Nursing Students

COVID-19 is taking a significant toll on the mental health of both adults and children. A student-led webinar series from The Ohio State University College of Nursing is providing children and teens with evidence-based tips to help improve their health and wellbeing amid this pandemic and beyond.

Bringing together students of multiple backgrounds, majors, and experience levels, the Master of Healthcare Innovation program at The Ohio State University College of Nursing is empowering today’s healthcare leaders to embrace human-centered design and develop their pioneering solutions.

Sheri Sawchuk, DNP, APRN, NP-C, CNE, fell into nursing by providence – she attended an informational session for a local nursing program after driving a friend there and ultimately enrolled in classes herself for the following semester. In 2013, Sheri first learned of the Global Health Education Program (GHEP) at Chamberlain University from the program’s founder, Susan Fletcher, EdD, MSN, BSN. Today, after finding her passion at the intersection of nursing, education, and global health, and with 15 years of international relief work under her belt, Sheri leads nursing students on international GHEP trips to help up-and-coming nurses identify their nursing passions.

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe that nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and our critical partners on the front lines of care. Nurse-led innovation has resulted in important healthcare advancements throughout history – and Johnson & Johnson is committed to helping nurses continue addressing patient needs through resources and opportunities like the J&J Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge.

Boasting a wide-ranging scope of practice and significant presence in patient care, nurses make up the largest percentage of the nation’s healthcare workforce. The demand for nurses continues to grow; however, an estimated 17.5 percent of nurses leave their first nursing job within the first year, often due to a lack of development programs in place to help recent nursing graduates navigate the transition between academic and clinical settings.

As the traditional role of a nurse continues to expand to help foster innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship, nurses with excellent clinical and administrative skills are in higher demand than ever before. One program that is helping future nurses build this valuable dual skillset is the Nursing and Health Care Management (NHCM) program at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), which aims to prepare student nurses to become transformative practitioners and leaders.

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program has worked to support the reconstruction of affected areas by providing educational programs for Japanese nursing students interested in further developing their skills in disaster medicine. Launched in 2015, the program has successfully provided learning opportunities for a total of 28 nursing students and is scheduled to continue through the year 2020.

After a nearly 20-year nursing career, Patricia (Tricia) Cady, RN, ADN, BSN, decided to return to school to pursue her BSN at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Nursing, where she observed a long-standing problem with extubations in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). To help address this issue, Tricia developed the idea for the Cady Hug, a flexible vest that helps protect neonates from accidental extubations while keeping them comfortable and their tubes accessible for their care providers.

Nancy P. Hanrahan, PhD, RN, FAAN, executive director and associate dean of healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship at the Bouve College of Health Sciences and professor and former dean of the School of Nursing at Northeastern University, is firmly committed to evolving the reputation of nursing.

Student nurses left the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) 66th Annual Convention plenary session feeling inspired about their future role as healthcare professionals in a world where nurses are empowered, recognized, and valued as change makers.

Earlier this month at the 66th Annual National Student Nurses’ Association Convention in Nashville, Tenn., Rebecca Love, MSN, RN, ANP, addressed thousands of student nurses at the plenary session hosted by Johnson & Johnson, and inspired them to redefine the nursing profession through innovation and entrepreneurship.

Since 1992, the Johnson & Johnson Bridge to Employment (BTE) program has been helping high school students in the United States prepare for careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing & Design (STEM2D) sectors, including nursing. Twenty-six years later, BTE is an international program that operates in 18 countries through meaningful education experiences and authentic career preparation.

For student nurses in their final year of nursing school, December is a milestone month. Many are graduating this month, while others are preparing for their final semester as students, but all are one step closer to the reality of a career in nursing. 

The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing, now celebrating its 15th year, has been an unwavering national effort widely recognized by many as tremendously successful in its drive to recruit, retain and support the nursing profession. Although the success of this initiative is encouraging, it is important to acknowledge that there is still more work to be done. Learn more about how nursing scholarships are helping support the next generation of nurses.

Now, more than ever, nurses are critical to the health of our world. The future of our healthcare system is dependent upon recruiting and retaining passionate student nurses. The future of our healthcare system is dependent upon recruiting and retaining passionate student nurses like those we recently met at the 65th National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) convention in Dallas, Texas.

Finding your way from college into your first job as a nurse can be confusing. We asked recent nursing school graduate, Ryan Bannan, RN, to share his tips for ensuring a smooth transition. Bannan is the immediate past president of the National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) and a New Grad Residency Program for the Intensive Care Unit at DeKalb Medical Center in Atlanta, Ga.

You just graduated from nursing school. You passed the NCLEX, and you’re well on your way to becoming a new nurse in your chosen specialty. How do you feel? It’s a big step toward your future career, but making the transition from nursing school to your first nursing job can definitely be nerve-racking.