Diversity in the Heartland – Student nurses set to meet

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Diversity in the Heartland is the theme for this year’s Oklahoma Nursing Student Association convention to be held this Friday, Oct. 27 in Norman.
The event will be held at the Marriott Conference Center and Hotel at the NCED, 2801 E. State Hwy 9 in Norman from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We’re kind of trying to focus on diversity and highlight the fact nursing is such a diverse field – men and women of all ages,” said Erica Jaramillo, breakthrough to nursing director for the ONSA. “For some people it’s their first career, for others it’s their second or third career.”
Speakers from a wide variety of specialities will be on hand to share their nursing careers and offer helpful insight for those looking to get a headstart on their own career.
Vendors will also be onsite during the all-day event.
“Nursing is a vast occupation and there are a bunch of different ways you can go into it starting from the beginning of life to the end of life,” Jaramillo said. “Basically, my job is to get people to come into the field of nursing.”
Jaramillo has worked at St. Anthony Hospital for the past five years. She began as a unit secretary and trained as a nursing assistant on the hospital’s medical-surgical floor.
She’s now in her second semester of Oklahoma City Community College’s traditional nursing program.
She said the ONSA is very active in introducing students from high school to college to the varied field of nursing.
Most recently, volunteers from OCCC, OSU-OKC and the University of Central Oklahoma nursing programs volunteered their time along with three nurses from St. Anthony in hosting a high school day.
“We showed them what you would do as a nurse,” Jaramillo said. “They got to see there are a bunch of different fields you can go into within nursing. We also ran a mock code with a dummy set up … and they ran through a code just like you would in a normal situation.”
The annual convention provides an opportunity for student nurses to come together and learn more about opportunities that exist around them in health care.
“Recruiters from all the different hospitals in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and all over Oklahoma are coming to try to get people who are fourth semester students,” Jaramillo said. “I’ve talked to some people who’ve had mini interviews on the spot right there.”
Nursing students preparing for Registered Nurse licensure or RN to BSN completion programs are invited to join ONSA and attend the convention.
By joining ONSA you are also becoming a member of of the National Student Nurse Association.
Jaramillo said the association will elect new officers during the convention.
The Board of Directors is the policy-making body of the Oklahoma Nursing Student Association between meetings of the House of Delegates held annually. Each board member has responsibilities in various program areas of the association and must also function as part of the organizational board of directors, sharing equally in the fiscal and decision-making responsibilities.
Each board member is expected to serve the association as a whole and to represent the needs of all members.
There are twelve members of the Board of Directors: President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Director, Newsletter Editor, Legislative Director, Breakthrough Director, Community Projects Director, Public Relations Director, and Marketing Director.
Calls for nominations will held for positions and voting will be held immediately following.
The term of office shall be for one year from the adjournment of the annual meeting at which these officers are elected until the adjournment of the annual meeting at which successors are elected.
A plurality vote shall decide elections in the event of three or more candidates vying for the same position. A tie shall be decided first by a revote, and, if necessary, then by casting lots.
For more information regarding the ONSA convention you can visit the group’s website at oknsa.net.