NEWS : NSNA
NSNA President Attends National League for Nursing Education Summit By Lauren Lodico , NSNA President
Every time I travel on behalf of NSNA , it is a pleasure to represent nursing students ! It was especially a pleasure as I attended the National League for Nursing Education Summit in National Harbor , Maryland in September , 2023 . Not only did I meet and recognize so many amazing colleagues , but I also learned about nursing education from a faculty perspective . The Summit started with a 5K run that I completed early in the morning on the first day .
NSNA had an exhibit in the Exhibit Hall where we met many dedicated NSNA Faculty Advisors . These outstanding individuals help NSNA chapters to flourish and thrive through the years as they provide continuity from year to year . There were several faculty who stopped by the NSNA exhibit to request information about starting an NSNA chapter at their school . Meeting so many faculty gave me the opportunity to thank them for their support of NSNA and NSNA student leaders .
There were many educational workshops on a variety of topics not only of interest to nurse educators , but also to nursing students . I felt privileged to have the opportunity to learn alongside seasoned as well as novice nurse educators . I found the sessions to be inspirational , and I learned a lot about cutting edge teaching methods and the science of education .
The Keynote Speaker at the Opening Ceremony was Dr . Victor J . Dzau , President of the National Academy of Medicine . He talked about Climate Change and how it is not only a public health crisis , but an equity crisis as well . He discussed how the health damages from U . S . pollution is the same magnitude as preventable deaths by medication errors and how , as the health sector holds 8.5 % of all U . S . carbon emissions , we need to act on environmental health .
Dr . Kenya Williams , NSNA Executive Director , and I were invited to a reception to connect with nursing education leaders and NLN Foundation scholarship recipients . It was an honor to receive an invitation and be asked to introduce myself during this event .
Dr . Kellie Bryant gave the fantastic 2023 Debra Spunt Lecture and talked about how to increase health equity by engaging in personal development , evaluating and enhancing curriculum , and implementing simulations to promote health equity . She encouraged attendees to turn into upstanders instead of bystanders .
Dr . Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk from Ohio State University discussed how nursing students are at-risk for suicide , chronic disease , depression , and more . She explained the factors playing against students in nursing school and how to rise above these statistics . Evidence-based practice shows us that physical activity , healthy eating habits , not smoking , drinking alcohol in moderation ( one drink per day ), and getting seven hours of sleep while regularly engaging in stress reduction creates a healthy lifestyle . Dr . Melnyk recommends the morning 1-5-5 eye opener 30-day challenge that calls for 1 minute of gratitude , 5 minutes of an inspirational podcast / book , and 5 minutes of movement / physical activity every morning .
After the closing ceremony , NLN held a wonderful Gala event to raise money for their Foundation . The Foundation reached their goal of raising $ 30,000 and exceeded it by raising slightly over $ 40,000 .
Overall , I was delighted to be representing NSNA at this important meeting for nurse educators . I was inspired by their commitment to nursing education and to the success of their nursing students . n
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