College of Nursing and Public Health (CNPH) students recently hopped on a flight to Seattle, Washington, to participate in the National Student Nurses’ Association National Conference—an annual opportunity for nursing students across the United States to learn and network.
Thanks to sponsorship by the Office of the Dean of the College, in partnership with an Adelphi Women’s Leadership Conference grant, 15 students—all board members of the Adelphi University Student Nurses Association (AUSNA) and the Adelphi University Men in Nursing Association (AUMNA)—had their attendance at the conference completely funded.
Held in April at the Seattle Convention Center, AUSNA and AUMNA members were able to attend UWorld National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) review sessions and nursing licensure focus sessions and participate in a seizure first aid workshop hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation. The convention offered specialty nursing areas and various educational workshops for nursing students, career development opportunities, and exhibits that offer connection with a variety of employment and academic settings, NCLEX vendors and publishers.
This event is in keeping with a key strategic initiative set by College of Nursing and Public Health Dean Deborah Hunt, PhD ’12, to emphasize the importance of professional connections, networking and development for all healthcare professional students. In Fall 2024, Dean Hunt, supported by CNPH Director of Strategic Initiatives Cait McElroy and the CNPH faculty planning committee, successfully launched the CNPH Student-Alumni Advocacy Forum. The launch event featured a professional networking panel of board members from the National Student Nurses Association, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island and the Alpha Omega Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. According to Dean Hunt, her goal is to tap the ever-expanding, accomplished Adelphi nursing alumni network and connect these professionals with Adelphi’s student nurses to create lifelong mentoring relationships.
Adelphi’s Nursing Student Organizations
A vital component of the Adelphi nursing experience is the support provided to students via participation in nursing organizations like AUSNA and AUMNA. The executive leadership of both organizations continually assemble an events calendar designed to support and enhance the overall student experience.
AUSNA allows students to come together and network with faculty, external healthcare institutions and fellow nursing students from across the region. AUSNA routinely holds supplemental CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), BLS (basic life support) and Stop the Bleed training so nursing students are prepared and continuously compliant with clinical education health clearance requirements. Similarly, the Men in Nursing Association, Adelphi’s newest nursing student organization, has helped to provide growth and development opportunities for fellow nursing students throughout the academic calendar.
In addition to ensuring that professional preparedness is top of mind for our nursing students, Adelphi’s student organizations also focus on self-care and wellness as important components of students’ transition to professional practice. AUSNA co-sponsors Mindful Meditations in partnership with Adelphi’s Mindfulness Center and hosted a Fall 2024 event appropriately titled “Reduce Your AnxiTEA,” which offered a self-care demonstration for students, complete with complimentary tea service.
Nora Foote, senior nursing student and co-president of AUSNA, said that the organization has brought her more opportunities than she could imagine throughout her four years at Adelphi, from travel to conventions and volunteer work to externship leads. Now she’s paying it forward.
“As the co-president of AUSNA and a nursing leader at Adelphi, my job is to bring more opportunities from outside the classroom to our student members,” said Foote. “We have invited multiple specialty nurses—such as NICU, Med-Surg, CTICU, OR, PICU professionals—to talk with our students about all the opportunities nursing has to offer. We also host many social events for networking and stress reduction.”
“We wouldn’t have been able to do all of this without our AUSNA E-Board,” she continued. “Nursing as a profession requires teamwork—and I am already getting a head start.”
Dalia Savy, senior and co-president of AUSNA, describes her experience at Adelphi leading AUSNA as a unique opportunity that brought continued growth.
“I have been involved as a leader of AUSNA since my sophomore year and the best part about it is everyone you get to connect with. Between mentoring underclassmen and connecting with leaders of different professional nursing organizations, you are really able to build a strong network that supports both personal and professional growth,” said Savy. “Being part of AUSNA has given me the opportunity to collaborate on meaningful projects and advocate for student nurses. It’s not just about coordinating events—it’s about creating community and learning from each other every step of the way.”
Impact on Campus and Beyond
Productive collaborations between AUSNA and AUMNA include a recent, well-attended forum with Adelphi nursing professors, giving nursing students the opportunity to hear about career experiences and professional insights and to receive healthcare education advice. Professor Edmund J.Y. Pajarillo, PhD; Assistant Professor Edwin-Nikko R. Kabigting, PhD; and Daniel Haughie, senior adjunct faculty, took part in a robust Q&A facilitated by AUMNA President Salvatore Carollo.
Carollo explains that the educational and professional development opportunities made possible through Adelphi’s nursing student organizations have a tremendous impact on the student experience at Adelphi.
“The Men in Nursing Association has allowed male nursing students to become leaders within their community,” he said. “As an organization, we have seen immense growth and popularity within our first year, gaining upwards of 50 members—male and female alike.”
He shares that AUMNA has organized a wide variety of events pertaining to the interests of male nursing students, connecting them with the Navy, fellow alumni and Adelphi’s male nursing educators for Q&A sessions to enrich their education. They have also connected with organizations like Planned Parenthood, Memorial Sloan Kettering, the Epilepsy Foundation and others to spread awareness on topics that impact their community.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to step up and preside over the men in nursing on Adelphi’s campus and I am grateful for the opportunities for professional development that CNPH has provided. I hope that the AUMNA can continue to succeed on this campus and bring in more men to step up as leaders within their professional community.”
AUSNA 2024–2025 E-Board
Co-Presidents
Nora Foote
Dalia Savy
Vice President
Kiana Ma. Yrrah Samonte
Secretary
Fenny Chen
Treasurer
Karen Zhang
Vice President of NSNA Affairs
Elizabeth Nemirovsky
Event Coordinators
Gabriela Baloglou
Natalie Baez
Fundraising Coordinator
Victoria Ribeiro
Social Media Coordinator
Abigail Melman
Adelphi University Men in Nursing 2024–2025 E-Board
President
Salvatore Carollo
Vice President
Michael Elkin
Public Relations
Josh Gurevich
Secretary
Oleg Kafarskiy
Treasurer
Brian Harinski