge, includes a main feature with bonus tracks on a variety of nursing career paths.

​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).