May 6-12 marked National Nurses Week, a week dedicated to recognizing the contributions of nurses and nursing students worldwide, including those at Rockhurst University. As the university’s nursing students help shape the future of healthcare daily, one student organization in particular, the Student Nurses Association (SNA), makes significant contributions to the discipline.
SNA may be an unfamiliar organization to those who are not in nursing, however, the group plays an integral role for the students in the Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences program at Rockhurst. SNA is a branch of the Missouri Nursing Students Association (MONSA) and the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA), serving as a community aiming to “support the student nurses in their endeavors to achieve the highest standard of professional nursing education by providing opportunities for community service, supporting future leaders, enhancing professional development and student advocacy,” according to Rockhurst University.
“The goal of the Student Nurses Association is to provide an outlet and a resource for both pre-nursing and current nursing students to become more involved in the nursing community and our greater Kansas City community as a whole,” said Elisabeth Breiner, president of SNA.
Being involved in the organization helps nursing students develop skills that will help them in the future, put them in touch with their peers and aid them in gaining confidence as they progress through nursing school.
An important part of SNA is planning events for the year that support their mission of caring for the health of others. In past semesters, some of these events have included hosting blood drives, a winter clothing drive, an AIDS walk and an on-campus fish fry.
SNA also provides events for nursing students to learn and grow in their field of study and support one another. In April, the organization held an advice panel for all pre-nursing students, current nursing students and transfer nursing students. The objective was for students to be able to ask questions and gain insight on what it is like to be a part of the Rockhurst nursing program and get tips on how to successfully navigate through it.
In alignment with the celebrations of National Nurses Week across the globe, Rockhurst honors all nurses worldwide, university alumni nurses, current nursing students and the members and leaders within SNA.
The 2024-2025 executive board for SNA is as follows:
President: Elisabeth Breiner (J2)
Vice President: Mary Maher (J2)
Secretary: Gwen Hammond (J2)
Treasurer: Ally Wienecke (J2)
Merchandise & Fundraising Co-Chairs: Liv Burkett (S1) and Katie Mead (J2)
Community Service Co-Chairs: Abby Schipfer (J2) and Katie Collins (J2)
Social Media Co-Chairs: Kennedy Rucker (J2) and Lauren Ada (S1)
Professional Development Co-Chairs: Bella DeZeeuw (J1) and Emily Wynne (J1)
