Blog Archives

Running for Leadership Opportunities

9/29/2023

0 Comments

Greetings, NSNA members and future colleagues!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful summer and is getting back into the groove of a new semester!
I’d like to talk to you about running for leadership opportunities. Although initially it seems like a pretty scary thing, leadership positions are a great way to gain insightful experience on advocacy, communication, and decision-making. These core qualities and more not only make a successful leader, but a powerful nurse! Therefore, it is highly recommended that every nursing student have some kind of experience in leadership. Whether that is getting involved in your local chapter’s student association, getting involved in your state association, or even through various outside organizations, leadership is a quality that all recognize within the first few minutes of meeting a person. This sets you apart from the next interviewee when it comes time for that job you really want!
But how do you get involved in leadership? My best piece of advice is to find a mentor or an older student that has the experience. They can help pave a path for you that can set you up to do some amazing things! Personally, it was an older nursing student at my school that pushed me to run from the floor for a state association position at our state association convention. He saw something in me that I didn’t recognize in myself and gave me that extra push. If you are already in leadership, I hope that you can be that extra friendly shove for someone else to get their passion sparked for leadership.
However, if you are the first to want to get involved in leadership through nursing organizations and you don’t have a local chapter to join, contact NSNA! We can give you the tools you need to start an organization and be that mentor for younger students that will now have a local chapter to join because of you!
If you are running for a leadership position, best of luck! I know all of us here at NSNA are always cheering you on. Always remember to be confident, creative, and be true to the leader you are. No one can be you like you can.

Yours in service and signing off for now,
Lauren

0 Comments

September: National Suicide Awareness Month

9/14/2023

0 Comments

Greetings, NSNA members and future colleagues!
I had an idea for my blog to do National Awareness Month for some of the months of the year, discussing topics that pertain to each month. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. And our students from the past ten years are so wonderful in having submitted resolutions to NSNA about suicide and mental health. Therefore, I’d like to give the highlights of all our spectacular resolutions submitted.
As we all know from the recent pandemic, Covid-19 inflated the suicide rates especially for the youth of America (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023). This lead to our students from Mineral Area College Student Nurses’ Association in Park Hills, Missouri coming out with a resolution, “In Support of Raising Awareness for Suicide Assessment in Post-Covid 19 Patients.” They provided us with the education and urged us to share with our constituents the risk factors for suicide, promoting awareness, and reassessment of suicide risk. In 2019, a resolution titled, “In Support of Instituting Mental Health Checks in K-12 Public Schools,” was passed by the House of Delegates after being submitted by West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. They brought shocking research forward that 1 in 6 children in America ages 2-8 are diagnosed with a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder. Therefore, they urged NSNA to encourage the United States Department of Education to screen students for mental health concerns twice a year with education presented to the students on mental health topics. By teaching kids about taking care of their mental health early on, perhaps we can decrease the suicide rates as they get older.
Also in 2019, a resolution by Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio was accepted by the House of Delegates titled, “Promoting Awareness of Mental Health Conditions Causing Increased Risk of Suicide in Nursing Students.” Their resolution discussed the risk that nursing students are at due to their exposure to adverse events and pain and death often. They urged NSNA to inform their constituents of the increased risk of suicide among us. But we can do more than just inform you. At NSNA, we want to give you the tools to be a nurse that protects their patients, but also protects themselves. This is why NSNA does so much education and discussion on self-care.
If you are struggling, please know that you are not alone. Turn towards a loved one or reach out to a hotline (either phone or text). Call or text 988 24/7 to reach a representative. Or chat using the feature located at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are never alone.

Yours in service and signing off for now,
Lauren

References
G. U. I. D. E. I. (n.d.). September is National Suicide Prevention Month. GUIDE, Inc. Retrieved September 17, 2023, from https://guideinc.org/2022/09/01/september-is-national-suicide-prevention-month/
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023, May 22). Youth suicide rates increased during the covid-19 pandemic. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/youth-suicide-rates-increased-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

0 Comments

Starting School-Remember the Why

9/14/2023

0 Comments

Greetings, NSNA members and future colleagues!
Can you believe the summer is over? I know it’s always hard for me to get back into the groove after I’ve just had a wonderful summer but it’s time to get to work! And when shifting back into my school schedule, I like to hold onto my “why?” Many people I’ve spoken to don’t use this thinking process and burn out very quickly when it comes to transitioning back to school. Therefore, I’d like to share it with all of you!
My method is very simple, very cost-effective, and requires all but a pen and a post-it! I have a post-it on my calendar board next to my computer. It says, “Lauren Lodico, BSN RN” in big bold letters. Although it is pretty worn out from making it through three full years of nursing school with me, it holds on because it serves a great purpose. It reminds me every time I get stressed and look at my calendar, wondering, “how am I going to do this?” that I CAN do this. It reminds me of WHY I wanted to become a nurse in the first place. It reminds me of everyone behind those little letters that I want so badly behind my name. And it reminds me that I am fearless, brave, and nothing—not even nursing school—can stand in my way from achieving my aspirations and dreams.
It's not easy to hold onto the WHY. However, it is so easy to fall into the pattern of thinking negatively, feeling burnout, and stressed, and feeling alone in nursing school. But I encourage you. Better yet, I challenge you to reframe your brain this semester and choose the positive. Choose the WHY.
Here are some ways that you can make “choose your why” slightly easier:

When you wake up, have your WHY by your bedside. Remind yourself that you can take anything life throws at you today.
Do step 1 BEFORE you touch any electronic device. (Fun fact and as nurses we already know this: it messes with your brain waves, especially in the morning).
Keep your post-it by your laptop for classes, studying, and other assignments. Remind yourself of your WHY (and get a cup of coffee/tea!) when you feel like you are running low on fuel.

As I always tell everyone I meet, if I can do this, so can you! And I truly believe that. So remember your WHY, make sure you take care of yourself, and have a great semester!

Yours in service and signing off for now,
Lauren

0 Comments

Running for Leadership Opportunities

September: National Suicide Awareness Month

Starting School-Remember the Why

Author

Archives

Categories

ABOUT

services

Support