And the award goes to ...

ESNA Awards

If the Emory Student Nurses Association (ESNA) were a movie, it would rank right up there as a potential Academy Award winner.

Last fall, ESNA brought home seven of 13 awards from the Georgia Association of Nursing Students (GANS). The awards are akin to winning the Golden Globes as a precursor to the Oscars, or in this case the upcoming National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) awards in April.

Among the state awards ESNA received was Chapter of the Year, based on excellence in member recruitment, community service, mentorship of students, political action, and participation in state and national nursing student activities. Other GANS awards follow.

Political Involvement

During the 2011 Georgia General Assembly, Emory nursing students lobbied for passage of a Senate bill that prohibits using the title “nurse” by anyone other than a licensed registered nurse or practical nurse. The Senate passed the bill, which now awaits final action by the House of Representatives.

Community Health and Service

ESNA held the first of an annual series of bake sales to support pediatric cancer research. Together, faculty, staff, and students raised $2,400 for this cause.

Newsletter of the Year

Published five times a year, The Sentinel highlights the experiences of Emory nursing students.

Member of the Year

ESNA president Colette Bernstein received the Emily McNelley Scholarship, named for the nurse who established what became GANS. An aspiring pediatric nurse, Bernstein has volunteered in Israel to help children with cerebral palsy and at Georgia’s Camp Sunshine for children with cancer.

Breakthrough to Nursing

Amy Blumling received the Mary Long Breakthrough to Nursing Award, which honors a student for outstanding leadership and peer mentoring. Blumling is past president and co-founder of Emory’s Pre-Nursing Club, which engages students from diverse backgrounds. Long was the first African American to lead the Georgia Nurses Association.

Image of Nursing

ESNA received the “best picture” award for “The Belly Cast,” a prenatal education video starring and produced by students and inspired by maternity nursing instructor Kate Woeber CNM MPH. In the YouTube video, “pregnant” students rap about proper nutrition during pregnancy.



"My Bump"


ESNA faculty adviser Kathy Markowski MS RN ICCE was amazed by the recognition the chapter received from GANS. “It’s a joy to watch the students develop as leaders and grow professionally,” says Markowski, who will be there when NSNA announces its awards at the 2012 convention in Pittsburgh.—Pam Auchmutey

Table of Contents




Cover of Emory Nursing Magazine