In the open-ended questions , I asked students to identify their personal motivation for involvement in organizations , their perception of the benefits of participation , and their advice for increasing overall student involvement in these associations . In terms of personal motivation , the majority of respondents cited themes of community , leadership skills , resume building , representation , networking , community service , incentives , and conferences . Perceived benefits included networking , mentorship , developing leadership qualities , relationships , teamwork , and personal and professional growth . NSNA members ’ advice for increasing student involvement included making benefits clear , providing more funding and payment options , identifying incentives for joining , encouraging faculty and campus-wide involvement , collaborating with other schools , allowing members and officers to voice their opinions , promoting exciting activities and community service events , reaching out to first-year and transfer students , and encouraging students to participate with respect to their time limitations .
Conclusion : Strategies to Increase Student Involvement So , how can nursing organizations increase overall student involvement and membership ? First , they should aim to provide membership benefits at an affordable cost or obtain the ability to adjust costs as necessary for various student populations . Second , nursing associations should strive for diversity in both leadership and membership , especially in regard to gender and ethnicity . They should also provide support for nursing students and continue to present opportunities for students and faculty to network with each other , participate in community service , represent themselves at various levels of governance , and assist them in gaining leadership skills . Furthermore , nursing associations should offer incentives for nursing student participation . In terms of students , they should recognize that the many benefits of involvement in nursing organizations outweigh the potential time constraints . Colleges and universities should also use their resources to recruit students and encourage membership in nursing organizations at the school , state , and national levels .
References Bond , M ., & Bedenlier , S . ( 2019 ). Facilitating student engagement through educational technology : Towards a conceptual framework . Journal of Interactive Media in Education , 2019 ( 1 ). https :// doi . org / 10.5334 / jime . 528 . Retrieved from https :// files . eric . ed . gov / fulltext / EJ1228555 . pdf
Kassab S . E ., El-Sayed , W , Hamdy , H . ( 2022 ) Student engagement in undergraduate medical education : A scoping review . Med Educ . 56 ( 7 ): 703-715 . Taylor , C ., Kokka , K ., Darling-Hammond , L ., Dieckman , J ., Santana Pacheco , V ., Sandler , S ., & Bae , S . ( 2016 ). Student Engagement : A framework for on-demand performance assessment tasks . Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education . Retrieved from https :// edpolicy . stanford . edu / sites / default / files / publications / student-engagement-framework . pdf
Faith Geho is a senior BSN student at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike , OH . She is currently the president of Ursuline ’ s Student Nurse Association ( SNA ). She serves as the Health Policy and Advocacy Chair for the Ohio SNA . Faith is very passionate about sharing the benefits and importance of being an active member of professional nursing organizations , especially as a student . After graduation , she plans to begin her nursing career in the emergency department .
38 NSNA IMPRINT • APRIL / MAY 2023 • www . nsna . org