1

Winter 2013

The Nursing Students of Ontario (NSO) is a student-governed interest group of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), which represents and acts as a resource for Ontario's nursing students. We focus on the needs, concerns and matters of the nursing student body.

The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight student-led initiatives from this past school year, as well as connect you to upcoming events.

If you have questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to e-mail us at nsoexec@gmail.com.

Best,

Janny Lee, Vice President

Hello Nursing Student!

In this issue

Student Initiatives…pp.2-4 Upcoming Events Yogathon…………………………………..p.5 AGM………………………………………….p.6 Interest Group Postings…………….p.6

Get Involved!....................p.7

Cras ut nulla a quam dignissim gravida. Maecenas euismod auctor odio.Nam ornare nulla ut purus.

Integer

pg.

Nursing Students of Ontario

nso.rnao.ca

Some of the NSO Executives at the CNSA Ontario Regional Conference

NSO Executive Team 2012 – 2013

Marisa Kucha, President Janny Lee, Vice-President

Vikky Leung, Co-Policy and Political Action Officer

Elizabeth McLaughlin, Co-Policy and Political Action Officer

Kathleen Kerr, Membership Officer

Rebecca Cosby, Communications Karolina Gielarowiec,

Committee Coordinator Marquise Amyotte, Committee

Coordinator John Gajasan, Committee

Coordinator Leah Thiessen, Committee

Coordinator Amanda Firth, Past-President

Winter 2013

2

Student Initiatives At the Canadian Nursing Students Association (CNSA) Regional Conference, during the Scholarly Activities Showcase, Karolina Gielarowiec presented a nursing research project that she helped develop at the Hospital for Sick Children. By presenting this research project, she hoped to increase nursing students’ interest in research and encourage involvement in the future. Since there is plenty of room to increase the nursing research database, Karolina hopes nursing students will be motivated to consider becoming leaders in nursing research and strengthen the trend toward utilizing evidence-based practice in nursing.

This past summer I went to Tanzania for 9 weeks with a group called MedOutreach. MedOutreach is a student-run organization associated with Western University that works to promote and improve access to primary health prevention initiatives and care in Tanzania. It was a completely student run trip of nursing, medical and dental students (as a team of 8). We raised $60,000 to bring with us in order to provide health care for under- serviced orphanages and HIV patients.

- Julia Smallman

The Stand Strong Initiative was developed by fourth-year University of Ottawa/Algonquin College collaborative nursing students to embody the essence of empowerment of Ottawa Innercity Ministries (OIM) Passion 4 Youth Fine Arts Program for street youth. Two objectives were outlined for research:

“To generate research that identifies the current gaps in social services in Ottawa for at-risk or street youth."

“To identify the best practices to agencies servicing the 25-35 year old at-risk or street youth group.”

Stand Strong Initiative was focused on assessing the situation of street youth in Ottawa and analyzing the data. The information was broken down to develop a SWOT analysis and create two different target populations. From there, recommendations were proposed to make the program even more successful.

- Lisa Greenall

Winter 2013

3

I helped start a study group for our anatomy and physiology class to make sure that we understood the concepts and utilized our study time as efficiently as possible. A lot of my initiatives were spent helping others to understand the material and to be sure everyone would pass the first semester so they would be able to come back after the holidays.

– Jennifer Ball

As part of our fourth year community health nursing practicum, we collectively created an interactive, online learning module for second-year nursing students. The purpose of our module was to create an environmentally conscientious approach in response to how the health-care system negatively affects the environment and vice versa, and what we can do about it as nurses.

The preceding year of nursing students had conducted a thorough primary and secondary data collection assessment. This provided us with the direction to continue a “greening” approach in our nursing lab environment. After collaborating with interprofessionals, consulting with professors, encountering roadblocks, our critical thinking and self-directed attitudes allowed us to persevere and realize our accomplishment.

http://lyceum.algonquincollege.com/LearningObjects/LOTemplates/LOCreator/player/LOplayer.aspx?content=832

- The Green Team

The preceding year of nursing students had conducted a thorough primary and secondary data collection assessment. This provided us students with the direction to continue a “greening” approach in our nursing lab environment. After collaborating with interprofessionals, consulting with professors, encountering roadblocks, our critical thinking and self-directed attitudes allowed us to persevere and create such an accomplishment.

Student Initiatives

I recently completed an art project in conjunction with my clinical course, and made it available on a blog. The blog contains images and text based on patient narratives touching on the themes of family caregiving, coping, and experience as knowledge. http://learningtonurse.blogspot.ca.

- Laura MacDonald

Winter 2013

4

Maecenas purus

Student Initiatives

One Match Stem Cell Registration Day at York on Nov 27, 2012: NSAY (Nursing Students Association at York), the Faculty of Health Student Caucus and Canadian Blood Services organized and ran a one- day event to get as many registrants for the Canadian Stem Cell Registry.

Prepare Food and Feed the Homeless event, Nov 9th and 10th, 2012, organized by York Nurses in association with the Touch of Love Club at York, prepared food packages on Friday and then delivered them on the streets and to shelters in downtown Toronto on Saturday night.

Scrub-a-thon on Oct 1st, 2012 - RNAO Student Liaisons at York organized an event to raise nursing awareness on York campus by getting nursing students to wear their scrubs to school all day. RNAO memberships were sold for a discount to the students who wore their scrubs to school.

Vikky Leung and Karolina Gielarowiec organized a networking event and panel discussion on how nurses use their leadership in nursing activism and advocacy within the health-care system.

Winter 2013

5

Integer ante odio, fringilla quis, rhoncus quis, iaculis eget, ligula. Curabitur non lacus ut ante

sagittis euismod. Vivamus nisl leo, gravida consectetuer, mollis at, commodo et, arcu.

Upcoming Events

6

Winter 2013

Visionary Leadership: Charting a course for the future of

nursing The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at the Hilton this year in Toronto from Thursday April 11th to 13th. Registration is free with your RNAO account. More information can be found here: http://rnao.ca/events/AGM2013.

International Nurse Interest Group (INIG): The INIG meeting will take place on April 13 at The Hilton Hotel in Toronto. It is free to attend and both members and non-members are welcome. The meeting provides an opportunity for INIG student members to contribute to the group activities, vote in the executive committee election, network with other members, and listen to a presentation about international nursing. Each year, a new Student Representative is elected to the INIG Executive Committee. Interested INIG student members must attend the AGM to run in the election. Further information about the AGM will be available on our website (http://inig.rnao.ca) and Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/498137840210505), or you can contact us at info.inig@gmail.com. Ontario Wound Interest Group (OntWIG): OntWIG will be holding their 4th Symposium: "From Strategy to Action: Maintaining Momentum" on Friday, April 19, 2013 at the White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa, 253 Taylor Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. This year’s Symposium has been designed to identify barriers and roadblocks to implementing our recommended provincial Framework: “Fewer Wounds, Faster Healing: A framework for an Ontario Wound Care Strategy. Participants will glean insights from national and local experts and the program has been organized to encourage courageous conversations on improving wound care policies—for access and delivery of quality wound management services in Ontario. OntWIG encourages future nurses to join our interest group and we currently have an opening for a student representative on our Board. For more information on joining or registering for the symposium, please email: ontwig@gmail.com. Staff Nurse Interest Group (SNIG) Would you be willing to speak out for staff nurses? All executive positions are open. We are looking for student executive members. Come to the SNIG AGM on April 13th, 2013, Hilton Downtown Toronto, 8-11 am. EXECUTIVE POSITIONS NEEDED!! We want new voices and new ideas! Come to the AGM in April and be a voice for Staff Nursing!! We Need YOU! Commitment for the position: Generally a 2 year term: two face-to-face meetings – in Jan/Feb for a think tank and in April for the SNIG AGM; approximately four teleconferences

Upcoming Events

Winter 2013

7

NSO Elections For more information: http://nso.rnao.ca/news/2013/02/14/now-open-nominations-2013-2014-nursing-students-ontario-nso-executive NSO is looking for members to join its executive team for the 2013-2014 year. The following executive positions are open: President (1)* Vice President (1)* Policy & Political Action Officer (1) Membership Officer (1) Communications & Public Relations Officer (1) Committee Coordinators (4) Instructions 1. Fill in the form indicating which position you wish to run for. You can only run for one position. 2. Email form and essay of 250 words or less indicating why you wish to be elected by 4:00 PM on Monday, March 18, 2013, to David McChesney, Project Coordinator – Membership & Services, RNAO, at dmcchesney@RNAO.ca. You will be notified as to other candidates running for the same position. 3. Candidates may campaign up to 9:00 PM on Sunday, March 24, 2013. 4. Voting will begin on Monday, March 25, 2013, and continue until 4:30 PM on Monday, April 1, 2013. NSO members will be directed to a website for electronic voting. 5. Candidates must be Undergraduate Nursing Student Associate members in good standing with RNAO. Questions or concerns: contact David McChesney at dmcchesney@RNAO.ca. * Please note that for the positions of President and Vice President, candidates with at least one (1) year experience on the NSO executive receive preference. If there are no candidates with NSO executive experience, other candidates will be accepted.

Get Involved!