April 19, 2013

Drexel nursing students were recognized as major leaders this year at the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) Annual Convention, which took place in Charlotte, North Carolina from April 3-7. Rebecca Walker, a BSN student, excelled in her duties as Chair of the Convention Planning Committee. She was an active member of the Board of Directors for the House of Delegates meetings, introduced plenary speakers, and additionally performed a stunning rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the Opening Ceremonies. BSN student Kat Raiser was elected Director East of the NSNA, replacing Rebecca Walker, who previously served as the director of NSNA activities on the east coast this past year.

Drexel University has the largest NSNA Student chapter in the country. For the third year in a row, Drexel University took home the “platinum” Precious Metal Award, which is awarded to colleges and universities with more than 200 student NSNA members.

At the convention, the Drexel NSNA Chapter submitted a resolution in support of the addition of ECG tests to high school and college athlete pre-participation screenings to reduce the occurrence of sudden cardiac death. The resolution was eloquently presented to the NSNA House of Delegates and was accepted by the organization with an 89% vote. The resolution was authored by Drexel nursing students Kat Raiser, Tara Cooke, Olivia Dalrymple, Christina Gyarmati, and Addison McInnes.

Finally, Drexel student Kayleigh Jackson, who is the President of the Student Nurses Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP), led a large and engaged delegation from Pennsylvania with four scheduled caucus meetings and continuous involvement in all events.