May 2020 nursing graduate coordinates Tennessee Student Nurses Association
Lipscomb campus currently set to host state association in September
Janel Shoun-Smith | 615.966.7078 |
Abbey Ward (’20), of Proctorville, Ohio, spent her senior year at Lipscomb not only finishing her clinicals and preparing for her licensing exam, but also planning a statewide convention currently scheduled to be held at Lipscomb in September.
Abbey Ward
Ward, president of the Lipscomb chapter of the Tennessee Student Nurses Association, was elected as vice president of the Tennessee Student Nurses Association at the groups’ 2019 conference. That position put her in charge of planning the association’s next convention, currently scheduled to be held on the Lipscomb campus.
The overall goal of the conference is to show the wide range of career opportunities available in nursing, she said.
“Hosting the state convention is an honor and privilege,” said Chelsia Harris, executive director of the School of Nursing. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome future nurses onto our campus. Student nurses will be able to meet future employers, visit with graduate program leaders, as well as create lasting collegial relationships with peers.
“State-level student nurses association conventions have a lasting impact on attendees. I still have t-shirts from the annual state student nurses association conventions I attended almost 20 years ago,” she said.
Among the plans for the conference are a special seminar on the use of NARCAN, used for treatment in opioid overdoses, and certification for student nurses in how to stop bleeding. Vendors from health facilities throughout Nashville will have the opportunity to attend, Ward said.
She also hopes to coordinate a research poster presentation, which would highlight Lipscomb’s ability to offer research opportunities to student nurses.
The Tennessee Student Nurse Association works to develop the skills student nurses need to enter the profession, to advocate for high quality health care and to educate students on the importance of nursing associations.