Download - Scarlet nurses issue 2
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MICHELLE CASEY: My name is Michelle Casey, and I am a graduating senior of Rut-
gers School of Nursing Class of 2015! I went into nursing because I wanted to
change the lives of those who have eating disorders. Eating disorders are the men-
tal illness with the highest mortality rate. After losing my mom to an eating disorder,
I embarked on my own battle with Anorexia Nervosa, and am now fully recovered.
As a registered speaker with the National Eating Disorders Association, I give talks
around the tri-state area, and my story has been told in The Daily Targum as well as
Seventeen Magazine. This led me to becoming a chapter leader of Project HEAL-
New Jersey Chapter, along with my co-leaders Christina Zapata and Amanda
Parker. We raise money for those who cannot afford treatment for their eating dis-
orders, but feel ready and motivated to receive help. I recently worked on a cam-
paign with z100’s Elvis Duran and the Morning Show with producers and Rutgers
Alums Carla Marie and Sam Coppolino to go make-up free for National Eating Dis-
orders Awareness Week. That week, we raised $1,164.00 with Dolly Moo Body Love,
an all-natural beauty products company, and received national attention through
the support of z100. We are currently planning our spring “Life is Short Eat Dessert
First” Coffeehouse on May 1, 2015 at 7PM at the Glenburn Estate in Riverdale, New
Jersey. We definitely need all hands on deck! If you would like to help, or need re-
sources about eating disorders and the recovery process, please reach out to me
“WE TOOK COMMUNITY NURSING TO A WHOLE NEW
LEVEL OF CARE. I EXPERIENCED BEING A LIMITED AND
RESPECTED RESOURCE FOR THE EXTREMELY POOR
AND RURAL. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS
EXPERIENCE. FRIENDSHIPS GO BEYOND BORDERS,
LANGUAGE, AND CULTURE. I LEARNED MORE FROM
THEM THAN I COULD EVER IMAGINE.”
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MAXIMIZING YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE:
JULIE-ANNE TIANCO COCHABAMBA AND MOROCHATA, BOLIVIA
PROJECT HEAL
HELPS PEOPLE
RECOVER FROM
SERIOUS EATING
DISORDERS AND
ALSO PROMOTES
HEALTHY BODY
IMAGE
APRIL ANCHETA: FIGS? As in the fruit? As in Fig Newtons? Nope—neither. FIGS,
which is an acronym for First-year Interest Group Seminars, is a one-credit course
graded Pass/No-Credit that is offered each fall for freshmen students admitted to
the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences,
and Rutgers Business School on the New Brunswick campus.
What makes FIGS courses unique from other courses offered at Rutgers is that they
are taught completely by select few upperclassmen students called Peer Instruc-
tors. Only two universities in the country offer an opportunity like this one, and Rut-
gers is one of them!
In this upcoming fall of 2016, I will actually be a Peer Instructor for the FIGS section
Exploring Nursing, for which I am so excited! Throughout my time at Rutgers, count-
less fellow students and executive board members, professors, and advisors have
helped mentor and shape my experiences here, so much that I feel as if it is my
time to share all that I have learned. And what better way to give back than by
mentoring freshmen students in a topic I love.
The overall goals of Exploring Nursing are two-fold: 1) to give students a firsthand
perspective of this specific topical area, and 2) to acclimate freshmen students to
college life at Rutgers. So, in this course I plan to teach not only about what nursing
is, the different pathways you can take in nursing, and how to build a successful
nursing career, I also plan to teach about diversity and multiculturalism, personal
wellness, and the importance of involvement!
One of the main goals of every nurse is to help his/her patients reach their fullest
potentials, to achieve self-efficacy. By becoming a Peer Instructor to eager and
curious freshmen minds, I hope to start my personal journey of enabling others to
become their best selves early by providing freshmen the tools for collegiate suc-
cess. Do you know someone who is going to be a Rutgers freshman in the fall? If
so, encourage him/her to register for FIGS: Exploring Nursing today!
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FIRST YEAR
INTEREST GROUP
SEMINARS ARE
INTRODUCTORY
ONE CREDIT
CLASSES
OFFERED BY
CERTAIN
MAJORS THAT
ALLOWS ITS
STUDENTS TO
EXPLORE THEIR
INTERESTS
THESE CLASSES
ARE TAUGHT BY
SELECT PEER
INSTRUCTORS
AND FELLOW
STUDENTS OF THE
MAJOR
THESE CLASSES
ARE GRADED
BASED ON A
PASS OR FAIL
SCALE
REACH OUT FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES
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JUSTIN MERCADO: When the nursing students were gathered into a classroom and lectured on the importance of
externships, I could not tell you what one was. However, I could have painted horrifying murals depicting my anxi-
ety level given the fact that we were right in the middle of exams and supposedly late in the process of searching
for an externship if we had not already started. I did not even have a résumé at the time. We were all told about
one specific opening and you could feel everyone rushing toward this concept of a program that was so foreign
to me. Many of us interviewed at the same time in groups and that went about as well for me as I expected my
first interview to go. In my frantic search I decided to email the nurse recruiter at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical
Center in Paterson, New Jersey even though they did not advertise a program on their website (like many other
hospitals). The recruiter got back to me and told me that there would be a program, to send her my résumé, and
to come in for an interview. I did not know whether to be happy, nervous, or sweaty. I went for my interview and
one of the educators had a hard time holding back laughter because he could not understand a “smart” word I
used and the other told me I could not be older than 15. In a not-so-shocking turn of events I was met with an ex-
perience that was completely the opposite of what I expected. Thinking I failed to leave on good terms, I went
home and proceeded to blame my mom for being so short and my dad for not coming through genetics wise. In
a very shocking turn of events, they called me about a week later to tell me they had an offer for me.
“ MY EXTERNSHIP PROVIDED ME WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT I
COULD HAVE JUST AS A STUDENT.”
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ELIZABETH DAVIS: The Rutgers Student Nurses Association, or RSNA for short, is the pre-
professional organization for nursing students at Rutgers and is a constituent of the
New Jersey Nursing Students Inc. (NJNS), which is a part of the National Student
Nurses Association (NSNA). What does that mean exactly? RSNA’s goal is to help
student members become the best professional nurses they can be! Any student
enrolled in Rutgers School of Nursing can hold membership in NSNA (which makes
them an automatic RSNA and NJNS member). RSNA is led by a student-run Execu-
tive Board and faculty advisor, Dr. Barbara Cannella. The 2014-2015 RSNA Executive
Board includes: President- Elizabeth Davis, Vice President- Beverly Lu, Secretary- Mi-
chelle Bradford, Treasurer- April Ancheta, Academic Assistance Chair- Melissa Beh-
mer, Public Relations Chair- Theresa Hroncich, Community Outreach Co-Chairs- Ra-
chel Woo and Stefanie Albert, and Breakthrough to Nursing/ Resolutions Chair- Sub-
bashini Neelam.
Throughout the year RSNA holds various events and fundraisers for both members
and non-members. Some of this year’s events and fundraisers include: Adopt-a-
Family Gift Drive, Community Health Screenings, Bake Sales, NCLEX Study Seminar
with Kaplan Nursing, Apparel Sales, and more! RSNA also sponsors a group of stu-
dent members to attend the NJNS Annual Convention in Atlantic City each year as
delegates and monitors. In April, there was also a small group of RSNA members
sponsored to represent Rutgers and New Jersey at this year’s NSNA Annual Conven-
tion in Phoenix, Arizona. Both conventions provide nursing students the opportunity
to learn first hand what is going on the nursing field today while meeting fellow nurs-
ing students and professional nurses from across the state and the nation.
Joining RSNA is a wonderful way to get involved and have fun at RUSON by prepar-
ing you for the next step after college with leadership and networking opportunities,
community outreach, and more! Have any questions or want to join? Email rutger-
[email protected] for more information. Enjoy the summer and we look forward to
seeing you at RSNA events next year!
I was to be placed in Same Day Surgery as well as the main Operating Room. My first day on the unit consisted of
a tour that included watching an open-heart surgery, which was a good example of how things escalated so
quickly. The program included accompanying a nurse in the actual operating rooms and getting to learn his or
her role intra-operatively. In addition, more time was spent with nurses both in pre-op and post-op while perform-
ing tasks such as phlebotomy, IV removal, and blood sugar testing. Personally, my most important goal and
achievement was a sense of comfort in the hospital environment that I could not find in clinical. More specifically,
my externship provided me with an understanding of the impact I could have just as a student and eventually as
a patient care assistant, on a patient’s experience before surgery, which, many times, frightens them.
As redundant as it sounds, in addition to technical skill development, my program gave me the opportunity to ex-
perience effective relationship development with employees and patients. I always had a hard time seeing my-
self as being part of such relationships when reading a textbook or presentation. Like that image on one of those
“life as a nurse” websites, I learned that when going into a vein for blood withdrawal it is important for the patient
to know that no one wants to get it right the first time more than the person with the needle. On the other hand,
yes, prepping a patient by shaving specific areas of their body can get as uncomfortable as it sounds, but, simi-
larly, no one more so than the patient wants it to be performed in the least awkward way possible. Acknowledg-
ing the separate yet complementing points of view for such tasks in the relationship and building on them to
make a patient’s day better, thus driving them to the point where they feel the need to give high-fives, hugs, or
remember your name is what made the process of an externship worth it for me.
RU
TGER
S S
TUD
EN
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UR
SIN
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SSO
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AMANDA BAEZ: The Blackwood campus is a melting pot. Our cohort is a close knit
group of nontraditional students from varying backgrounds. Many of us have fami-
lies of our own, work full time, and volunteer our time in the community. We are
also a very small group. Our senior class has only 16 students and our junior class
has 23. The most noteworthy characteristic our students share is their ability to en-
dure through tough circumstances. We have all encountered some type of life
stressor that has made it difficult to complete our studies, but despite the chal-
lenges we have faced we have all persevered.
MELISSA BELMER: Melissa Behmer is this year’s Academic Assistance Chair on the
Executive Board of the Rutgers Student Nurses’ Association. There is one academic
assistant for each grade, i.e., a sophomore tutor for the freshman class, a junior
tutor for the sophomore class, a senior tutor for the junior class. In the beginning of
the school year, those interested fill out an application and return it to the Aca-
demic Assistance Chair, who decides the tutors for the school year based on GPA
and responses to application questions. Each academic assistant holds office
hours each week and contacts the students for which he/she is responsible with
the dates, times, and locations. During office hours, students can come to the
academic assistants with any questions they have or clarifications they need on
academic material either in person or via email. This is a truly beneficial program in
that students who succeed in the nursing program are great role models, tutors,
and sources of information for their peers going through the same classes and simi-
lar experiences.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE RUTGERS
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND THE IN’S AND
OUTS OF THE NURSING PROGRAM
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NATALIIE RUIZ: When I applied to this program I expected it to be tough because they advise
against keeping employment. Knowing this information I made the tough decision to leave my full
time job and fully immerse myself into the second degree nursing program. For many of us in the
program it has been years since we have been in school so the first semester is definitely a difficult
one, it's like I was shell shocked. Between no longer being able to provide financially and buckling
down with the studies it was an onerous transition period. Once I learned how to study for nursing
(still learning) and made a schedule it seemed a bit easier. Our semesters go by rather quickly,
practically no break in between the average break is two weeks and then we are on to the next
level. I am in the forth and final level and I cannot believe the amount of content and skills I have
learned, it feels like just yesterday I applied to this program. In summary the accelerated program is
an intense program not only because we cover so much content in a short amount of time but be-
cause we are balancing our lives in addition to this many of us have families and obligations that
we did not have when we pursued our first degree.
Every time I'm invited to an event I look at it as a new opportunity to network to meet different peo-
ple. Lately I have been fortunate to meet a lot of students who were just recently in my shoes. I find
that I get great advice and make new friends. Once we graduate we will have to support each
other in the field and I feel that attending events and fundraisers allow me to branch out and start
making connections even before I land my first RN position.
JENNIFER GOLDBERG: Every semester we run a bake sale to benefit a charity chosen by level 4 stu-
dents. This semester our bake sale benefitted the Eliminate Project which works to provide vaccina-
tion to prevent neonatal tetanus worldwide. The Eliminate Project boasts the statistic $1.80 saves 2
lives. We were able to raise approximately $497.97 from the bake sale, which, according to the sta-
tistic, means we hope to save about 277 lives! As far as student benefit, we run mix and mingles
where students of different levels come together in the lounge at a scheduled time to enjoy snacks
and interact with each other students they would not normally have the opportunity to. It is espe-
cially beneficial for lower level students to have the chance to gain insight about classes from up-
per level students.
To quote my classmate Sara, being in an accelerated program feels like running a sprint and a
marathon at the same time. We all went through a traditional undergrad degree, so we can safely
say that this program is done at double, or sometimes quadruple the speed of a 4 year degree
program. Sleep is sacrificed more than it has ever been in our lives. However, it is also a really awe-
some feeling to think about how much we have already learned in less than a year, and how
much we will know by the end of 15 months. When you enter this program you accept the fact
that you are going to eat, sleep, and breathe nursing, and everything else in life has to take a
backseat, though that is much easier said than done. People outside of the program don’t under-
stand what it is like, but I am lucky to have really awesome classmates. It’s different than a tradi-
tional program as we all have every class together, in the same room, every semester as we pro-
gress through the 4 levels. We have really become our own family and are always there to support
each other in class and clinical.
I went to college originally to become a high school English teacher and coach. I love working
with kids both in the classroom and on the field. However, as I went through my education courses,
particularly clinical practice, I realized that I did not love what I was doing like my classmates did.
Towards the end of college I became sick and was hospitalized on a couple of different occasions.
While there, I was able to experience the importance of nurses, and realized that they are the ones
who interact most with the patient. After this experience, I realized that without your health, not
much else in life is important. So, during my last year of college I decided I wanted to become a
nurse to help people regain and maintain their health. I can honestly say that while this program is
quite stressful, I love it. I really enjoy going to class and clinical and know I made the absolute right
choice. In my free time (which really does not exist in this program) I work as an EMT at the West-
field Rescue Squad, and coach field hockey at A.L Johnson High School in Clark.
MICHELLE BRADFORD: The honors program at RUSON is invite-only during the beginning
of your sophomore or junior year. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.8 (or top 10% of
their class, depending) are invited to join. Once in, a GPA of 3.7 must be maintained in
order to stay in the program. When I was invited to join before the start of my junior
year, so were many of my classmates. However, most declined the offer in fear that it
was going to be too much work to juggle alongside our already-challenging classes
and clinicals. I am here to say that RUSON honors is truly what you make of it. The fac-
ulty are very understanding and flexible. They know that your direct schoolwork is prior-
ity, and they will work with you to schedule meetings around your classes, exams, clini-
cals, and extracurriculars.
The basis of the honors program is that there is one faculty advisor who oversees the
progress of all projects and holds approximately five meetings per semester. During
these meetings, all honors students come together and discuss their projects, as well as
other topics, e.g., evidence based practice, oral presentation skills. In order to begin an
honors project in the first place, each student needs to seek out one faculty member of
his/her choosing, who conducts research in his/her area of interest (which does not
have to be within nursing). Next, the student will either join in a current research project
being conducted by said faculty member, or may create a separate research project
under this faculty member’s supervision. By all means, the research does not have to be
primary, nor does it need to involve the IRB. An example of primary research being
done currently is called “Identified Stressors in Children and Adolescents after Super-
storm Sandy,” which studies the emotional effects of Superstorm Sandy on children and
adolescents via a survey taken online by this population (Senior Honor Student: Eliza-
beth M. Davis; Faculty Mentor: Margaret Quinn, DNP, RN, CPNP). An example of secon-
dary research being done is my own personal project entitled “Impaired Quality at
Night: A Systematic Review of the Evidence Concerning Shift Work and Errors and Pro-
ductivity,” which analyzes the literature linking shift work (defined as any work shift out-
side regular day shift parameters of 6:00am and 6:00pm) to errors and decreased per-
formance in the workplace over countless industries in the form of decreased quality of
products, outcomes, or patient care (Faculty Member: Pamela de Cordova, PhD, RN).
During the honors journey, students have grand opportunities that other undergraduate
students may never get to experience, such as poster or podium presentations at na-
tional conferences, publication in a peer-reviewed journal, experience in the IRB-
approval process, and direct involvement in true, legitimate research at the doctorate
level. At the end of senior year, each student prepares a presentation for the Honors
Symposium, which myriad undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members,
administration, and anyone else who is interested will attend. After all, the end goal and
overall purpose of research is dissemination of findings! I encourage everyone to strive
to be invited to the honors program, and if invited, to accept the offer. The honors pro-
gram is an amazing, incomparable experience and glimpse into the world of research,
which is yet another branch of nursing. Your participation in the program will definitely
set you apart from competitors when job hunting and will prepare you to join Nursing
Research Councils as RNs. My last piece of advice is: do not simply go to school and
return home, nor clock in-and-out as an RN and return home; get involved and contrib-
ute to something greater than yourself!
10
. TOP
ACCEPTED MINIMUM GPA
RESEARCH
MONTHLY
MEETINGS
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SURAYA ALMOSBEH: For most nursing students, clinical is their first experience of what
it’s like to be a nurse. From the moment you enter the hospital, your responsibility is to
learn as much as you possibly can about the physical roles and duties of a nurse, as
well as the evidence and rationale behind them.
Although this may differ from clinical to clinical, you will most likely be assigned to
one patient. Don’t be scared to introduce yourself to them. Be friendly, be respectful
and be professional. You will be responsible for obtaining the patient’s vital signs, do-
ing a full physical assessment, administering medications as prescribed and providing
appropriate education if needed. Depending on their condition, you might be assist-
ing the patient with activities of daily living, bathing, feeding and dressing changes.
Regardless of what clinical, you must keep in constant rapport with your nurse, keep-
ing them updated with any important changes you observe throughout your shift.
While these physical duties are important, remember to not blindly follow them. Con-
stantly remember why you are doing these actions. This means asking all the right
questions: Why is the patient here? What nursing interventions should I expect? What
is the rationale behind those interventions? What information, both subjective and
objective, should I prioritize when creating a plan of care? Now remember, you are
not a walking textbook and the answer may be unclear to you. If that occurs, simply
utilize the reliable resources you have, or those offered by the hospital, to find out
more information.
If you’ve done what you have needed to and have all the answers you need, the
best recommendation is to watch and learn! Keep in mind that as the student nurse,
there are specific things you simply cannot do, however, observing is not one of
them. Do not underestimate the power of strong observational skills. Feel free to ask if
you can remain in the room when your nurse is doing things you cannot or when
other health care providers visit your patient. If a fellow student has an interesting pa-
tient scenario, ask if you may observe on their next assessment. There are so many
opportunities to learn in clinical, but you must be open to them. Practice your profes-
sional and personal skills. Use this time to grow as future nurse and keep in mind that
clinical is what you make of it.
EXPERIENCES YOU CAN EXPECT IN YOUR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEARS
CLINICALS TAKE
PLACE DURING
THE JUNIOR AND
SENIOR YEARS
STUDENTS ARE
PUT INTO
GROUPS AND
WORK IN
DEPARTMENTS
UNDER A
CLINICAL
INSTRUCTOR
“WHILE THESE PHYSICAL DUTIES ARE
IMPORTANT, REMEMBER TO NOT
BLINDLY FOLLOW THEM. CONSTANTLY
REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING
THESE ACTIONS.”
SURAYA
UNIVERSITY
HOSPITAL
ALMOSBEH
SURAYA ALMOSBEH
REBECCA LINTAG
RACHEL SISON
KEVIN LO
MOLLY NAFT
PAK CHAU
JESICA LEE
JEFFREY DYNOF
MILLICENT MOSERAY
PRESIDENT AT LARGE
RUSON SGA VICE PRESIDENT
RUSON SGA SECRETARY
RUSON SGA TREASURER
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
COORDINATOR
UNIVERSITY SENATOR
STUDENT AFFAIRS
REPRESENTATIVE
ACADEMIC AFFAIR
REPRESENTATIVE (NB)
ACADEMIC AFFAIR
REPRESENTATIVE (NWK)
. .