Toy Drive for Family Ties

Thank you to all of those who donated toys during our Christmas Toy Drive for Family Ties in December.

We collected 45 toys! All the children and their older siblings received a new toy from Santa Claus (Sherri Schmidt's husband). In addition, we were able to take polaroid photos of each child with Santa Claus for their mothers. Family Ties and all the mothers' were grateful for the wonderful gifts. SNA is hoping that this Toy Drive will continue each Christmas.

SNA's Christmas Tree

It's up! SNA members have been working on a Christmas tree as a campus club activity. Go take a look at it in upper Danner!

Thanks to Gloria Cazares, the committee chair and all of the other folks who've donated stuff or who given their time to this effort:

• Camacho Janitorial (for donating the tree!)
• Amanda Aguirre
• Forest Nelson
• Sue Barnes
• Trina Eagal
• Ann Soy
• Lucia Chavez
• Arlis Barba
• Michelle Berlin
• Andrea Traylor-Cwik

SNA is for us

Come to monthly SNA meetings, whenever you can. There's lots of useful information. Meet other students in different semesters! Win a raffle prize, maybe. Ask questions... Network future nurses, network! Find out about clinical work experience while still in school, new RN residency programs, using PDAs, legislation affecting the profession, what recruiters say about extracurricular activities (like club involvement), etc.

Get involved! Join a committee. Ask not what SNA can do for you (even though it could do a lot!)... but what you could do for SNA!

There's strength in numbers. Let's get strong together!

Meet your new officers

Congratulations to the Fall 2008 SNA Officers!

President - Michelle Berlin
Vice President - Sue Barnes
Secretary - Andrea Traylor-Cwik
Treasurer - Sonya Gill
President-Elect - Ogechi Achunine

The InterClub Council (ICC) representatives are Maria Harry and Tammie Griffith. See the right sidebar for more on the ICC...

The Nursing Market isn't what it used to be. Get your foot in the door, gain some experience, get to know about your hospitals. Two speakers will be at the next SNA meeting this Monday (note the different time) to talk about work experience/study and Versant. This meeting is essential to get a jumpstart on your nursing career.

See you there!

Take me out to the ball game . . .
and support the SNA!

Who: Stockton Port’s and SNA
What: Relaxation and fun!
When: Sunday May 18th at 2:05
Cost: $5.00 per person on Homerun Hill
(with one dollar benefiting the SNA)
Bring a blanket and your family!


Order forms and money must be turned in to the nursing office or any SNA officer by Wednesday May 7th!

Reiki SNA Meeting

Reiki proved to be a new and exciting topic for the SNA Members at the last meeting. Here are the Meeting's Minutes...

SNA Minutes for April 21st

I. Nominations for SNA positions next semester
a. Lisa read all position descriptions
b. Michelle Berlin nominates self for president - lisa Newbold second, nomination accepted
c. Lisa Newbold nominates Sue Barnes for vice president – Kristin Morone second, nomination accepted
d. Trina eagal nominates andrea traylor-cwik for secretary - Kristin morone second, nomination accepted
e. Sonya gill nominates self for treasurer – Kristin morone second, nomination accepted
f. Ana Hernandez nominates Ogechi for president elect – Kristin morone second, nomination accepted
II. Approval of monetary request form
III. Vote on Nicole/Danielle’s request for money for graduation
a. Kristin - $400 for graduation flowers
i. Sue Barnes moves that we give $400 to graduating class
ii. Wendy seconds
iii. Motion passed
IV. badges – requesting students purchase 2 – 3 patches for lab coats and scrubs
a. motion requested, second and passed
V. Port’s game Interest
a. $1 off if 25 tickets purchased, $2 off if 100 tickets purchased
b. May 18th
c. Collect money first, then order tickets
VI. Fundraising ideas
a. BJ’s 28th 11am-11pm, bring flyer
VII. Memorial day – traveling Vietnam Wall Interest – tabled to next meeting, need more information
VIII. Announce next meeting topic
a. Versant
b. Work study
IX. Reiki (Toni Barnett)
a. Body and mind heal self
b. Take responsibility for your own healing…does not conflict with any religions
c. Chakras – energy vortex (feed energy to organs and glands)
d. Aura –
i. Purple/blue – giving, love, service to others
ii. Green – money
iii. White – spiritual protection
** shows up in aura before it manifests in the physical body
e. healing addresses cause, curing addresses symptom
f. aura_maven@yahoo.com, 916-723-7052 – does the aura photos
g. All people have auras and chakras, so this type of healing is within all of us
h. Nurse developed therapeutic touch, which is more acceptable in the nursing world.
i. $60 for a Reiki treatment, generally

SNA Meeting this Monday!!

Nursing is an innovative field with specialties that are focusing on more than just medicine. Join us at the next SNA Meeting to learn about the spiritual aspect of healing.

SNA Agenda for April 21st

I. Approval of monetary request form
II. Vote on Nicole/Danielle’s request for money for graduation
III. Port’s game Interest
IV. Fundraising ideas
V. Memorial day – traveling Vietnam Wall Interest
VI. Announce next meeting topic
a. Versant
b. Work experience
VII. Reiki (Toni Barnett)

SNA Meeting Minutes

We had such a great turnout for our Survival Tips SNA Meeting. We hope to see all of you again for our next SNA meeting.

SNA Meeting Minutes for March 24th

Meeting began at 1305
I. Continued research on fundraising and community service projects
II. NSSP – Robin Shum and LaShonna Parker–
a. Stress Management – time is a big factor
i. I’M SOR
1. Identify goals in life, what do you like? (*if you enjoy what you are doing, your stress will be lower. Have a positive attitude!)
a. Don’t get too worried about details. Look at big picture.
b. Don’t wait until the last minute to complete assignments/study.
2. Modify
3. Simplify
4. Organize – split up your time accordingly
a. Planner
b. Look at one week. How much time did you spend on different activities? Analyze it.
c. Modify your lifestyle to make best use of your time and reduce stress.
i. Grocery stores not as full at night (time saver!)
ii. There is always a solution to things that happen in life. Don’t let stress affect your health. J
iii. Planning doesn’t mean anything unless you take action.
5. Recognize
**I LIKE NURSING!!
**Knowing and not doing is like not knowing. (I like that!)
ii. Relaxation and Health
1. eating habits – eat breakfast
2. get exercise
3. emotional health is important
4. schedule time for yourself to sit still or do something you enjoy
5. relaxing music
III. Danielle Mathias-Lamb
a. Don’t study more, study smarter
b. Nursing 4 very important!!
c. Know how theory applies to real world
i. Ask questions to instructors and nurses
d. Keep pamphlets that can and will come up again in later classes
i. Organized into body systems or what will work for you
e. grasp the concepts, everything else will follow
f. Books that helped Danielle
i. Critical Care Nursing Care Plan, 2nd Ed. - Delmar
ii. Study guide for Medical-surgical Nursing; Critical thinking in client Care, 3rd ed. – Lemone/Burke
iii. Nursing Diagnoses reference manual, 5th ed. – sparks/taylor
iv. Illustrated Study guide for the NCLEX – RN exam, 6th ed - Mosby
v. Memory notecards – pathophysiology and fluids and electrolytes (Mosby’s)
IV. Erin Shelby
a. Use your resources/study guides!!
b. It is very beneficial to study in groups
c. Prioritize
d. DON’T STRESS!!
e. Theory is only a few hours a week vs 12-20 hours of clinicals.
i. Get through theory and focus your learning on clinicals.
V. Ana Hernandez
a. Study smart!! – article, “Undergraduate Medical Education is NOT Rocket Science: But that does NOT mean it’s easy!
VI. Questions
a. Nursing 4?
i. Romena’s lectures follow the textbook
ii. Use study guide that goes with Lewis textbook.
1. It is a guideline for what to study
2. Why are the answers in the study guide wrong (not just right)
3. You may not get to all reading, doing questions, look at tables is good
4. Taking tests in nursing skills lab
b. don’t wait until you are failing to speak with the Nursing Student Success program
c. Everyone learns different, so find the person who learns how you learn.
VII. Nominations for SNA Leadership Award
a. Majority vote for Danielle Mathias-Lamb and Nicole Porter to be given award
VIII. Raffle
IX. 4th semester students, Nicole Porter and Danielle Mathias-Lamb requested funds from SNA for graduation flowers. TBD at next SNA meeting
Meeting adjourned at 1435

Test Taking Tips for Nursing Students

Sue Barnes has been so kind as to put together some test taking tips for the March 24th SNA meeting.

Test-taking tips for nursing students

• The key is to move quickly but carefully through each question. If you miss one important word, the whole meaning of the question could be changed.
  Don't spend too much time on any one question -- skip the hard questions (or take a guess, and mark them) and then come back, if you have the time.
• Before you look at the answer choices, try to understand what the question is asking – is it an assessment question? Does it relate to another stage in the nursing process? Is patient safety an issue? Indentify key words in the stem that may set a priority, indicate negative polarity, etc.
• Also – before looking at your choices – try to think of what YOU would do, THEN look at them. Maybe the one you thought of is there.
• There are many people who will advise that your first choice is usually right. If you find that you're second-guessing yourself, and going back to change answers, only to discover that you've changed to the wrong choice, this one may apply to you!
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a good guideline, where basic physiological needs come first.
• Remember your ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation). Anything related to oxygenation is usually the #1 priority.
• Positioning can be big, too. Especially if the patient is at risk for aspiration.
• Therapeutic communication is also an area you'll encounter again and again. Be sure you recognize the hallmarks of therapeutic communication. The answers that sound client-centered, respectful, and promote maximum client independence are usually your best bet.
• Practice doing NCLEX-style questions every day (Bonnie Boss recommends a minimum of 10 a day). For starters, do the questions in your textbook, accompanying study guide and using online resources from the publisher that relate to the chapters you're studying.
  

Other good resources for test-taking:

• Test Success – Test-Taking Techniques for Beginning Nursing Students (authors: Patricia M. Nugent and Barbara A. Vitale). The whole book is good, but Chapter 7 (Test-taking techniques) is especially good for helping you to analyze questions.
• Top Ten Test-Taking Tips (Evolve student development videos) with Linda Anne Silvestri
  http://evolve.elsevier.com/staticPages/s_student_development.html
• MEDS Successful Problem Solving and Test-Taking for Beginning Nursing Students
  (This tutorial software is available on the medspub.com site or free in the computer lab)

Survival Guide to Nursing School!!

Whether you are 1st semester or 4th semester, we can all benefit from tips on how to manage the semester's classes. Come to the next SNA meeting to find out HOW!

Agenda for Monday February 25th

SNA Agenda for February 25th

I. Approval of last meeting’s minutes
II. Voting on the amended by-laws
a. Article III, Section 2a
b. Article IV, Section 1f
c. Article V, Section 1, Secretary b, c and d
III. Nominations for SNA Leadership Award
IV. Voting on Instructor Lab coats for clinicals
V. Richard Meza presents PDA information
a. Different types of PDAs
b. Different websites available
c. Different types of programs?
VI. Skyscape – this company has not confirmed yet
a. Programs
b. How to
VII. ICC Report
VIII. Q & A Session
IX. Goals for next meeting (survivor tips)
X. Raffle

Keep SNA alive

Because there seems to be some confusion as to what is happening with SNA, I wanted to address the priority issues for retaining our club charter.

1st - General membership meeting on Feb 4 @ 1pm in Locke 229 is scheduled. EVERYONE interested in SNA should attend. The priority agenda item for this meeting is getting new officers elected and in place. Until new officers are elected nothing can be accomplished.

2nd - Once we have new officers, a new club application must be filled out and new signature cards submitted to Student Activities.

3rd - For the SNA to retain it's charter we must commit to one Club Rush Day time slot. Club Rush is NEXT WEEK. That means one or several people must be set up at a table in the Quad between 9am and 11am to talk to students and promote the club. All items necessary for this event are on hand in the locked cabinets, but we can not schedule our Club Rush time until the signed club apps and signature cards are completed.

4th - ICC mtgs are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at 1:30pm. The first mtg was not held as scheduled, so that leaves the meeting next Thursday that an SNA member MUST attend.

I am willing to help fill in these gaps as this is short notice, but we must get new officers elected, in place and up to speed re: our obligations and requirements to the ICC/Student Activities Office.

Please contact myself - Danielle Mathias-Lamb, out-going SNA President, Lisa Newbold - past Treasurer, incoming Vice President or Ana Hernandez, faculty advisor for questions or concerns. Feel free to email me or to comment/discuss SNA issues on the SNA blog. http://sjdcsna.blogspot.com/ There is a link to this blog on all semester blogsites. Please feel free to use it for SNA related discussions.

It is critical that SNA have an interested and involved membership, but until we seat officers, nothing may move forward.

Many thanks
Danielle Mathias-Lamb
Fall 2007 SNA President
kdaniellem@yahoo.comgoshblogit@gmail.com
209-834-2111 home
209-914-6312 cell

Jan 28 SNA mtg cancelled / rescheduled

Ana Hernandez is ill and will not be able to attend. Per our charter, an SNA mtg can not take place w/out the faculty advisor present.The meeting is rescheduled for the following Monday Feb 4 at 1:00pm in the skills lab rm 229.The agenda will continue to be focused on new officer elections and transfer of club charter information.
Many Thanks

Fall 2007 SNA Leadership Award recipients

Congratulations to Jenifer Williams and Sandra Harding who are sharing the SNA Leadership Award. Certificates of Appreciation were presented at the December pinning ceremony and their award checks placed in the mail.