Active Student Governance

The College of Nursing students are active participants on the USF campus and in the Tampa Bay community. Student governance is led by the various student organizations representing our nursing student groups. Our organization members represent nursing students at university meetings and events and serve as the voice of students within the College. Currently there are four nursing student organizations in the College of Nursing: the College of Nursing Student Council (Undergraduate), the Student Registered Nurse Anesthesia Foundation at USF College of Nursing, the Master’s Student Nursing Organization and the Doctoral Nursing Student Organization.

The College of Nursing Student Council (CNSC) is an undergraduate student organization made up of students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Jessica Dorey, Council president 2008-2009, explained that the overall purpose of the organization is to promote camaraderie of students outside of the classroom and to reach out to the community. Members participate in social activities such as a bowling social, USF Homecoming activities and the annual Esculapian Ball with students from the Colleges of Medicine and Public Health. The CNSC also participates in various events to serve the community such as an annual sock/hygiene drive, flu shot drive, a health and fitness fair at Tampa’s Gasparilla Parade and the Relay for Life event, at which they recently placed third.

Jessica explains, “It is important to be an active part of the CNSC because school is stressful. This is the best way to see classmates as friends and know people on a personal level.”

The Student Registered Nurse Anesthesia Foundation at USF College of Nursing was founded by the first cohort of anesthesia students to promote the nurse anesthesia concentration. Current president Latanya Lawrence explained that all students in the nurse anesthesia concentration are members of the organization and provide mentorship to newly admitted students and promote the profession at the College of Nursing Open House for prospective students and at an information booth in the nursing gathering space during CRNA Week. At the state level, student leaders hosted a student session at the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA) Conference in 2008 and will host another session at the upcoming meeting this fall. Students have also traveled to Tallahassee to lobby for their profession. The organization has been successful in obtaining funds from USF to send all junior nurse anesthesia students to the FANA Conference at no cost to the students.

The Master’s Student Nursing Organization (MSNO) is the newest addition to the College of Nursing student organizations. Officially organized in July 2009, the MSNO was started by Nursing Education student, Pam Lozano, who currently serves the organization because she was always involved and was class president while in school in Peru. She wanted to do something and there was no organization to serve the master’s students.

Pam states, “The MSNO is a good way to connect with the College.” The goal of the organization is to increase its membership and encourage master’s students to get involved in order to facilitate communication.

The Doctoral Nursing Student Organization (DNSO) was recently organized in 2009 to serve the students in the PhD and DNP programs. The organization provides an opportunity for all doctoral students and faculty to interact outside of the classroom. Since January 2009, students and faculty have attended monthly lunches in order to discuss information about the doctoral programs and USF campus resources. Senior students also had the opportunity to discuss tips on succeeding in the programs and alumni presented on career opportunities after graduation. The DNSO encourages current students to serve as a resource to potential students at the Doctoral Open House and to new students at the Doctoral Orientation. The organization maintains a Blackboard page where information can be found on scholarships, grants, important USF and College of Nursing information, monthly lunch recordings and minutes and a discussion board where students can share information with one another.

Information about all of the College of Nursing student organizations and their officers can be found at http://health.usf.edu/nocms/nursing/Resources_for_Students/studentgovt.html 

Story by Melissa Molinari Shelton
Photo by Joseph Gamble
Originally published in the Fall 2009 Nursing Life magazine