The Louisiana Tech Student Nurse Association made waves at the 54th Annual State Convention, themed ‘An Ocean of Opportunity,’ held Oct. 16-19 in Alexandria.

Cynthia Davidson, president of Tech Student Nurses Association; Jessica Bond, parliamentarian; and Edwina Elrod, community health representative; receive the award from State SNA President Victoria Johnson for the best community service project.

Tech took first place for the most community projects and first place for the most outstanding community project, which benefitted the March of Dimes. The Tech Student Nurse Association received a plaque and $50. The March of Dimes project was a service learning project during the spring 2008 quarter in Nursing 210 Maternal and Newborn Health Maintenance. Cynthia Prewitt Davison, of Dubach, and Jessica Bond, of Quitman, served as student coordinators for this event along with nursing instructor Nancy Darland, Lincoln Parish chair for the March of Dimes. The group also placed second for the cover of its scrapbook.

Students who attended the convention were President Cynthia Davidson, of Dubach; Vice President Sheena Battles, of Monroe; Secretary Brittany Creed, of Monroe; Treasurer Jordan Dauzet, of Alexandria; Parliamentarian Jessica Bond, of Quitman; Community Health member Edwina Elrod, of Winnsboro; and SNA member Wren Jordan, of Farmerville.

Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that combines community service with classroom instruction to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities by creating a community-campus partnership.

Nine service-learning projects were performed during the spring 2008 quarter by 25 students enrolled in Nursing 210. The projects were done in association with Life Choices in Monroe, Tech’s Spring Fling, Louisiana Vocational College in Shreveport, the Mission in Bossier City, Lincoln Parish Health Unit, Ouachita Parish Health Unit, Ouachita High School, Northeast Louisiana March of Dimes, Ruston Fire Department and EMS, and Dubach High School. More than 2,250 people received services from services, which included classes on sexually transmitted disease prevention, prenatal education, breastfeeding, teenage pregnancy, contraception, prenatal nutrition, infant car seat safety, prematurity prevention, emergency maternal/newborn care and infant care.

Written by Elizabeth Christian