AANA Student Representative Position Statement Whitney Benfield, RN, BSN, SRNA

Transcription

1 AANA Student Representative Position Statement Whitney Benfield, RN, BSN, SRNA My name is Whitney Benfield, and I am a rising senior in the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Program. As students, we are entering the nurse anesthetist profession at an exciting time politically and professionally. With changes in our nation s healthcare system, the role of nurse anesthetists is especially vital to the quality and affordability of anesthesia care today. Therefore, as students, I believe it is our responsibility to serve our profession by protecting its future. I am excited for the opportunity to serve and represent each of you, my future colleagues. If elected to the position of Student Representative to the Education Committee, my commitment will be to ensure the future of our profession though increasing professional and political involvment through membership, identifying and resolving educational deficits, and strengthening the student network by being an active voice and advocate for you; the student nurse anesthetist. Let s face it. The autonomy, integrity, and growth of the nurse anesthetist profession would not be where it is today without the leadership of its devoted forefathers (and mothers). It is imperative to our profession to be professionally and politically involved in order to continue doing what we love. You may be questioning, Why does this matter to me? Education is power. Keeping you, the student, informed regarding new legislation and providing education on how it will affect your practice once you graduate is imperative for empowerment professionally. Also, exploring new ways for students to become involved on a national level will facilitate professional investment to staying involved with the AANA upon graduation. Entering nurse anesthesia, I think it goes without saying that we all have a love for education and life-long learning. In fact, it was probably in all of our letters of intent! Speaking for all student nurse anesthetists, we all have a passion for advanced pharmacology and pathophysiology and knowing the how and why of well, everything. Facilitating this love, I believe, is the most important role of the Student Representative to the Education committee. By identifying both strengths and weaknesses within didactic and clinical areas, we can create and execute a plan of action to becoming better students and excellent future anesthetists. As your student representative, I would come to you with previous leadership experience as Wake Forest University and Western Carolina University s Class representative. Through my background as a leader and legislative director, I was able to communicate with other student leaders across the state, create student educational breakout sessions, and network with students (and future colleagues) on a state and national level. I look forward to staying connected with students through the AANA s monthly newsletter, , and blog posts to discuss student issues and provide helpful information to stay informed, to stay educated, and to stay well. I would be honored to be your AANA student representative for the year. I truly believe that by promoting increased professional and political involvment, advocating for educational improvements, and strengthening our network as future anesthetists; the possibilities in nurse anesthesia are endless. So, put your shades on, your future in nurse anesthesia is bright!

2 Biographical Sketch Whitney Benfield is a 2011 graduate of Western Carolina University with a Bachelor s degree in nursing. Whitney served as President of the Association of Nursing Students at WCU from and Legislative Director for the North Carolina Association of Nursing Students in Whitney has spent the majority of her nursing career as Staff RN and Preceptor in the Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina as well as Catawba Valley Medical Center in Telemetry and Critical Care Units. At FMC, Whitney served as committee member to the MICU Unit Improvement Committee. As an educator, she provided New RN orientation regarding Basic Critical Care Pharmacological Principles at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, NC. Whitney currently resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she is a second year student nurse anesthetist at Wake Forest University s Nurse Anesthetist Program and currently serves as the Student Representative to the Class of 2016.

3 Curriculum Vitae of Whitney P. Benfield PROFESSIONAL INTENT A dedicated and passionate student nurse anesthetist of Wake Forest University s Nurse Anesthesia Program aspiring to serve as National Student Representative to the Education Committee for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. EDUCATION Western Carolina University, Bachelors of Science in Nursing, May 2011 Wake Forest University Nurse Anesthesia Program, currently enrolled. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Registered Nurse Staff RN, Preceptor Medical Intensive Care Unit Forsyth Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina November 2011/July 2014 Registered Nurse Critical Care/ Telemetry Units Catawba Valley Medical Center, Hickory, North Carolina Critical Care Nurse Educator Frye Regional Medical Center, Hickory North Carolina, March LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, PROFESSIONAL AFFILATIONS Registered Nurse May/2011-Present. Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), (NIH) Stroke Scale American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Student Member Critical Care Registered Nurse PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

4 Student Representative for the Class of 2016, Wake Forest University Nurse Anesthesia Program Student Representative for the Health & Wellness Committee North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists North Carolina Association of Nursing Students Board Representative, Legislative Director Association of Nursing Students at Western Carolina University, Class President Delta Zeta Sorority, Western Carolina University, Vice President of New Member Recruitment Forsyth Medical Center, Unit Collaborative Improvement Committee, Chair Person Forsyth Medical Center, Shared Governance; Magnet Advisory Committee, ICU Chair Person PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPEMENT Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, H3A Nurse Anesthesia Gateway and Portal Seminar Winston-Salem, North Carolina North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetist Annual Meeting 2014 Pinehurst, North Carolina American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Mid-Year Conference 2015 Crystal City, Virginia HONORS AND AWARDS Cum Laude Graduate, May, 2011 International Deans List Society, May, 2011 Western Carolina University s Vivian Deitz Award: Most Clinically Outstanding RN-BSN Student of the graduating class. May, 2011 STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH National Student Nurse Association Resolution and Abstract, Increased Awareness of Errors Related to Fatigue and the Benefits of a Reduced Call Schedule. NSNA s Imprint Western Carolina University s Undergraduate Research Exposition, Errors Related to Fatigue in Healthcare based on the NSNA Resolution Increased Awareness of Errors Related to Fatigue and the Benefit of a Reduced Call Schedule. April, 2011 North Carolina Student Nurses Association, Back to School Study Tips for the SN NCANS s Hypodermic, November 2011 Issue VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE Samaritan Mission Clinic, Southside Baptist Church, Winston-Salem NC. October, 2012-Present

5 Ronald McDonald House, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Habitat for Humanity, Winston-Salem, North Carolina