Photos from meet and great with Dr. Chu

Click on the photo to view the album on Facebook from the event!

Come bowling with the SNA!

A great night of fun at Vista Entertainment Center this Wednesday! Click on the picture for more information!

Support the Women's Resource Center!

Get into the spirit of giving! Donate or volunteer during the Women's Resource Center Spirit of Giving Party! Click on the picture for more information!

First of guest speaker series: ER Nursing

Come join Professor Louise Hummel as she shares her insight into the ER nursing specialty! Have a chance to ask questions, learn about the emergency department, and the role nurses perform. Click on the picture for more information!

SNA T-shirts and hoodies!

Talk to your cohort rep or treasurer to order your SNA T-shirt or Hoodie!

Come meet our Dean!

A chance to meet the Dean of the new College of Education, Health, and Human Services, Dr. Chu! Click on the picture for more information!

Board of directors meeting to be held on Monday

A Board of Directors meeting will be held Monday, November 7th in room 217, from 1600 to 1700. Guests are welcome and provided time to raise any issues they may have.

Claim Jumper Fundraiser

The CSUSM SNA is holding a fundraiser at the Claim Jumper in Carlsbad. The date will be Saturday, October 8th from 11:00am-10:30pm. 15% of the profits from the night will benefit our Student Nurses Association. In order to receive 15% of the profits, each person wishing to support us must present the flyer found by clicking here. The flyers may be distributed to any friends, family, or businesses. Those presenting the flyer do not need to be students or faculty of CSUSM. In addition, absolutely no flyers are to be distributed on Claim Jumper premises. Thank you and hope to see you there!

Restarting the jouRNey!

After a hiatus, the new issue of the jouRNey newsletter is out! It can be found by clicking here! Copies are available throughout the school of nursing as well. We encourage you to pick up a copy and read through it!

Beach Day Social

There will be a beach day social on Thursday, September 29th, 2011 at 12:00 PM at Oceanside beach near the dock and fire-pits. There will be volleyball, Frisbee, football, horseshoes, and other fun beach activities. All NSNA members are invited along with any persons who are interested in joining Cal State San Marcos’s NSNA chapter. This will be a great opportunity to meet the most senior and most junior nursing students at CSUSM and will be one of the last days to enjoy San Diego’s sun and beach. Hope to see you there!

Convention

The CNSA annual convention is approaching quickly! It will be held on October 21-23 in Sacramento and costs $65 in registration fees if paid before the 16th of September. After that, fees will increase to $75. You will not regret attending this convention, it will be a great time full of learning opportunities and inspiration! Visit CNSA.org for more information!

Board of Directors meeting

The Board of Directors will be holding their first meeting on Monday, September 12th in the School of Nursing from 1600-1700. The actual room number is unknown at this point as we cannot view room availability due to campus closure. If there are any location changes we will post it at the front desk of the School of Nursing, but we do not anticipate this happening. We hope to see you there!

Blood drive

The SNA is sponsoring a blood drive by the American Red Cross. It will take place on Thursday, September 22 at 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM in Kellogg Plaza. All donors will receive a free appetizer coupon from Mimi's Café and may enter a regional drawing for a $1,500 American Express Gift Card!

To make an appointment, sign up online at www.redcrossblood.org and use the code CSUSM. Identification will be required

With any questions, please contact Lisa at csusm.sna.community.health@gmail.com or (760) 443-4851.

To contact the American Red Cross, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to HelpSaveALife.org.

Hope to see you there!

Welcome from the President

Welcome to the new nursing cohorts and congratulations for your acceptance into the Nursing Program! Nursing is a great profession with countless opportunities. However, there is no avoiding the endless reading, overwhelming course load, countless clinical hours, examinations, and papers to earn the five letters after your name, BSN, RN. It is assuring to say that it will all be worth it in the end. One piece of advice that I could give you all from my experience thus far, is to allow yourself time to learn. You may feel at times that nothing will ever make sense and that the expectations are set too high. I can tell you now, as a senior nursing student, that it will all come together at some point. Upperclassmen have often told me the same thing when I was at your point in the program but I did not believe them. I now can admit that they were right. A nursing professor once told me during office hours, "Nursing is like a puzzle." I agree with this statement and it parallels my advice to you. When you build a puzzle, you cannot fully see what It is supposed to be. However, the more pieces of the puzzle you collect, the more you understand the big picture. Nursing school and nursing in general is the same way. Imagine that each lecture, clinical, and patient care experience gives you a couple pieces of the puzzle. At the beginning of the program, you won't really understand the big picture because you only know as much as the pieces given to you. As you progress, you collect more pieces and start putting them together. By the end of your last medical/surgical rotation, you should be able to have developed a good grasp of the "big picture." You will understand how the pharmacology, pathophysiology, nursing interventions, MD orders, and interdisciplinary care all interrelate for the care of one patient.

Take it from me, nursing school is challenging but worthwhile. We all are high achieving students capable of completing the program. Believe in yourself, allow yourself time to learn, and create memories with your cohort as you collect the pieces of the puzzle.

Vincent Tan-Torres
Student Nurses Association President 2011-2012

Annual Mixer and Welcome

All nursing students are welcome! Please click on the picture to read about this great event. Hope to see you there!

New Board of Directors

Starting a new school year brings about a lot of changes. One of these changes is a new board of directors for the SNA. Congratulations to all of those who have been elected. We'll all be looking forward to a great year.

President- Vincent Tan-Torres

Vice President- Gina Lizarraga

Secretary- Sarah Manning

Treasurer- Brooke Adam

Legislative Director- John James

Newsletter Correspondent- Dawn Morrison

Health & Human Services Correspondent- Elisabeth Pidwerbecki

Web Design Coordinator- Nick Strizver

National Informant- John Lyon

Recruiter- Holly Lovejoy

Community Health Project Coordinator- Lisa Blakeslee

Activities Director- Tyler Dean

Breakthrough to Nursing Director- Justin Constantino

Fundraising Coordinator- Kristy Kent

Email addresses for these positions can be found by clicking here or on the "Board of Directors" link above.

Claim Jumper! Community Support Night (Apr. 8th, Fri)

Hungry?! Thirsty?! YES YOU ARE!

Come out to Claim Jumper in Carlsbad, April 8th (Friday) and present the following flyer to help benefit and support CSUSM School of Nursing and the graduating class of 2011! 15% of your Pre-Tax food & beverage total will help benefit.

WHEN: FRIDAY APRIL 8th
WHERE: Claim Jumper: 5958 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad
TIME: 11am - 11pm

Click & Print the flyer below and take it to Claim Jumper!
Claim Jumper Flyer

Panda Express FUNDRAISER (Apr. 4th, Mon)

Help Cohort 4 Fund Raise for their Pinning Ceremony!

Just click the link below, print it out, and take it to Panda Express off San Marcos Blvd from 11am - 10pm!

Panda Express Fundraiser Fyler! - Click Here

COME SUPPORT: Aid2Africa Benefit Concert (Mar. 12)

Everyday millions world-wide live without adequate and proper medical care. Each year California State University San Marcos School of Nursing takes a select group of student applicants to provide international nursing care and relief to underserved
populations. Our goal includes providing quality nursing care/treatments and health education to the ill, homeless and impoverished families living in Swaziland, Botswana; Lesotho, Southern Africa. Unfortunately, these groups are without even the basic supplies needed for medical attention and care.

The students of CSUSM School of Nursing are hoping to secure donations to aid us in providing care to these vulnerable populations in March-April 2011. By organizing a benefit concert, the “Aid 2 Africa Project” team and GSYAM (Good Shepherd Young Adult Ministry) are collaborating to raise sufficient funds for medical supplies and other basic necessities for the impoverished villages.

WHEN: Saturday, March 12, 2011.
WHERE: Good Shepherd Parish Hall, 8200 Gold Coast Drive, San Diego, Ca 92126.
TIME: 7:00pm, doors open at 6:15pm.
Tickets prices: the week of the event $12.

Performers include:
-Tipping Point Band
-Nessa Rica Ramos
-Raven’s Grace
-Joey Orate Band
-Jasmine Commerce
-Keshia Lee
-UCSD Gospel Choir and more
-Cita N Crys (Cohort 4!)

To purchase tickets: please free to contact our project leaders/coordinators Karen Fernandez or Crystal Ramos: aid2africaproject@gmail.com. Also visit the “Aid 2 Africa Project” website for more updates or ways to donate: www.aid2africaproject.tumblr.com. Thank you!

BE PREPARED FOR NCLEX!

Are you ready for the NCLEX? Need some help?

Hurst Review is offering a free informational meeting regarding the NCLEX-RN exam. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 18 from 12:00pm-1:00pm at SMACC 217. Lunch is to be provided.

Kaplan Test Prep is offering a free seminar “NCLEX-RN Test Day Strategies.” Kaplan is scheduled for Monday, March 14 from 5:00pm,-6:00pm at SMACC 217. By attending the seminar, you can take advantage of a $75 on-the-spot discount on Kaplan classroom courses. Moreover, a FREE Kaplan Review and other NCLEX-related prizes will be raffled at this meeting. The seminar will include: What to expect on test day, Why content review alone is not enough to prepare for the exam, Kaplan strategies for answering NCLEX passing level questions, How Kaplan is different from other review courses, including information on the Kaplan Money Back Guarantee.

Each of these programs offers a different approach to NCLEX success. These informational meetings are highly recommended and students are encouraged to attend both sessions.

Space and supplies are limited, as both graduating cohorts are invited, so please be sure to RSVP in order to ensure sufficient lunch spread, seating, and handout materials.

RSVP HERE: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7QG9VY2
by THURSDAY, March 10 at 10:00am:

NURSE JOB FAIR! (Feb. 14, Mon)

CSUSM Nurse Job Fair

When: Monday, Feb 14, 2011
Time: 11:00 to 1:00
Where: Plaza area outside the Palomar Pomerado Health building

**Remember to dress in professional/interview attire and act professional at all times! You never know who may be watching.
*Also, bring copies of resumes just in case

NEW SON OFFICE HOURS & DOOR TIMES

Beginning Monday, February 7, 2011.
The new hours will be as follows:

Mondays - Open at 7:30 & Closed at 5:30
Tuesdays thru Thursdays - Open at 7:30 & Closed at 6:00
Fridays - Open at 7:30 & Closed at 5:00