Members of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Student Nurses Association (SNA) have persisted through the curve balls of a global pandemic continuing their dedication to fostering the professional development of Professional Nursing students and giving back to the community.
Transitioning their meetings to an online format, the group meets regularly via Zoom to learn from leaders in the nursing industry as well as explore opportunities available to them following graduation. Guest speakers have included hiring managers, cancer care nurses, a traveling nurse, recruiters, and a diabetic educator.
“I love having the guest speakers attend our SNA meetings," said SNA member and first-year CWI student, Jordan Schwartz. “It is so nice to get different perspectives from those currently working in the field as well as from recruiters regarding what to expect as a new nurse!”
“Second-year SNA officers put our brains together to bring in contacts that could assist in teaching topics we know we struggled with in our first year as students,” said SNA Project Chair, Lizzie Glafke. “Our goal was to have guest speakers join us who could provide perspective and context to complex topics and to show how versatile and exciting the world of nursing can be.”
This year, in partnership with Family Advocates in Boise, SNA is gathering backpacks full of supplies for children in foster care. At the beginning of Fall 2020 semester, each member of the group was challenged to grab a backpack and add items, such as personal toiletries, books, and socks, to the backpack each month with the goal of delivering their filled backpacks to Family Advocates this April.
“We wanted to reach out to those in need while also maintaining responsible social distancing practices,” said Glafke. “Individually filling backpacks with items for these children was the perfect solution. As a former child in the foster care system, it warms my heart to see SNA taking a huge interest in ensuring we provide as many children as possible with the opportunity to feel loved and cared for.”
Individuals interested in contributing to SNA’s backpack project can drop off filled backpacks to the CWI Professional Nursing department located at the Canyon County Center or to Family Advocates directly. Contact Lizzie Glafke at lizzieglafke@my.cwi.edu to learn more or with questions.
