By JANA L. COX
BYU nurses will provide free blood pressure testing to all students Friday outside the Harold B. Lee Library in celebration of National Student Nurses’ Day.
Nursing students from across the country will be sponsoring on-campus receptions, informational seminars and student activities. Such functions will educate students and expose those interested in the pre-nursing program to available opportunities, said Sonya Basel, president of the BYU Student Nurses’ Association.
National Student Nurses’ Day is commemorated as part of a week-long celebration which always includes May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, said Rosanne Schwartz, professor of nursing.
BYU’s College of Nursing has embodied Nightingale’s legendary service in its theme “Nursing: Healthcare with a Human Touch.” Student nurses participate in the Special Olympics, a mentorship program for pre-nursing students and regular community service.
“We’re always around the community doing different things,” said Margaret Buss, vice president of SNA.
In April,BYU sent seven students from the College of Nursing to the National Student Nurses’ Convention in Cincinnati.
“Many students don’t understand how important they are as nurses,” Basel said.
These conferences aid in defining a nurse’s role in the profession, she said.
In recent years, professors have streamlined and updated courses in the program, which was established in 1952, to emphasize the skills and knowledge demanded in the professional world.
For more information concerning Nurses’Week, call 378-4144.
