Student Voice
Maria Thomas SRNA, BA, BSN, PANA Student Representative
Our legislator’s and/or their legislative assistant’s were truly impressed by the number of Pennsylvania SRNA’s who participated in these events and were even more impressed at how knowledgeable and well-spoken we were. We provided our legislator’s with excellent descriptions of what it is a CRNA does. We also apprised them of key issues that impact our profession in a concise manner.
During Lobby Day, we emphasized how CRNA’s are a critical component to Governor Rendell’s “Prescription for Pennsylvania”. We expressed ourselves well and were well-received.
Thank you to all the SRNA’s who helped make these events successful. We certainly would not have been impressive if we didn’t have the support of our Program Director’s/Assistant Director’s. Please take a moment to thank your respective Program Director for this privilege and for their support! The AANA will be holding their 74th AANA Annual Meeting at the Denver Convention Center, Denver, CO on August 4-8, 2007. It’s not too late to register. Please refer to the AANA website www.aana.com. The Meeting is educational and fun! While there, be sure to attend the Nurse Anesthetist College Bowl where CRNA’s compete against SRNA’s on various anesthesia topics. I think the CRNA’s will be up against some tough competition with all of our talented SRNA’s! Also, it is during this meeting that you’ll have the opportunity to listen to candidates running for the office of AANA Student Representative and to cast your vote.
PANA will be holding their Fall Symposium and Business Meeting on October 5-7, 2007 at the Sheraton Society Hill, Philadelphia, PA. It is during this Symposium that you’ll be able to network with the outgoing and incoming PANA Board of Directors and Committee Delegate Members. This Symposium also offers a great educational component through the various presenters that will be speaking. Additional information is forthcoming and may be found on the PANA website at www.pana.org.
Be on the lookout for information that will be describing scholarships available to SRNA’s attending Pennsylvania Nurse Anesthesia Programs. PANA will be displaying their continued support of SRNA’s by offering scholarship’s once again. Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 were awarded to each PA Nurse Anesthesia Program last year. It was the Program Director’s discretion to award the scholarship to an individual SRNA they deemed meriting. Congratulations to those of you who were scholarship recipients last year. Details explaining the SRNA scholarships available for 2007-2008 are forthcoming. Keep an eye open for information on the PANA website at www.pana.org.
Are you ready to take on a challenge that provides great experiences? PANA will be seeking a new Student Representative for the 2007-2008 term. If you’d like to learn more about this position, please feel free to contact me at mdtsrna@aim.com or contact Art Zwerling, PANA President-Elect at a.to.z@comcast.net.
Enjoy your summer!
Maria
Best Wishes!