Winter 2017

STAT Newsletter
Winter 2017 Issue

Letter from the Editor

In This Issue

Dear STAT Readers,

I hope everyone is enjoying their well-deserved break this holiday
season! Youve worked hard in this past semester, now is the moment to spend
some time on yourself and with your friends and family!
In this edition of STAT, the NSANYS Board of Directors as well as
some special guests, share with you their experiences of volunteering in their
community, working while going to school, and job hunting after graduation.
We have been working hard to plan our 65 th Annual NSANYS
Convention, which will take place on February 18 th, 2016 at the Wyndam New
Yorker Hotel in New York City. We look forward to meeting our members
while providing them with guidance with their school board chapter,
networking opportunities, all while expanding your knowledge in the many
fields of nursing. Be sure to check out STATs Spring 2017 Edition, which will
highlight upcoming conventions.

Community Health pg.2-4

65th Annual Convention pg.5
Global Initiatives pg.6
Nursing in the News pg.7
Leadership in Nursing pg.8-10

Finally, we would like to thank you

for your continuing support of STAT and
we wish you the best of luck in the rest of
your nursing semesters!
Sincerely,
Heather Lim
NSANYS STAT Editor 2016-2017
Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing

Hunter School of Nursing Students

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STAT Newsletter

Community Health

Winter 2017

Serving our Community

Spread Soap Not Germs Project
By Stephanie Chang
Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing
National Handwashing Week is December 5th to December
11 of each year. This year, NSANYS partnered up with Penny
Shaw, the director of Project Happy at Hunter College, for an
exciting new project. Project Happy is a program that started in 1981
at Hunter College. The program works with children and young
adults who have disabilities to promote skill development through
athletic and recreational activities.
On December 10th, 2016, student nurses from HunterBellevue School of Nursing and St. Pauls School of Nursing
gathered together to teach handwashing to children and adults
ranging from ages 6 to 35. The goal of this project was to educate
about the importance of handwashing and hand hygiene. Each child
or young adult completed the task of recognizing the 5 tips for
handwashing: 1. Wash your hands before you eat, 2. Wash your
hands with lots of soap and water, 3. Wash your hands after youve
been to the toilet, 4. Keep your fingernails clean and short, and 5.
Wash your hands after playing outside.
Afterwards, a fun and interactive activity took place.
Erasable markers were dispersed among the children and young
adults, where everyone drew germ monsters on their hands to
represent the germs that may accumulate on their hands from daily
activities. Later, student nurses took the children and young adults to
the bathrooms to wash their hands in an effective manner. The
result? There were no more germ monsters on everyones hands!
th

Photo Credit: Rachel White

would be allowed to take three items. After they would

go to
the back
of the with
line, Project
and wait
till itDirector,
was there turn
Nursing
Students
Happy
again. This went on and on until all the items were
Penny Shaw at Spread Soap Not Germs Project
gone from the table. This process occurred at every
station. The people at Food and Bombs had this process
down to a science that there was never a problem or
chaos. Feedback from guidance counselors and
parentsOverall,
were overwhelmingly
positive.
NSANYS
the Sunday spent
helping
others was a
hopes to partner with Happy Project again in the
future to educate even more people on a variety of
health topics such as dental hygiene and healthy
eating habits, and hopefully, more nursing students
can participate and join in the fun as well!

Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing

Save the Runners in New York Citys Most
Popular Marathon
By Heather Lim
Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing

Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing girls teamed up in

a medical tent

On November 6th, 2016, the well-known TCS Marathon took

place once again in New York City. Runners from all around the
world flew into NYC to participate in this, otherwise known as the
worlds biggest and most popular marathon; it takes a strong
medical team to make sure these runners get the appropriate
medical attention they need for them to finish this race. Up to
12, 000 marathon volunteers were spread out in medical tents
around the 26.2-mile block party through the worlds most diverse
city. Each medical tent was split up into different teams, each
consisted of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, sport
psychologists, EMTs, and medical students, who all got ready to
2 as soon as a runner was sent through their tent.
work
2

STAT Newsletter

Winter 2017

I was lucky that I was placed in the last medical tent, right by the finish line, where I saw common cases such as
dehydration and muscle cramps to a severe case when a runner became extremely confused with a high fever and had to
be sent to the hospital. Despite feeling ill after the race, all the runners Ive interacted with assured me of one thing: they
were glad to check this race off from their bucket list. This marathon was one of the most memorable hands-on experience
Ive had throughout my volunteering career, and hopefully I will be able to participate in this marathon again next year.

Other Highlights in Community Health

Stony Brook nursing students with Sigma Theta Tau provide

cares to locals in Haiti (Top)

Hunter girls at Heart-to-Heart Volunteering (Top)

(Left to Right)
Giselle Melendez (NSANYS advisor),
Jaclyn Malone (NSANYS president), &
Kelly LaMattina (Previous NSANYS
President) at Molloy students induction
Into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor
Society
(Right)
NSANYS board members Michelle
(left) & Yulia (right) with Miss
Colorado at the Kansas Mid-Year
convention

Molloy nursing students donated gifts to St. Anthonys Senior Center

Medical Marathon volunteers ready for action

STAT Newsletter

Winter 2017

To Give or Not to Give? That is my Dilemma!

By Christopher Alexander Jr.
Orange County School of Nursing
Tis the season to give, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, we are
afforded many opportunities to the give. Too many to mention. I am often
torn between the giving my last dime and nickels to worthy ventures but as
a nursing student, that can be a challenge.
To give, what does that mean? Among the many meanings that
can be proffered, I readily embraced this one to freely devote, set aside, or
sacrifice for a purpose. I accepted that instead of trying to squeeze my last
pennies, I could devote my time, talents, and other resources to a cause
that I believe in and impacted me the most. I could volunteer at a local
soup kitchen in my community, I could provide child care services to my
friends, family or neighbors who may need a helping hand.
Having participated in the Annual Breast Cancer walk in the
Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall last October, I gained a new level of
respect for the word give. This was cemented when my son, as a Cub
Scout, had to go to the Giving Tree to find an ornament which would
determine for whom he had to get to a gift for.
I am no longer in a dilemma as to giving. As a nursing student, I
am convinced that dollars and cents are not the only form of giving. For
each time that we sacrifice for a purpose, we give. For the New Year, lets
keep on giving.

Stony Brooks event for Operation

Christmas Child Shoebox Mission

Stay Connected with #NSANYS!

Instagram: @NSANYS
Twitter: @_NSANYS
Website: nsanys.org
Facebook: facebook.com/NSANYS

STAT Newsletter

Winter 2017

NSANYS 65th Annual Convention

Breaking Down Barriers: The Power of You
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2016
Time: 7AM-5PM
Location: The Wyndam New Yorker
481 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
This Years Convention Will Include
Networking, Resume Review, NCLEX Review, Educational Resources,
Scholarship Opportunities, Pharmacology Review, Leadership
Opportunities, Nursing Panels, Focus Sessions, & more!

REGISTRATION FEES: EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (Late registration price in parentheses)

Breakfast, lunch, and light snacks will be provided! ~ Registration past deadline is done at the
convention. We will accept cash & credit/debit payments.
NSNA Members including Pre-Nursing Students that are NSNA members

Full Day Pass WITH NCLEX & PHARM REVIEW $75 ($85)
Full Day Pass WITHOUT NCLEX & PHARM REVIEW $65 ($75)
Non-NSNA Members including Pre-Nursing Students that are not NSNA members

Full Day Pass WITH NCLEX - $85 ($95)

Full Day WITHOUT NCLEX - $75 ($85)
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STAT Newsletter

Global Initiatives

Winter 2017

Study Abroad in Tanzania

By Amanda Schlesier
Stony Brook School of Nursing
This past summer I was fortunate enough to travel
to Tanzania, Africa with a group of nursing and pre-nursing
students for a three week health-related excursion. The
Stony Brook University based study abroad program was
one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my
life. I was able to interact with people from a different
culture that I would never have had the opportunity to meet
otherwise. It was thrilling to learn to speak the language,
participate in traditional dances, eat the local cuisine and
learn about the rich history of Tanzania.
As part of this program, I participated in a 10-day
internship, which included spending four days at Dareda
Hospital shadowing nursing students during their daily
rounds. It was truly an eye-opening, yet frustrating,
experience that I will never forget. The language barrier
made it difficult to communicate with the nursing students
on a more technical level. I was so interested in the
processes and procedures they were performing that I had
what felt like a million questions for them. Unfortunately,
due to the language barrier, some of the questions and
answers were lost in translation. Despite this, the
experience made me appreciate all the medical advances we
take for granted here in America, and opened my eyes to
see just how wasteful we were back home.
The first thing that stood out to me during rounds
at the hospital was how grateful all the patients were. There
were eight to ten people to a room in the regular
medical/surgical wings. No meals were provided for the
patients, so if they didnt have family there to feed them,
they went without food. The equipment was crude (to
American standards). And yet, they all thanked the nurse
profusely every time they were seen. One woman told us
she had been there several weeks for a bronchial infection
and, although she missed home, she was lucky to be there.
Another thing that jumped out at me was just how
much the nursing students did at the hospital. They had
almost complete autonomy to practice; one of the students
even hung a bag of blood without any supervision! Another
student completely re-dressed a womans stage four
pressure ulcers. They all seemed extremely experienced
clinically and were shocked when we told them we were not
allowed to do most of the things that they did around the
hospital. While their clinical skills were more advanced
than ours, we felt that we had more knowledge on diseases
and disease processes than they appeared to have, though it
was hard to tell, given the language barrier.

Amanda Schlesier with a nursing student

Simulation mannequin in
the nursing school

A delivery room at Dareda

Hospital

The trip made me look at healthcare in the U.S. in

a completely different light and has sparked my interest in
global health. It made me proud to be going in to the field
of nursing, and I really look forward to continuing my
education in such a rewarding profession!

Featured Picture from

Marylin Thomas
mission trip to costa
rica. Read more about
her trip in the last
edition of STAT!

STAT Newsletter

Nursing in the News

Sedentarism in Society

Winter 2017

Elizabeth will feature this topic

at the 65th Annual Convention in
Dallas, TX!

By Elizabeth Gambo
Molloy College School of Nursing

My name is Elizabeth Gambo and I am the Policy and Education Director for NSANYS. One of my duties is to
write a resolution to present at the NSNA convention. This year, my resolution pertains to sedentarism. Due to a variety of
factors, sedentarism is becoming increasingly prevalent. Though apparently benign, sedentarism, especially when chronic,
increases the morbidity of numerous deadly, though preventable, maladies. To date, it is reported that about 60% or more of
adults waking hours are spent sedentary 1. Any extended sitting such as sitting behind a desk at work or behind the wheel
can be harmful2. Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a variety of health concerns, including obesity and
metabolic syndrome2. Individuals who participate in at least seven hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity but watch
over seven hours of television a week have a greater risk from these maladies 3. Not only is it important to get physical
activity but it is equally as important to decrease the amount of inactivity in daily living. Increasing awareness about how to
combat sedentarism is dire. Simple tasks to keep moving can help to increase longevity and quality of life. Activities
including taking the stairs and getting up during commercial breaks can help to increase movement. Understanding the
harmful consequences of a sedentary lifestyle will help to promote the change needed to combat this preventable epidemic.
Reference:
1

Draper, C. The Power of Movement: Why sitting is the new smoking!. Retrieved from http://drcrystaldraper.com/the-power-of-movement-why- sitting-isthe-new-smoking
2
Levine, J. A. (2015). What are the risks of sitting too much?. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from: www. mayoclinic org/healthy-living/adult-health/expertanswers/sitting/faq-20058005
3 Matthews, C. E., George, S. M., Moore, S. C., Bowles, H. R., Blair, A., Park, Y., ... & Schatzkin, A. (2012). Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors
and cause-specific mortality in US adults. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 95(2), 437-445.)

Want to be featured in the next

edition of STAT?
Let us know!
Email us at
stat.nsanys@gmail.com

STAT Newsletter

Leadership in Nursing

Winter 2017

The Best is Yet to Come: Reflections from New Graduate Nurses

By Diana Wilkonski
Stony Brook School of Nursing
Study hard. Get good grades. Land an internship. Pass the boards. Get a job. As a nursing student, this has always
been the plan. For the last four years or so years we have tortured ourselves trying to memorize every drug interaction, every
disease process, and every nursing skill known to man. Weve logged extra hours during simulation and clinicals working to
figure out infusion pumps and tried so hard not to break sterility while inserting a foley on a mannequin. Because by the end
of it we need to know it all in order to be good nurses. Right?
There seems to be this anxiety-producing misconception that what we learn in nursing school is the be-all-end-all
and that who we are as nursing students will define who we will be as nurses-- that the defining moments of nursing school
determine our nursing path. Many forget that nursing school fails to teach us some of the most important lessons, not for
lack of effort, but because some lessons simply cannot be understood until you are practicing in as a Registered Nurse. This
is not a give-me-my-tuition-back approach, but rather a reminder of the reality following our education: we learn our greatest
lessons and make our greatest strides while we are on the job.
In order to provide greater insight on this, I contacted seven new nurses--both male and female-- working in a
variety of settings and all having less than a years experience. Our conversation begun with the prompt, What are some
things you have learned on the job, that was not apparent to you during nursing school? Their responses elicited six main,
recurring themes which are listed below.
1. Time Management: It Comes With Time
Redundant, yes. Slightly obvious, yes. However, this does not take away from the significance that new nurses cited
this as their most common challenge on the job. Several planes affect a new nurses ability to manage time:
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We are still learning our skills and our way around, making us inherently slower than seasoned nurses
Most of us have not had the chance to manage upwards of two patients on the floor during our educational
experiences
We lack insight to foresee the unplanned events may occur during a shift, setting us back in our work
These factors, in addition to the shift in support you have from professors and preceptors, to other nurses and managers
who have their own set of tasks to accomplish, creates a rough transition for a new nurse to find creative solutions to give
each patient and family the time and attention they deserve. Many of us might realize this as we watched our preceptors on
the floor become overwhelmed with tasks ranging from discharge planning, to new admissions, to medication
administration, and to conversations with family members. Many of us already feel the stress ourselves as we take on more
responsibility on the floor than we feel prepared for.
But what we really want to know is how can we overcome this. Spoken from the mouths of new grads to your ears:
Dont wait to get things done. The earlier in your shift you can do something, do it. This makes those unplanned events a
little less stressful.
Furthermore, start now; try to take on as many tasks as your preceptor will allow within your ability. The stress this
may produce will fade with practice and, while doing so, you will inherit your own task-managing style, largely benefiting
you in the long run.
Finally, never be afraid to step back, take a deep breath and ask for help. A nurse that does not ask for help can be
dangerous, says one new grad. We all need help at some point.
2. Your Tribe Determines Your Vibe (And Vice Versa)
Through your own observations on the unit, Im sure you were pretty quick to determine that nursing is a field that
very rarely functions in isolation. Some of us may have gotten a taste of this teamwork through simulation practices and
within the clinical setting; however, the camaraderie that you experience as a practicing nurse is a much different experience.
On a busy floor, you're only going to get through it if you have good nurses around you. But staffing and scheduling sort of
seems like something staff nurses have very little control over? This is true, therefore our new nurses offer the advice, Try to help
everyone...even if you believe they wouldnt do the same, because as a new nurse, youll need plenty of help. Being the type
of nurse that people know they could turn to, even for small tasks, can make all the difference during stressful moments.

STAT Newsletter

Winter 2017

How can we work to improve this as student nurses? Promoting nurse-to-nurse teamwork is key. Nursing programs
tend to focus a lot on interdisciplinary teamwork, which is of equal importance, however, as one graduate puts it, they
are not in the trenches with you. Offer a hand to your fellow students whenever possible. This type of gesture gets
noticed, and increases the likelihood that help will be offered to you and improves relationships within your cohorts.
3. You Get a Crash Course On the Job
We all have countless clinical hours from our Fundamentals and Medical/ Surgical courses. However, as
student nurses, we often lack experiences in the specialty areas we dream of working in one day. A new nurse
specializing in the Neonatal ICU suggested that you only appreciate the true experience of the specialty unit once you
start. Even specialty areas aside, this idea brought up by several new nurses seems to exist across the board: your skills
are most enhanced while on the job. Delegation, prioritizing, even improving your assessment skills all come with t ime.
Medications, as one new grad mentioned, are constantly changing as new types and brands emerge. You become most
familiar with them as they repeat in your orders. To graduate with the belief that you are armed with everything you
must know (specifically in these specialty fields we get such little time in) is a huge misconstruction and causes quite a
lot of apprehension. The advice here may seem easier said than done: do your best. Nursing school is stressful- take each
day with stride. Focus on your short-term goals, such as passing that next test, or getting through that difficult clinical.
You learn more than you realize and by the time that you pass the boards and start your job, you are well prepared to
expand your education on the unit.
4. You Are in a Field of Customer Service
Take it as it is, this push for clients rather than patients and the client is always right mentality has made
its way into many areas of nursing, while also meeting some resistance. As one graduate described it, the people way
above us [administration] have extremely high customer service expectations of the doctors and nurses and a lot of it is
about making the patient happy. Taken in those terms, is constantly worrying about making the customer happy
necessarily a burden on nurses? One grad says This isnt a terrible thing as you should always try to give your patients
and family members the best experience possible, although it isnt always easy and can take a lot of energy out of you.
Another says, If your patients like you and feel you treated them well, they will most likely leave happy. Always
know there will be the ones you can't please and be able to let that go. Some people are just plain difficult. These may
be the instances where you need to take a breath, take a step back, and ask for help. Another nurse offers that imagining
the patient as a loved one could make a huge difference in how you handle a difficult situation. I treat people [patients]
the way I would want my family to be treated. It has worked great for me so far. Lastly, always go back to your
fundamental skills. Keeping patients happy is, for the most part, a positive outcome, but dont forget: always keep safety
in mind first.
5. Youre Going to Feel New Feelings and A Lot of Them
The reality is fear, discouragement, sadness, and insecurity are common feelings among new nurses. Perhaps,
as a student nurse, youve witnesses a patient screaming out in 10/10 pain or been in a situation dealing with a patient
with a poor prognosis shadowed by the grief of their family members. However, the helplessness we attribute to being a
student acts somewhat as a buffer to these feelings because we can slide by with the notion that others with more
experience will be there to take care of it. As a newly graduated, board-certified RN, you are the one to take care of it
and youre expected to know everything, right? The good news is that no one expects that from you and youre not
alone in these feelings. Furthermore, says one new grad, these feelings will slowly dwindle as they are replaced with
greater confidence and comfort.
One of the biggest pieces of advice I personally have received throughout my academic career is that, despite
every effort we make to prepare, we have to be okay with the realization that we do not know everything. We felt that
way on our first day of nursing school and, though that feeling faded with experience, it will return on our first day on
the job, and once again on our first day on a new job. To accept
9 that feeling and go from there is normal and healthy
which only allows for improvement. As for the grief and pain we share with our patients, that may not get easier, we
will just seek new ways of coping. This brings us to our final, brighter note.

STAT Newsletter

Winter 2017

6. Youre Going to Love It More Than Youd Ever Imagined

Maybe not the most shocking take-home point, but definitely one worth mentioning. My final question to our
graduate advisors was, What do you love most about being a nurse? From a group who just finished or begun their first
year on the job, the amount of love they had for this field could encompass a whole new article. This first year where
reality is faced, lessons are new, and emotions are high, still elicited nothing but positivity when posed with this question .
Some responded that the novelty of it is actually what they found most appealing these days. What I love most is not
exactly knowing what my day will be like or what I will see for the first time.
Recurrently, the impact the new nurse graduates are able to make in their patients recovery be that through their
skills, demeanor, or compassion, further demonstrates their love for nursing. I think its cool that I can influence
someones attitude about their situation just by being positive and attentive to their needs. It makes the job so worthwhile .
These words-from-the-wise may encourage some of us to buckle down, get motivated, and actively search for
experiences and opportunities. Others may take on a more passive approach, realizing that it is simply not possible for us
to know and control everything, while knowing that our greatest skills will come with time and experience. We take what
we need from the advice that we are given as we are going to learn to do throughout our careers. Currently we may feel as
though there is always something more to learn, which can be fear-producing, when instead, it is truly the added perk of
the job. So continue to take nursing school in stride, ask for help when necessary, encourage positive relationships, and as
you do so, keep in mind: the best is yet to come.

Advice for Job Searching: Make the Best Out of Your Nursing
School Days
By Joanna Law
Publicity Chair of Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Phi Chapter
Landing a job in a hospital doesnt come easy for new graduate nurses. Its been said that the job outlook in the
nursing job market is beginning to increase, but many job postings ask for the 1-2 years of RN experience that new
graduates dont have. Not only are there more people graduating with nursing degrees than ever before, but every new
nurse being hired is a risky and expensive move for a hospital to make. As a new graduate nurse, I can validate that
hospitals do hire new graduates. As long as you did what you can to make yourself look hirable, itll just be a matter a
time before a nurse recruiter contacts you back for a job interview.
While certain experiences may be considered more desirable than other experiences on a new graduate nurses
rsum, I suggest being open to any healthcare or nursing-related opportunity that comes your way while youre still in
nursing school. Whether its working as a nursing assistant, volunteering in the community, or getting a certification, its
the skills that you acquired and the ability to work with people that will make your rsum more unique. Participating in
professional organizations can also be an eye-opening experience that provide greater insight on the current trends in
nursing today. By engaging in various events and activities, you can build a professional network of people who can give
advice on job searching and interviewing, review your cover letter and rsum, or even offer you a job position. You
wont know what youre missing out on, unless you step out of your comfort zone and explore the opportunities out
there.
In summary, a door will not open by itself unless you make the effort to turn the doorknob. Whenever possible,
take advantage of every opportunity, learn and engage, and reflect on your experiences. Although job searching can be
stressful and discouraging, nurse recruiters will eventually recognize your hard work and efforts in nursing school, just
dont give up!

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STAT Newsletter

Winter 2017

The 2016-2017 NSANYS Board of Directors

Jaclyn Malone, President
Christopher Alexander, Co- Vice President
Diana Wilkonski, Co- Vice President
Yulia Borisova, Treasurer
Samantha Maier, Secretary
Amanda Schlesier, Communications Director
Stephanie Chang, Community Health Director
Michelle Sun, Breakthrough to Nursing Director
Heather Lim, STAT Newsletter Editor
Elizabeth Gambo, Policy and Education Director
Leslie Lindenbaum, Nominations and Elections Chair
Giselle Melendez, MS, RN, Presidential Advisor
Larry Slater, PhD, RN-BC, CCRN, Professional Advisor
We have ONE vacant Professional Advisor Position!
If you are interested, please email pres.nsanys@gmail.com
Minimum Requirement: Bachelors of Science in Nursing Degree
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