!!! ! A Publication. ! for New. Jersey Nursing! Students. Volume 59, Issue 3. April The Legacy Lives On! by Heather Foley, President

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1 Issue 8 A Publication for New Jersey Nursing Students Volume 59, Issue 3 April 2015 The Legacy Lives On by Heather Foley, President On behalf of the New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) board of directors, I want to thank all those who attended our 63 rd annual convention in February. We hope you enjoyed the riveting speaker sessions, busy exhibit hall, House of Delegates, and the chance to mingle with peers and leaders from around the state. NJNS is for nursing students and run by nursing students. The board members were thrilled to see so many of you join us for this opportunity to enhance your education and future careers as nurses. At the convention, NJNS was pleased to award over $9000 in scholarships, sign up thirty-two individuals for the bone marrow donor registry, and host over fifty speaker sessions and over forty unique exhibitor booths. We were pleased to welcome distinguished speakers Dr. Medel Paguirigan, Senior Manager in Nursing Research and Education at the Mount Sinai Hospital, and Dr. Robert Hess, founder of the Forum for Shared Governance. At our Opening Ceremony, students were also greeted by illustrious leaders: Mayor Don Guardian of Atlantic City, Norma Rodgers and Dr. Ben Evans of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, Donna Angelucci of the New Jersey League for Nursing, and Elizabeth Long of the National Student Nurses Association. Thank you all for supporting the nursing students of New Jersey. I would also like to extend my deep gratitude to all those who made the convention possible. To my fellow board members, you should all be so proud of your service to our fellow nursing students, and of all we have accomplished together. To our wonderful advisors and consultants, we would be lost without you, and are so grateful for your guidance. To our generous sponsors, your support has enabled us to offer students the best convention possible. To our engaging speakers, your contribution of your valuable time and expertise has helped to shape the nurses of tomorrow. To our great exhibitors, thank you for presenting such a vast array of opportunities and experiences. To our amazing volunteers, your selfless service is so deeply appreciated. To the nursing school professors and administrators, who supported their students attendance, thank you for fostering the professional development of your students. Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of New Jersey s nursing students. You are the lifeblood of our organization, and your presence at our events is truly our reason for being. Whether you served as a delegate or monitor, or simply enjoyed the convention, thank you for sharing this experience with us. It has been an honor to serve you as NJNS president this year, and a pleasure to get to know so many of you. As we journey into our nursing careers, I look forward to sharing this path with you as peers and colleagues, and hope to see many of you continue to be a part of professional nursing organizations. Congratulations to the NJNS board-elect, and I look forward to seeing you all at next year s convention

2 THE PULSEBEAT Issue Convention Update by Nancy Nuñez, Breakthrough to Nursing I would like to begin with congratulating all board members on a wonderful job organizing and running the convention. My classmates at Mountainside School of Nursing stated it was a positive experience and they would recommend it to all nursing students. I would also like to congratulate all new board members on their new positions. I become president of New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) in May and I look forward to working with you to form long lasting bonds that will show our commitment to the continuing success of NJNS. My experience at the student convention was filled with many emotions because I went from a student who was attending the convention to a board member who was presenting at the convention. When I first started nursing school, I never thought of participating in any of these events and now I can say that I have and have gained so much. I was awarded a scholarship through NJNS and had I not been involved, I might have missed the opportunity. During the convention, I sat with other board members for the House of Delegates (HOD) meeting and took in the moment. It was a different kind of experience learning how voting takes place, how by-laws are edited, and acquiring new skills. I would encourage all nursing students to participate as delegates for their school. Not only will you represent your school, but you will also learn what it feels like to be a board member with NJNS and participate in the elections for the new board members. If you like to network, the convention is definitely the time and place to do so. This year I met many different levels of nursing professionals in the same place which would not have happened anywhere else. The convention is a great opportunity and students should take advantage of all it has to offer. Professional nurses may advise you on the spot or provide an opportunity to exchange business cards and addresses. I congratulate the board members for the outstanding outcomes of this year s nursing convention. There is always room for professional growth and as a student, I encourage all nursing students to get involved as a delegate or a monitor at the 2016 convention. Move out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Who knows? You might be elected for a position on the board of NJNS. It worked for me Legislation Education: Working with Delegates by Subbashini Neelam, Legislation Education Hello, everyone As all of you may know, our 63rd Annual Convention, Embrace the Journey: What Will Your Legacy Be? took place this past February and was an enormous success. As legislation director, I was finally able to meet and work one-on- one with all the delegates that I had been communicating with for the past several months. It was a great pleasure and honor to finally be able to meet all of those hard working and passionate individuals who acted as delegates. Delegates play such a vital role in NJNS - representing various schools throughout NJ, voting on any changes to the bylaws and current business issues, and approving the resolution that NJNJS will present at the national convention. Delegates aid us in finalizing and conducting business and therefore, they are an integral part of NJNS. Attending convention is an amazing opportunity for nursing students. As a part of NJNS, I can say first-hand how informative and useful convention is. Essentially, convention serves as a networking hub, provides an endless amount of knowledge for nursing students, and allows for students to meet inspiring men and women in the same field of nursing. I cannot stress the amount of growth that accompanies those students that attend this convention; therefore, I highly encourage you all to attend next year. As secretary-elect for the upcoming school year of , I cannot wait to meet and work with all of you. I look forward to the upcoming year

3 THE PULSEBEAT Issue 3 3 Exhibitors, Exhibitors, list of exhibitors from the previous years. After sending approximately 200 Exhibitors s, I eagerly awaited responses from exhibitors. By September only a few by Jacqueline Hunterton- had responded and I began to wonder Anderson, First Vice President why. I reviewed the s that I had sent and decided to once again individually each potential exhibitor - this time with a more personal touch - which resulted in great connections. As the convention was drawing closer, my goal was within reach and I was hoping to make this the best experience as possible for students. As first vice president of NJNS, I was responsible for convention exhibitors which was a challenging task. I began my search for potential exhibitors in July 2014 in Miami at the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) annual conference. At this event I made 70 contacts to add to the Exhibitors that attended convention provided information about many different areas of nursing. From nursing schools to test preparation to professional organizations, there was a booth with something of interest for all. At convention I was able to speak with the exhibitors and thank them for taking the time and interest in the future of nursing and New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS). Without their support convention would not be possible. Feedback from students and exhibitors was that this was a highly successful convention. Students were able to connect with nurse recruiters and other students from various schools around the state. The turnout of exhibitors and students was excellent. As I reflect on my position over the past year, I realize that I could not have achieved all that I accomplished without the amazing support of my fellow board members and advisors. Being a part of this board has really changed my views on nursing and has opened my mind to a world of possibilities. Open Positions on the New Jersey Student Nurses Board of s by Patricia S. Garcia, Pulsebeat Editor/Public Relations I would like to thank all of those who attended the 63rd annual New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) convention. It was truly an amazing event. At this year s convention we focused on the theme Embrace the Journey: What Will Your Legacy Be? I m proud to announce that at this year s convention we passed the state resolution titled, Increasing Nursing Students Awareness Of The Nurse Navigator s Role Along The Continuum Of Cancer Care, written by Anam Khan. Now that our resolution has been passed at the state level, it will be presented and voted on at the National Student Nursing Association (NSNA) convention in April. Along with our 2015 resolution, the House of Delegates voted and passed bylaws changes. At this time I would like to congratulate the new board members on their positions, and on running in such a competitive election. I would also like to inform everyone of an open board position legislation director. In this role you will support the development of legislation committees in school chapters, establish a statewide legislative project for presentation at convention, and educate the board on legislative issues. We welcome you to join us at our next monthly meeting on May 9th, At this meeting you can learn more about the position and run for the office. If you are interested in the open position please contact us at president@njnsinc.org. In closing, I would like to thank all attendees, monitors, delegates, exhibitors, and session speakers for their hard work at this convention. I look forward to seeing all of you at next year s convention

4 THE PULSEBEAT Issue 3 4 New Jersey Nursing Students, have two minutes to describe to the Fareedah Abdus-Salaam - delegates why they should elect them for Breakthrough to Nursing Inc. Elections at the the board; however, the presidential Convention nominee has five minutes for this Theresa Hroncich - Fundraising purpose. After speeches and questions,. the delegates voted for whom they wanted to represent the state and move the organization forward. by Nikhila Manchikanti, Membership and Nominations The involvement of the House of Delegates (HOD) at the New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) convention is crucial to the election process of our organization. Student nurses from all over New Jersey who volunteer as delegates, come to the NJNS convention to vote on the bylaws and the resolution, and elect the board. Nominees for the board may be preslated or nominated from the floor. On the last day of the convention, nominees Monitors counted the votes to maintain impartiality in the election process and soon after, the current president, Heather Foley, RN announced the results. The Board is as follows: Nancy Nunez -President Paola More- 1 st Vice President April Ancheta - 2 nd Vice President Subbashini Neelam Secretary Anam Khan Treasurer Patricia S. Garcia - Pulsebeat Editor/ Public Relations Nikhila Manchikanti - Membership/Nominations Rebecca Bolivar - Resolutions Melissa Kleckner - Community Health Because there were no nominees for the position of Legislation, the opportunity to run for this position is open to all National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) members residing in New Jersey Please see the posting on our website I am excited to be the Membership/ Nominations for another year because I now know what works and how to improve the process. My goals are to increase membership and encourage more students to register for next year s convention. I plan to help NJNS grow as an organization and contribute to its further success. Feel free to contact me at membership@njnsinc.org with any questions. Resolutions at New Jersey Nursing Students, In. House of Delegates by Anam Khan, Resolutions The New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) 63 rd Annual Convention, in Atlantic City was a huge success There was never a dull moment, especially in the House of Delegates (HOD). Parliamentary procedure is not an easy subject to learn at six in the evening but Dr. Barbara Chamberlain, parliamentarian, put a fun twist to things, and soon everyone caught on. Nursing students from all over New Jersey participated as delegates, and did a phenomenal job reviewing, editing, and then re-editing this year s resolution. It was a long and arduous process, but after revisions, the House of Delegates passed this year s resolution, Increasing Nursing Students Awareness of the Nurse Navigator s Role Along the Continuum of Cancer Care. The next step is for the resolution to be voted on at the National Student Nursing Association (NSNA) convention in Phoenix, Arizona. As resolutions director this year, I can empathize with the delegates who served this year. It was three days of intense and rigorous discussions that started bright and early, but it was also very fulfilling. As nurses, our goal is to better others and help them reach their full potential. Within the nursing practice certain practices or methodologies need to be highlighted in order to bring them to the forefront, and make an impactful change. Resolutions do just that. They highlight key areas of nursing practice that need to change in order to help others, and that s what this year s resolution was about. Serving as a delegate allows nursing students to represent their school and be a kinetic force, while gaining invaluable experiences. I d like to thank all of the delegates for their determination and meticulous efforts. You truly made this year s resolution the best that it can be, and I hope to see you at next year s convention. I would also like to congratulate the new board I look forward to working with all of you in the year ahead and making next year s NJNS convention an even bigger success

5 THE PULSEBEAT Issue 3 5 Fundraising at Convention together and collecting donations could be such fun and my time as fundraising by Elizabeth Davis, Fundraising director has allowed me to grow both as a leader and as a future nurse. Lastly, I would like to congratulate all the students who were presented with a scholarship at convention NJNS would not be able to assist students if it were not for the support from nursing students and faculty at the Council of School Participants (COSP) workshop and the annual convention. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, in addition to other accomplishments, and I hope anyone who is qualified will apply next year. I wish you all the best as the school year comes to an end. Good luck with finals If you have any fundraising suggestions or ideas for next year, please feel free to fundraising@njnsinc.org. Have a wonderful summer It is hard to believe that it is already April and the 63 rd annual New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) convention was two months ago A huge thank you to everyone who attended convention and joined us in embracing the journey. It was an amazing experience getting to meet many of you and I hope you all had a wonderful couple of days Everything we do at NJNS if for you, the students, and it was incredible to see all of the board s hard work come to life. The opening ceremony, the various speaker sessions, the exhibition hall, and the excitement and the energy of nursing students representing schools from across the state motivates us to do what we do and work harder to make each convention bigger and better than the last. It has truly been a gift to be able to serve you as fundraising director this year and I look forward to seeing what is in store for NJNS next year. Thank you to those of you who purchased raffle tickets, tumblers, and NJNS pins during convention and a heartfelt thanks to our basket prize donors This year we were able to raffle off 17 gift baskets at convention and none of this would have been possible without your support. Congratulations to all of the lucky winners and if you did not walk away with a basket this time around, there will be more basket fun at convention next year. As fundraising director, my job at convention is to raise revenue though the raffle ticket and tumbler sales and I am proud to say that we were able to raise over $1800 for our future scholarships and other donations The more money NJNS is able to raise, the more scholarships and other opportunities we are able to offer our members. I never knew putting gift baskets Being A House of Delegates Member Is So Much Fun by April Ancheta, Secretary Have you ever wanted to represent your nursing school in a big way? Do you like the formality of dressing up and having meetings conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order? If so, then being a member of the House of Delegates (HOD) at New Jersey Nursing Student, Inc. (NJNS) convention next year is most definitely for you You can attend convention as a regular attendee, a monitor, or a delegate. The delegate role is what I am addressing in this article. Elected or appointed by your school of nursing, delegates act as the formal voting representatives for each school. Delegates have important tasks: voting on the resolution NJNS has drafted and the revised bylaws for the new school year, and electing the new executive board and board of directors for NJNS for the upcoming school year. If it has at least one NSNA member, each school is allowed to send one delegate, and is able to send one delegate for every 25 NSNA additional members it has. If a school has 80 members, it would be able to send four delegates. One thing to remember as a delegate, it s a busy time so nutrition is important. I absolutely loved every minute of the HOD when I was a delegate for the first time last year. I hope you consider joining in on this fun, educational, and rewarding experience. If you have any questions please feel free to reach me at secretary@njnsinc.org

6 THE PULSEBEAT Issue 3 6 Networking at Convention students information on furthering their meet at convention. Always keep nursing education at any level. The copies handy and easily accessible by Ariel Ross, Treasurer exhibit hall gave students a chance to when meeting new contacts as they meet with potential employers and learn are essential networking tools. about various professional organizations available to them. Our speakers, Maintain good body language. As professionals from all around our nation, stated before first impressions are provided students with insight on extremely important. Your posture, current nursing issues and advice for mannerisms, and gestures all reflect success within the profession. Hurst who you are. Show others how Review Services offered an NCLEX confident you are and stand-up tall, preparatory class while Cardiac ED gave maintain eye contact, and remember to away valuable classes such as BLS, always smile CPR, EKG and Emergency Pharmacology, and IV therapy certification. The theme of this year s 63 rd annual New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) convention was Embrace the Journey: What Will Your Legacy Be? As nursing students we are all on a journey to becoming professionals within nursing. As we progress further along, our actions and decisions ultimately all impact the legacy we will leave behind as nurses. The convention provided students with the perfect opportunity to embrace their journey through networking and meeting new people. Many colleges and universities were in attendance as exhibitors and offered With so many opportunities to engage with other nursing students and professionals it is important to be prepared for any encounter. With the following 5 tips, you ll be prepared to network and take full advantage of the opportunities attending convention has to offer. Dress professionally. With such a limited amount of time, first impressions are crucial in establishing relationships with all the contacts you will meet. You want to convey to others that you mean business and that you can carry yourself appropriately. Professional business attire or business casual is acceptable. Always carry extra copies of resumes and business cards with you. You never know whom you will Obtain business cards and contact information from all contacts. At the conclusion of convention it important to follow-up with any important contacts made. Practice every day. Meeting new people and trying to establish professional relationships are no easy feats. With daily practice you can become an expert when networking and truly make the most out of every future encounter. On behalf of NJNS, I would like to thank everyone for their attendance and participation in making this year s convention a fun, educational, rewarding, and memorable event. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and had the opportunity to experience the benefits attending the convention had to offer. The new board looks forward to seeing you all at the 2016 NJNS Convention

7 THE PULSEBEAT Issue 3 7 Thank you for joining us at this year s convention See you next year

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