Southeast Community College’s Beatrice Campus Student Licensed Practical Nurse Association recently was presented the Student Organization Impact Award by the Licensed Practical Nursing Association of Nebraska.
The award was presented at the Oct. 17 luncheon of the LPNAN Convention. Dominique Jones, Level 2 class president, and Tasha Traylor, Level I class treasurer, accepted the award.
The award goes to the student organization which has demonstrated commitment to its field of study, participation in community service projects, attendance at the state convention, fundraising, and overall interaction between students in the program. This impact award recognizes the student nursing organization that has succeeded in strengthening the relationship between its program and community.
Karen Stevens, an instructor in SCC’s Practical Nursing program in Beatrice and one of the organization’s advisors, nominated the student organization for the award. Fellow Instructor Pat Lorenz also serves as an advisor to the student organization.
At the time of the nomination the organization had 66 student members. Forty-three attended the 2012 state convention. Students were involved in numerous community service projects throughout 2012, including taking blood pressures and administering immunizations at various health promotion booths, providing blood pressure screenings and oxygen saturation evaluations at SCC’s Open House booth, and donating non-perishable food items to the Blue Rivers Food Pantry.
The organization also participated in three fundraising events since the 2012 convention.
Stevens said the students specialize in multiple project areas.
“With our food pantry and Head Start here on campus it has been easy for our students to see how they can help on a real local level,” Stevens said. “There is much need even in our own back yards. This year students assisted with the growing need for additional help for community members that normally would not use the food pantry but now need to use it to supplement their households because of a decrease in employment. The need for bottled water has also been an issue, not only with this food pantry but with several around the state.”
The organization, in collaboration with faculty, developed a big sis/little sis (brother) connection, which begins the networking and friendships that help new students feel a part of the organization. This program also teaches students about mentoring and positive role modeling, Stevens said.
“As faculty, we see the organization as a means to create professionalism and the importance of collaboration and teamwork in nursing,” Stevens said. “The faculty tries to instill the importance of networking with other nurses, and the organization helps them feel comfortable in discussion with their fellow classmates about health care topics. We, as faculty, feel it so important for students to see what goes on after becoming a professional that we actually take a clinical for students to attend the LPNAN Convention.”
The organization demonstrates this, Stevens said, by having the most students from any practical nursing program in Nebraska sacrificing a clinical day to attend one day of the convention each year.
Stevens shared why she and Lorenz believe the Beatrice LPNAN student organization stands out.
“The organization reflects the intention that it is so important to instill the ideals of professionalism in a student right from the beginning of their education,” Stevens said. “Ideals of caring, dignity, advocacy, accountability, holism, and ethics play an intricate role in day to day activities of nurses.”
Persons interested in more information about the Practical Nursing program at SCC are asked to contact Crystal Higgins, Beatrice Campus program chair, at 402-228-8264 or Mary Trumble, Lincoln Campus program chair, at 402-437-2765.