Student nurses group earns accolades for service, leadership

  Thursday, May 4, 2017 2:00 AM
  News, Academics

Pittsburg, KS

Pittsburg State University’s chapter of the Kansas Association of Nursing Students (KANS) has been recognized nationally once again for its professional leadership and service work.

The PSU chapter was recognized with the 2017 Image of Nursing Award at the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) Convention in April. The award recognizes a school chapter that promotes a positive image of nursing and demonstrates a significant contribution to the public and/or community through image of nursing projects.

For the PSU chapter, those projects included the Beautiful Lengths hair donation project for cancer patients, checking blood pressures and providing health information in Gorilla Village prior to football games and at basketball games, helping sponsor and staff campus blood drives, and providing first aid at Special Olympic events and at other activities on campus.

The PSU chapter also received the 2017 Stellar Chapter Award, which recognizes chapters that demonstrate ongoing involvement in NSNA and a strong commitment to shared governance and professional development of their students.

The chapter previously received the Stellar Chapter award in 2012 and was the first chapter in Kansas and among the first 10 chapters nationally to receive the honor. The award is based on a chapter’s activities over the past five years, so this was the first opportunity for PSU to have the honor renewed.

“Receiving the award again at the first opportunity for renewal reflects the ongoing involvement in professional leadership and service to others,” said Barbara McClaskey, the chapter’s adviser and a member of the faculty in PSU’s Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing. “This award would not be possible without outstanding student leadership and student involvement in the numerous service activities.”

Chapters are evaluated on their maintenance of constituency status, chapter leadership, director and faculty support of student involvement in NSNA, facilitation of professional development of students, chapter involvement in NSNA activities and involvement in service learning and in service to the community and profession.

For more information about the Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing, visit http://www.pittstate.edu/department/nursing/.