"It was inspiring to hear what an important role the nurse has in crisis management, and how the small things we do or say can really make a lasting impact."
— Shale Tweed, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) student
The Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA) is the national voice of Canadian nursing students. The organization's goal is to "increase the legal, ethical, professional, and educational aspects that are an integral part of nursing." The CNSA seeks to advance positive promotion of nurses and the nursing profession as a whole.
Trinity Western University nursing students are members of this national organization, which connects them to the broader community of nursing students and provides a variety of opportunities for involvement, such as presenting at the annual scholarly showcase at the CNSA National Conference.
Recently, four TWU nursing students attended the 2021 CNSA Virtual National Conference in January. They share their reflections here below:
Kaitlyn Christiansen, BSN (3rd year student)
This year’s CNSA National Conference focused on how we as nurses can participate in Crisis Intervention. As nurses, I don’t think it will be uncommon for us to come face to face with various sorts of crises in our careers, no matter where we work; thus, I thought this would be an invaluable topic to learn more about, and it was! One of the talks that I particularly enjoyed was about harm reduction for those who struggle with substance abuse. They talked about how substance abuse in Canada has been a crisis now for some time. With harm reduction, nurses can not only decrease the stigma surrounding substance abuse, but also improve quality of life and even save a life. Harm reduction can prevent a crisis from happening in the first place, so as nurses, we should be offering alternative options for patients to improve their health and safety if other routes of health care and treatment are not accessible.
Overall, this conference was a great learning experience! It provided a way to hear from fellow nurses in a more personable way. I hope I can take what I have learned into my practice when crisis situations come up!
Una Chang, BSN (1st year student)
This conference was a great learning experience! A learning moment was exploring how climate change, health and nursing practice relate to each other. Before the conference, I had a vague idea about how climate change could relate to nursing. In the workshop, Maya Kalogirou, the speaker, clearly illustrated a link: if climate change is threatening human health, nurses have an ethical and theoretical basis to get involved. This message reminded me how the profession of nursing connects to every aspect of human life as they relate to the health of the public.
Danielle Antig, BSN (1st year student)
The CNSA 2021 National Conference was a great learning experience! My first workshop was about MAID and the laws and regulations surrounding it. I learned more about MAID’s historical context and how this controversial Canadian law precipitated from a woman’s court case and her desire to end her life because of a medical condition. I also learned about what nurses should do when dealing with patients who want to use MAID.
The most interesting seminar I attended was a beginner nursing American Sign Language (ASL) workshop. This amazing opportunity expanded my basic ASL vocabulary to include some medical signs for when I may encounter patients who use ASL to communicate. I am very grateful to have attended this year’s conference and would 10/10 do it again!
Shale Tweed, BSN (3rd year student)
This CNSA Conference provided an eye-opening experience into the importance of managing crisis. This conference displayed the many avenues of nursing and all the unique jobs that are available. One of my favourite lectures was about the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) and what a day in the life looks like for an air ambulance nurse. It was inspiring to hear what an important role the nurse has in crisis management, and how the small things we do or say can really make a lasting impact. It was a privilege to attend the CNSA conference and engage in conversation with amazing students and faculty. I am very grateful for this opportunity!
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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