Junior nursing student, Elise Krikorian, knew she wanted to make an impact outside the Penn State classroom and community, so she entered the running for the director of the National Student Nursing Association (NSNA) role. With her goal now realized, she represents the Penn State College of Nursing as our first ever board of directors' member.
“I felt like I had a lot more to learn,” Krikorian said. “Seeing the potential to make an impact in the national nursing community seemed like a great learning experience I wanted to have.”
She has continued to make an impact in the way nursing is perceived and bring new topics to light in the nursing community.
The NSNA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the professional development of nursing students in schools across the United States.
Currently, Krikorian is on the board holding a director role while also serving as the chair of the Population and Global Health Committee. NSNA's Board of Directors is made up of nine nursing students who are elected at the organization's annual convention and one ex-officio board member elected by the Council of State Presidents.
As the director, Krikorian is assigned six state chapters of the NSNA across the country. She periodically checks-in with them to ensure they stay up-to-date with the national level happenings and to support them by organizing their finances, events, or regulations they must meet.
In her position as the chair of the Population and Global Health Committee, she and other members pitch solutions for addressing population health concerns caused by issues like climate change, natural disasters and socio-economic inequalities.
“I really like being in this chair position because we talk about issues that are not seemingly related to nursing,” Krikorian said. “However, the more you look into it, climate change and global health affects the health of everyone in this world so it should be an issue brought up in nursing and how to help it.”
The 2019-20 theme for the Population and Global Health Committee is "Prevention, Protection, and Awareness." Their goal this year is finding ways to educate nurses on how they can prevent some of these issues and ultimately protect patients.
At University Park, Krikorian is the fundraising chair for SNAPS, the Student Nursing Association at Penn State. She joined SNAPS as a freshman and it helped her get involved on the national level her freshman year.
“As a freshman, people encouraged me to attend the national conference that year,” Krikorian said. “After I went to the conference, I was shocked how connected all these schools were and the power it had to bring issues to light in the nursing world.”
After attending the national conference, she began gaining support from her peers and faculty members.
“I am impressed by her dedication and commitment to be involved,” said Laurie Badzek, Dean of the College of Nursing. “And lead her peers as we work collectively to improve nursing education and the experience of those who enter our health system and require care.”
Although it was a bumpy in the beginning when Krikorian did not get selected for a position at the state level of the Student Nursing Association, she did not back down. After consulting with those around her she worked even harder earning her the spot on the National Executive Board.
This past July, Krikorian was invited to give a presentation at the Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Town Hall convention, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Future of Nursing campaign is driven by the National Academy of Medicine, they hosted several Town Hall events as a way to gain insight how to advance the nursing profession to help our nation create a culture of health, reduce health disparities, and improve the health and well-being of the U.S. population in the 21st century.
“Speaking at the convention was surreal,” Krikorian said. “There were many academic professionals that I met that really inspired me. It was such a rewarding experience.”
During her presentation at the meeting, Krikorian talked about issues she thought the committee should research, such as adverse childhood experiences, climate change, and nutrition.
Krikorian’s ultimate goal is to continue to see the nursing community further educate itself and keep evolving so hospitals can be the most efficient when it comes to caring for patients.
Back at school, she continues to partake in the many organizations she is involved in such as SNAPS, her involvement in THON, and her service organization: Epsilon Sigma Alpha; all while continuing her studies and National Board positions.
Watch her speak at the Future of Nursing Town Hall - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOrSAp4cKtc