SNAP-Villanova honored again

Congratulations to Villanova University's chapter of the Student Nurses' Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP-Villanova) for receiving the Most Nationally Recognized Award from Villanova University's Office of Student Development!

SNAP has received the university award in addition to being recognized for the following:
• the state SNAP's award for the Most Outstanding Chapter in Pennsylvania for the second consecutive year
• designation as a Stellar School by the National Student Nurses' Association. Only 10 schools in the United States hold this recognition.
• National Community Service Honorable Mention Award for SNAP-Villanova's dedication and work for the campus wide Andy Talley Bone Marrow Drive and Program.

SNAP-Villanova is one of the largest and most active chapters in the state. Each year it provides outstanding professional development opportunities to the next generation of Villanova Nurses, under the leadership of longtime advisor, Associate Professor Carol Weingarten, PhD, RN, ANEF.

Igniting interest in safety among children for National Public Health Week

College of Nursing student Eric Nowaczyk, along with Bridget Baker and Jackie Dunayevich, teaches Dobson 8th graders about fire safety.


Safety was the name of the game as students from the College of Nursing at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa. kicked off National Public Health Week on April 4th by teaching critical health topics to 7th and 8th graders at the James Dobson Elementary School in nearby Philadelphia. Given their age and compelling injury statistics for children, the nursing students focused on home and sports safety, preparing educational messages in line with the theme for the week “Safety is NO Accident: Live Injury-Free.”

The nursing students who participated are in the College’s traditional bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program or accelerated BSN program for adults with a college degree in another field. The students discussed sport safety in line with the Safety at Play theme of National Public Health Week in the 7th grade classroom. The students developed posters that will hang in the school gym to reinforce the content. They talked with the 8th grade students about fire safety. Discussion targeted having working smoke detectors in the house, making an escape plan with their parents, and knowing what to do in the event of a fire in their home. Games were used to spark interest and engage the youngsters in applying their new knowledge. Smoke detectors were awarded as prizes to the two students who found the most words in a home safety word search.

Having nursing students teaching the children had other positive effects, in addition to learning how to live injury-free. “The Villanova nurses are terrific role models for our students, having them in our school brings college closer to the students,” notes Dobson school counselor Lori Lertora, an alumna of the University.

Regardless of the degree program—the College has bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level programs—students at Villanova have an ongoing focus on patient and community safety and the promotion of health. “Villanova Nursing faculty and students used the APHA week as a reminder of the important role nurses play in keeping individuals and communities safe,” says Kim Connolly, MPH, RN, clinical assistant professor and director of the College of Nursing’s Center for Global and Public Health. This focus cuts across all areas of practice. From discussing safety messages with patients in clinical settings—such as preventing falls at home or encouraging safe environments for infants-- to providing education in school settings, Villanova Nurses highlighted the importance of thinking about and implementing proactive measures at school, work, home and in the community.

College of Nursing’s anesthesia students respond to hunger emergency

Pain-free surgery and a full pantry—it’s all in a day’s work for the community minded anesthesia students from the Villanova University/ Crozer-Chester Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Program. They don’t just deliver highly potent drugs to their patients; they also deliver food to those in need—nearly a ton of it.

In celebration of the 2011 Nurse Anesthetist week this winter, the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) Public Relations committee, chaired by Villanova/Crozer’s Associate Program Director Jodie Szlachta CRNA, PhD, sponsored a successful statewide food drive. Approximately 203 students from eleven nurse anesthesia programs throughout the state participated in various community activities and supported statewide agencies to assist neighbors.

In the midst of their rigorous 27-month classroom and clinical education, the Villanova-Crozer junior and senior students focused just as much intensity on the service effort. Jennifer Venafra, SRNA who earned her BSN at Villanova in 2006 and Amy Arbushites SRNA, coordinated the 35 students and 3 administrators who participated from the Villanova-Crozer program. They solicited donations at 10 sites, including both stores and clinical sites. Students stood outside grocery stores in unforgiving weather and even encouraged people to use a texting option to donate if they could not give food. Their efforts paid off for Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, which happily accepted multiple car loads of food—1900 pounds of it to be exact—as well as $100.

Philabundance reduces hunger and food insecurity in the Delaware Valley. It serves low income residents at risk of hunger and malnutrition, of which 23% are children and 16% are senior citizens. For those people, better nutrition means better health.

The students were energized by the experience. At the same time they advocated feeding the hungry and created a positive change in the community, the students were also able to promote nurse anesthesia as a vibrant part of the nursing profession.

Undergraduate Nursing Scholars Day

Long hours, research techniques, nursing knowledge, clinical experience and a big dose of drive came together as the scholarly work of undergraduate nursing students was showcased at the inaugural Undergraduate Nursing Scholars Day held April 12th in Driscoll Hall.

The campus community joined the College of Nursing for the poster presentations by students from the traditional undergraduate and accelerated second degree programs on such topics as lower back pain, intellectual disabilities, community health worker education, exercise programs, shared governance, breast feeding, collective bargaining and bipolar disorder. The faculty challenged the students who will graduate soon to find evidence based solutions for the clinical situations they will encounter in their practice and share them in a similar forum.

Additionally, senior nursing majors in the Community Health Nursing course developed and presented talks followed by Q&A on their Population Assessment Projects representing developmentally challenged populations, an ethnic population in Philadelphia, a South Philadelphia neighborhood, and a North Philadelphia population as well as a Kensington neighborhood, maternal /child populations in Philadelphia, adults in Conshohocken, international sites in Central and Latin America, and Chester County health problems. Each group had reviewed health statistics as well as the impact of economic, social and environmental factors on the morbidity and mortality of their assigned population. They further identified and prioritized health issues and multidisciplinary solutions to those problems.

College of Nursing Medallion

On Saturday April 9th, the College of Nursing will honor two alumnae with its highest award—the College of Nursing Medallion. The awards will be presented during the 22nd Annual Mass and Alumni Awards Ceremony to be held in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church. All are welcome to attend.

The Medallion for Distinguished Contributions to the Profession will be given to Tara Siegal Cortes ’67 B.S.N., executive director of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, professor and Mathy D. Mezey Chair, Geriatric Nursing, New York University College of Nursing. Dr. Cortes has also served as a member of the Villanova Board of Trustees. The Medallion for Excellence in Clinical Leadership is awarded to AnnMarie Young Papa ’77 B.S.N., ’95 M.S.N., interim clinical director, emergency nursing and clinical nurse specialist, emergency department, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; president, Emergency Nurses Association .

A third Medallion for Distinguished Service to the College of Nursing goes to Mary Ann McGinley, PhD, RN, Senior Vice President for Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Additionally, four faculty are being honored for 25 years of service: Dr. Linda Copel, Dr. Marycarol McGovern, Dr. Carol Weingarten and Prof. Deborah Wimmer.