Nursing students have been busy with the traditional Welcome Breakfast for newly-accepted students into the nursing program, Safety Saturday, Red Cross Health Fair and attending the Louisiana Association of Student Nurses convention. Nursing 114 students hosted the Welcome Breakfast, and they helped provide new students with the resources they will need to succeed and grow in their nursing career. Mallory Rutledge, a Nursing 114 student and sophomore nursing major, said the breakfast to her was more than just food. It was a part of what a big help the nursing faculty and students alike are in the learning process and overall success of its students. “It’s like we are a family,” she said. “We wanted to show appreciation for our teachers as well as support to our ‘little brothers and sisters’ in the nursing program.” Rutledge said each Nursing 114 student put together a gift for a new nursing student such as previous notes, highlighters, book suggestions and other words of encouragement and advice. Remembering her “big sister,” she said she helped her a lot and they studied together for nearly every test. “I was happy I had that go-to person,” Rutledge said. “Any help you get in nursing school at all is a big help. It may help you to get that one question right on a test.” Next in the School of Nursing was Safety Saturday, when students helped with several activities to teach safety to local children and families. Nursing 110 students had the opportunity to practice procedures like taking blood pressures as well as educating the locals on safety. Also, the Red Cross Health Fair gave students similar real-life work experiences with people in the Ruston community. Nursing 112 students drew blood, administered flu and pneumonia shots and took blood pressures. Melissa Lustig, a Nursing 112 student and senior nursing major, said she and others had drawn blood and done those sorts of things several times before in clinicals, but she always feels more confident each time she gets to stick an actual person rather than just a mannequin. “I think our whole class felt really involved and comfortable with the event,” she said. A group of Student Nurse Association members attended the Louisiana Association of Student Nurse convention called, “Nurses are Life Savers.” Sharee Encalade, a senior nursing major, said there were great exhibitors like Hurst and Kaplan who did NCLEX-RN reviews with the students. NCLEX-RN is the name of the test required to receive professional licensure in the field of nursing, according to www.ncelexinfo.com. Most importantly she said two Tech faculty members, Nancy Darland and Tara Haskins, presented a variety of nursing topics. Darland, a professor of nursing, focused on “Facing the Challenges of Prematurity,” and Haskins, an assistant professor of nursing, spoke about “Victims of Violence: An Introduction into the Evidentiary Collection, Documentation and Treatment.” Community service events like St. Jude’s Radiothon, March of Dimes and Yoplait lid-collection for breast cancer, to name a few, contributed to Tech’s SNA chapter receiving the Best Community Service award at the convention. “It was an honor to all of us to be recognized for our hard work and dedication to the organization,” Encalade said. Story written by Haley Kraemer