National Student Nursing Association

[Robin61970]

Are any of you members? I am going to join...do a search for NSNA and check it out....I think it might be helpful to list that you are a memeber when applying for scholarships and such...what do you think?

[Genista, BSN, RN]

Hi there. I was a member of NSNA as a student nurse(and also of our state branch off NSNA, which was CNSA= Calif.Nursing Students Assoc.). Our school had a chapter of CNSA, of which I later became a board member.For those unfamiliar w/ National Student Nurses Association, it is a pre-professional association for student nurses. It promotes professional development and learning.In our school chapter of CNSA, we had monthly meetings.Most meetings featured a guest lecturer, usually nurse guest speakers from different specialties. We did fundraisers, community service, and ran booths at health faires.We published a monthly newletter. We participated in state & national student nursing conventions. It was a great learning experience & wonderful to meet students from other parts of the state,etc. I think NSNA & your involvement in a local chapter can be very rewarding- more than just a line on a resume. If your school doesn't have an active chapter, NSNA can lead you to the state branch & you might want to find out about starting one!

http://www.nsna.org/

http://www.cnsa.org/

[Genista, BSN, RN]

PS-

NSNA also offers scholarships to members, member discounts @ businesses & nursing related supplies, and a subscription to a magazine just for student nurses, called "Imprint."

[Nathalie]

Have any of you found it to be rewarding beinga member of NSNA? I am thinking about joining in the upcoming weeks...I have to wait until i am fully registered in my nursing program to enroll in NSNA. have any of you ever received scholarships from them?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

I was a member of NSTA when I was a nursing student years ago. The membership fee is not that expensive. The biggest benefit, I thought, was the annual convention which I attended. They had the biggest collection of professionals to talk to you about nursing and many one or two hour seminars you could attend on what is going on in nursing today. It was a great opportunity to hear, outside of my community, what is going on in the rest of the nation. That's important exposure. I got a chance to network and make friends with nursing students from other parts of the state and we all talked about our nursing schools and what kind of homework was required of us. I found some students seemed to have it worse than me, and others sounded like they had it easier. On top of that lots of companies that supply equipment to hospitals were there and you go from booth to booth and can get lots of free stuff. Some of the largest employers of nurses were also there to talk with us and give us advice as prospective employees. It was a great experience. I came back from it invigorated and ready to dig into my nursing studies. I also kept a few friendships going with people I had met at the convention. I have since attended conventions for two other professional nursing organizations and found them the same.

[Nathalie]

Thank you...that is very encouraging to hear. How much are those conventions you attended?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Can't remember because it was so long ago. Go to their national website and I'm sure you'll find something about it there. The reason I went was because it was held in my home state and I had relatives in that particular city so I didn't have to get a hotel room. I have since gone to the national convention of the Intravenous Nurses Society. It cost several hundred dollars plus about $100 a night for the hotel room. Now, to me, the expense is worth it, so if I want to go I'll save up for it. The amount of information you are exposed to at these conventions is awesome. You will meet people who are at the top of the profession, are doing some of that vague research you hear instructors toss around in their lectures, and hear about the latest stuff to hit the market. It's kind of like going to the state fair. Many times you can attend some of these conventions even if you are not a member of the organization. It just costs you a little more (usually the price of what it would cost to join up! Ha! Ha!) I got to meet and talk with the President of the INS who was involved in writing the textbook that is still being used as their reference. At the NSNA convention we met several of the big shot nursing school deans who are also involved in developing nursing theory. It's kind of a thrill to meet some of these people who I fantisized as being cranky old spinsters shut up in a room somewhere writing stuff to make my student nurse life miserable! I also attended a seminar presented by the convention on how to write questions for the certification exam. It was presented by the people who oversee the certification test for IV nursing. What an education that was! I wouldn't be surprised that something like that is presented at the NSNA convention. A flyer will be sent out listing all the talks and presentations planned at a convention so you will know before you even put down the money to attend exactly what is going to be talked about. If you can afford it, do it. I don't think you'll be disappointed unless you stand back and don't talk and meet people.

[sunnyjohn]

I will check it out and join up. You guys say membership is not to expensive?