News and Events
Student Leaders of Today, Nursing Leaders of Tomorrow
Over the course of four days in early April, a delegation of nursing students from the Ball State Student Nurse Association (BSNA) attended the 61st Annual Convention of the National Student Nurse Association (NSNA) with 3,000 students, faculty and staff from nursing schools from nearly all 50 states and several US territories. Pictured below, from left to right, are BSU students and BSNA representatives to the NSNA House of Delegates Anne Celestin-Dugé (School of Nursing, Class of May 2013), Brynn Buchanan (School of Nursing, Class of July 2013), Brianne Deuser (School of Nursing, Class of December 2013), Taylor Smith (Ball State University Pre-Nursing Major), and Tyshawnta (Ty) Williams (School of Nursing, Class of May 2016).
Outstanding Nursing Alumni 2013 Award Recipient Announced
Ball State Nursing alumni who have given exceptional service to the nursing profession through education, service, and community involvement are eligible for the prestigious Nursing Alumni Society Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award.
The 2013 Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award will go to Catherine A. (Conwell) Moniaci, BS79, Director of Patient Care Services, Shriners Hospital for Children, Houston, TX. The prestigious recognition take place at the annual Ball State Nursing Alumni Banquet, Saturday, April 27, at the Alumni Center.
After marrying her college sweetheart, they moved to Texas and she began working at Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, first as a staff nurse, and then as assistant head nurse in the medical/oncology unit. She remained at Hermann for 18 years, serving as unit director for the oncology area from 1991 – 1985. Then she transferred to the pediatric ICU/pediatric special care unit as nursing director through May, 1997.
Moniaci was named to her current position at the Shriners Hospital following a year as acting administrator, with responsibility for maintenance, engineering and safety of the hospital. Her role today includes that oversight in addition to the clinical areas of the hospital. She oversees operations for 14 patient care areas, and is responsible for budgeting, fiscal administration, Board reports and working with the chief of Staff to coordinate operations of outpatient clinics, OR, and the inpatient unit. She earned a master’s degree at Texas Women’s University in 1988.
Moniaci is a member of the Texas Medical Center Quality Council, Houston Greater Houston Parnership Worksource, Texas Medical Center Council of Nurse Executives, Texas Organization of Nurse Executives, American College of Healthcare Executives and the Society of Pediatric Nurses, and holds the ANA Certification for Nursing Administration.
She was recognized by the Houston Chronicle as one of the top, outstanding nurses for her dedication and caring at Shriners Hospital. Wearing several hats there, she has found that she enjoys the administrative tasks as well as care giving and nursing.
“Two things make me come to work daily; in administration, I can make a difference. I love to see a process change and make what we do even better,” she told the Chronicle. “The other thing is seeing the absolute joy on faces of parents and patients as they achieve what they did not think might be possible, and are able to move on with their lives.”
Latest Edition of The Link now Available
The new 2013 version of The Link, the School of Nursing & Nursing Alumni Newsletter, has been posted. View it here!
Ball State Student Nurse Association: Leadership in Action
On 23 March, a delegation of 17 Ball State Student Nurse Association members, along with Advisors DeLisa Flynn and Doc Hunter, attended the annual state convention of the Indiana Association of Nursing Students (IANS) in Indianapolis. Nine students' registration costs were covered with the generous support of School of Nursing faculty and staff. A hearty thank you to those who supported one or more students! The students were all a credit to the BSNA, to the School of Nursing, and to BSU.
During the business portion of the meeting, BSNA students were elected to several IANS Board of Directors positions. A special congratulations to Bri Deuser (President-elect), Tyshawnta (Ty) Williams (Membership Director-elect), and Taylor Rae Bard (Newsletter Editor-elect). Students Maggie Stemnock and Taylor Justine Smith also volunteered to assume the Board positions of Community Service and Disaster Preparedness Director and Rules and Bylaws Director that were not filled in the election. It is expect that they will be confirmed by the full IANS Board at their next meeting. Their confirmation will mean that Ball State students will occupy five of the nine positions on the IANS Board of Directors, especially impressive given that Ball State was not even represented on the Board two years ago. Our students are to be congratulated for their accomplishments.
As a sign of BSNA members' dedication, the BSNA took home the honor for the largest chapter membership increase in the state and may well be a contender for the same honor at the national level.
In early April, Jane Edwards and Doc Hunter will accompany a delegation of six BSNA students to the annual national convention of the National Student Nurse Association (NSNA). At the convention, five of our students will participate in the national legislative session. Several others will be active in the first of two transitional meetings of the IANS Board of Directors.
Given the length of the conference and the distance to be traveled, there are substantial costs involved. Every member of the BSNA has pledged to contribute significant personal resources to make the trip. To make up the difference, the BSNA is actively engaged in fundraising activities.
We're excited for this dynamic and engaged group of students, for all they have achieved thus far, and all they hope to achieve in the next year.
President's Message
The annual Nursing Alumni Banquet will be 27 April at the Ball State University Alumni Center. The banquet is a great time to plan a reunion, to reconnect with friends, and see what they have been doing in our wonderful profession. We will be celebrating the Summer 2012, Fall 2012, and Spring 2013 BSU School of Nursing graduates. The 2013 Nursing Scholarship recipients and 2013 Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award recipient will also be honored. The Alumni Association would like to encourage you to donate to the BSU School of Nursing or the Nursing Alumni Society. This can be valuable in sponsoring students for conferences and conventions. Donations are also used for the annual banquet and scholarships. We appreciate any donation. We need to celebrate our nursing accomplishments with peers. I hope you are able to make time in you busy schedule to come and fellowship with friends at this year’s banquet.
~DeLisa Flynn, RN, MSN
President
Nursing Alumni Society
Board of Directors
One More Way to Save a Life
When one of our young alumni recently visited the Simulation and Information Technology Center (SITC) , she nodded over to the obstetrics recovery simulation. She reminisced about being a student and participating in the simulation where a mother who had just delivered twins and was seemingly doing well, ends up bleeding out.
“That exact thing happened at the hospital where I work, and I was able to save that woman’s life—because I learned how to here,” she said.
No doubt about it, SITC is an invaluable part of our nursing students’ education. Its highfidelity simulators give our students fantastic experiential learning opportunities to prepare them for their work with real patients. Making sure that Ball State students have these state-of the-art simulators to work with requires a huge financial investment that goes beyond the initial costs to acquire the equipment. Service warranties and maintenance for the simulators are also significant because of the technology involved, and the School of Nursing needs alumni gifts for these costs.
Would you please support the School of Nursing by designating a gift to fund #6301 at the Ball State Foundation? Your gift will assist in providing for the welfare, support and advancement of the School, and help to deliver innovative, experiential learning that is the hallmark of a Ball State nursing education.
Programs hosted by your Nursing Alumni Society (NAS) are also funded by alumni gifts. The NAS pays for flowers and gifts at the three nursing pinning ceremonies each year, and the annual Nurses Alumni Awards, dinner and printed programs from fund #6302. Making an annual gift to this fund is a wonderful way to say thanks for your education, and to pay it forward for future nurses.
Annual gifts may be split between both funds if you wish, and any amount that you contribute is appreciated. Won’t you please join your fellow nursing alumni and support these funds with a taxdeductible gift today?
If you file a state income tax return for Indiana, the state will credit up to 50% of your gift to the Ball State School of Nursing against your state income taxes. Using the Indiana College Credit Form (CC-40), individual filers can receive a $100 credit for the first $200 contributed and joint filers receive a $200 credit for the first $400 contributed. Plus, itemizing on your federal tax return can reduce the cost of your gift to the School of Nursing even more!
If you would like more information or would like to explore the many giving vehicles available for the School of Nursing, please call Jenni Marsh, Director of Development, at 765.285.7049.