NSNA 53rd Annual Convention Salt Lake City, UT April 4-10, 2005 Draws 3,400 Attendees

South Carolina Nurse, The, Jul-Sep 2005

Brooklyn, NY-April 22, 2005.

Thirty-four hundred nursing students, faculty, and exhibitors from across the country packed the Salt Palace Convention Center April 4-10, 2005, for NSNA's 53rd Annual Convention, themed: "Breaking the Mold-Breakthrough to Nursing," in honor of the 40th anniversary of NSNA's Breakthrough to Nursing program focused on recruiting underrepresented populations into nursing. The week-long convention was packed with educational and fun events, including a thrilling opening session, awards ceremony, Exhibit Hall of over 200 exhibitors, House of Delegates business meetings, an Endnote, Auction, and more.

OPENING CEREMONY AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS

"Nurses Rock and Roll," said Keynoter Richard H. Carmona, RN, MD, MPH, FACS, U.S. Surgeon General, who thrilled and inspired the audience of nursing students with his stories of overcoming obstacles as a first generation Hispanic-American growing up in a tough neighborhood in the Bronx, NY.

Other Opening Ceremony Highlights included Greetings by Mary Behrens, second vice president of the American Nurses Association, and by Joyce Murray, president of the National League for Nursing; the Presentation of Colors by the University of Utah Color Guard; a proclamation on behalf of Salt Lake City's mayor naming April 4-10 National Student Nurses Week in Salt Lake City; and festive Greek dancing to cap off the ceremony. The Keynote and Opening were covered in the April 7 edition of the Salt Lake City Tribune. See http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci 2643876.

ELECTION RESULTS-2005-2006 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The following officers were installed at the close of the House of Delegates meeting on Saturday, April 9, 2005:

President: Rebecca Wheeler, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Vice-president: Shelley Ray, Oakland University, Rochester, MI

Secretary/Treasurer: Kathryn Mawn, Villanova University, Villanova, PA

Imprint Editor: Tara Patton, University of Texas, Tyler, TX

Breakthrough to Nursing Director: Paul Padilla, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ

Directors: Ashley Riker, Covenant School of Nursing, Lubbock, TX; Jennifer Jordan, Widener University School of Nursing, Chester, PA; Jennifer Tucker, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI;.Nicole Marcy, San Diego State University School of Nursing, San Diego, CA

Ex-officio and Chair, COSP Planning Committee: Brooke Huggins, Midlands Technical College, Columbia, SC

2005-2006 NOMINATING AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

Chairperson: Mary W. Luther, Delta State University School of Nursing, Cleveland, MS.

Members: Allison Simon, Bethel College, North Newton, KS; Joseph Kozak, Delaware Technical & Community College,Newark, DE; Marie Dinger, WeberState University, Ogden, UT.

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED

The House of Delegates passed the following resolutions in support of:

* Actual Height Measurements in Adults Recorded as a Screening Instrument for Early Detection of Osteoporosis

* Shaken Baby Syndrome Education in High School Health, Wellness, and Parenting Classes

* Education and Awareness Regarding the National Epidemic of Metabolic Syndrome in the United States

* The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks

* The American Nurses Association "Handle With Care Campaign"

* Encouraging People to Carry a List of all Current Medications as a Personal Emergency Preparedness Measure

* Increased Awareness of the Shortage of and Need for Nurse Educators

* Physical Education in Elementary and Secondary Schools and Nursing Research on the Role of Physical Activity in Decreasing Pediatric Obesity

* Comprehensive Mental Health Parity Legislation

* The Protection of Registered Nurses' Right to Overtime Pay

* Increased NSNA Involvement in Global Health Issues

* Increasing Education and Awareness for Parents of Children with Asthma to Reduce Hospital Emergency Room Visits

* Educating Health Care Professionals about Developing and Maintaining Current Health Care Advance Directives

* Increased Awareness Regarding the Effects of Shift Work on Nursing Performance and Driving while Sleep Deprived

* Increased Research, Awareness, and Education about Celiac Disease

ENDNOTE ADDRESS AND RECEPTION

The Endnote Address, "Transforming Care at the Bedside," was presented by Tamra Merryman, MSN, RN, FACHE, vice president of patient care at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA, who spoke about how a focused redesign of patient care processes at the bedside impact patient quality and nurse satisfaction. A closing reception ended the program.

FOUNDATION OF THE NSNA AWARDS CEREMONY

The NSNA Foundation Awards Ceremony honored many deserving nursing students and scholarship winners. see separate press release on www.nsna.org and click on FOUNDATION for a detailed list of winners.

EXHIBIT HALL

Over two hundred exhibitors, including hospitals and nursing schools, packed the Exhibit Hall. Students explored employment opportunities and gained valuable career information.

FUNDRAISING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

At the House of Delegates meeting on Saturday, April 9, $9,114 was pledged to benefit the Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association Endowed Scholarship Campaign during the annual House of Delegates Challenge. The Rocky Mountain Auction, a fundraiser for the Mary Ann Tuft Scholarship Fund, raised $6,274.