UP CLOSE
BREAKING THROUGH TO HER NURSING CAREER
By Abigail Borland , 2022-2023 Imprint Up Close Reporter
Lidia Geberslassie wears many hats in the Nevada nursing student world . She is a senior pursuing a bachelor ’ s degree in nursing at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas ( UNLV ), in her hometown . She serves as the Breakthrough to Nursing Director for the Nevada Nursing Student Association ( NVNSA ), and in her free time she works as a nurse extern at Sunrise Hospital on the medical pulmonary unit . Yet with all these responsibilities , Lidia still focuses on what got her into nursing in the first place – her family .
When Lidia was a senior in high school struggling to decide on a college major , her father encouraged her to pursue nursing , and she has flourished in the field ever since . After growing up watching her parents work blue collar jobs washing dishes or driving taxis , Lidia sees nursing as a chance for her to leave a positive impact on patients and pursue a better life for herself and her family .
With only a semester left to go in nursing school , LIdia has pushed herself and learned much in the process . Her favorite class so far has been the OB / maternity clinical , largely due to her instructor , Margaret Trnka . Trnka patiently listened to questions , gave clear answers , and created the best possible learning experience for her students . Besides the positive clinical experience , Lidia also found the field of women ’ s health appealing because of the emphasis on empowering women , advocating for women ’ s rights and health , and the fact that the field has primarily positive patient outcomes .
Outside of her clinical experiences , Lidia is involved with the NVNSA as the Breakthrough to Nursing ( BTN ) Director . The purpose of BTN is to promote diversity in the nursing profession , encouraging under-represented individuals to pursue nursing as a career and pave the way for them to succeed in the field . Lidia first
26 NSNA IMPRINT n JANUARY 2023 n www . nsna . org