NSNA Reflection

• Professional Organizations: I am an active member of the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) at Keiser University. This professional organization empowers nursing students to succeed in their future endeavors. In my assessment, becoming a member of the NSNA has been crucial in my nursing career because it promotes advocacy, leadership, autonomy, professionalism, care, diversity, and quality education. In addition, I am a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society since 2014. Phi Theta Kappa recognizes students who excel academically throughout their education. Being part of this organization has giving me the confidence to work hard for what I believed and getting recognized for it.

• Committees: I do not belong to any Committee

Even though I was the secretary of the organization, my role went beyond this position. The NSNA organization allowed me to mentor others, raise funds for significant causes, and volunteer. I organized meetings every month for nursing students at Keiser University to discuss topics related to the development of skills that nurses should have as responsible and accountable members of the nursing profession. Nursing teachers usually led the meetings. I made sure to post advertisements around the school and on our Facebook page with time ahead regarding the meetings’ date and time. The NSNA organization has given me the opportunity to volunteer in different fields. One current example was collecting goods at my school for people affected by the hurricane Irma in 2017 here in Florida. I also volunteer at activities such as the Zombie Run and Color Run offering first

Haley. The Special Olympics Florida gave me the opportunity to volunteer as an educational nurse for intellectually disabled people. I educated individuals about a healthy and balanced diet as well as the importance of smoking and drinking secession. I talked about the significance of personal hygiene. I also emphasized the prevention against ultraviolet radiation because it is a major risk factor for most skin cancers. On the other hand, Metropolitan Ministries is an organization that helps children and families to get off the streets at night and to seek an education. I volunteered in the kitchen because Metropolitan Ministries feed not only their residents but also homeless and other institutions in need in the Tampa Bay area. I served food in the cafeteria and helped to clean the area before and after mealtime. Finally, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the VA Hospital James A. Haley. My role was to move patients to different places within the hospital with the supervision of staff. I also picked up packages to take to the laboratory from different floors in the