The National Student Nurses’ Association’s 60th Anniversary Convention and Alumni Reunion was held in Pittsburgh April 11-15, 2012. The Villanova chapter of the Student Nurses’ Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP), led by 2011 President Megan Copel and 2011 Vice Presidents Brittany Beckmann and Hillary Dutton along with 2012 SNAP President Ashleigh Morris, brought home several outstanding awards for the College of Nursing.
Villanova won the National Community Health Award for the “Most Successful School Project” for the health promotion projects at the McDaniel School in Philadelphia—a major honor as only one such award is given. Villanova also continues its designation as a National Stellar School, previously awarded at the 2011 convention, and is currently one of only 14 schools in the country to hold this highest award designation from NSNA. The delegation was also named the “Most Outsanding Chapter in Pennsylvania.”
Inspired by the research and mentorship of Associate Professor Mary Ann Cantrell, PhD, RN Villanova’s resolution, “Increased Awareness of the Psychosocial Needs of Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer” was presented to the House of Delegates and was passed. Senior Sinead Kemmy was selected last summer for the NSNA’s National Resolution Committee and sophomores Lauren Cebulski, Karley McBreen and Lisa Novak whom Sinead mentored, presented the resolution on behalf of the chapter. Villanova is the only chapter in the country to have authored and submitted resolution at the state and national levels ever year since 1986.
As a member of the National Resolutions Committee, Sinead Kemmy did outstanding work through the convention as she advised resolution’s authors before presentation of their work and helped to lead the processes related to the NSNA’s resolutions. An unprecedented 40 resolutions were presented. The Resolutions’ Committee members met with each of the authors prior to the resolutions’ progressing to the hearings and then debated and vote in the House of Delegates. Sinead's work related to the resolutions began long before the convention.
SNAP Vice President, junior Sarah Gross, received a national Promise of Nursing scholarship and represented the College of Nursing at the Johnson and Johnson Promise of Nursing reception. Villanova's students served as voting delegates and as monitors in the House of Delegates as well as volunteering in staffing other activities during the convention.
A well deserved award was also bestowed upon Associate Professor Carol Toussie Weingarten, Ph.D., R.N., ANEF, who has served as faculty advisor of Villanova’s SNAP chapter since 1985. At the opening ceremonies of the convention, unaware she was to receive this award, Dr. Weingarten was given the NSNA's Honorary Member Award.
These highest of honors bestowed upon the delegation continue to make the College of Nursing proud and rightfully acknowledge the dedicated work of our mentors and future nursing leaders.
