The Southern Colorado Association of Nursing Students helps Colorado State University-Pueblo nursing students gain volunteer experience, network and become involved in the Pueblo community. SCANS currently has six members built up of current nursing majors.
CSU-Pueblo SCAN members at a Walk for Alzheimer’s event | Photo courtesy of Lance Cox
Bri Mason, a junior at CSU-Pueblo, currently serves as the faulty representative.
“SCANS has the responsibility of connecting the nursing field to our program on our campus. This helps the nursing field improve if the nursing students can start off by implementing the most recent evidence-based practice,” Mason said.
Mason said she believes that SCANS plays an important role to nursing students but plans to become more active on CSU-Pueblo’s campus.
“I believe SCANS plays an important role for the nursing student body of CSU-Pueblo, but it is not very involved with the overall campus,” Mason added.
According to Mason, it would be more beneficial for SCANS and prospective nursing students for the organization to be more involved on the CSU-Pueblo campus.
“That is one our goals for the next few years,” Mason said.
“Being involved in SCANS has taught me a lot about communicating and getting involved with my major, not only at school but within the state and somewhat on the national level.”
Mason joined SCANS in hopes of a connection to be a part of for the start of her nursing career.
This upcoming April, the senior members of the club have the opportunity to travel to the National Nursing Convention held in Florida.
“The seniors of SCANS are going to Florida for the National Nursing Conference where they will learn about new evidence-based practice studies and bring back so that nursing students and our community can start implementing them,” Mason said.
Lance Cox, the SCANS treasurer said nursing students who are interested in joining SCANS can sign up on a sheet to participate, and the current nursing class will do a majority vote for the upcoming junior and senior class at the end of the 2016 spring semester.
“We first introduce each position within SCANS to the classes. We then have them sign up for a position if they would like to,” Cox said.
“After we have all of the people signed up, we do a voting within the classes for the candidates.”
Further information on the National Student Nursing Association can be found at www.nsna.org.