Running head: PROFESSIONAL MEETING ASSIGNMENT: SGO 1

Professional Meeting Assignment: SGO

Jessica Crumpler

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

May 1, 2016

I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid, other than acknowledged, on this

assignment or test, nor have I seen anyone else do so.

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Introduction

The Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing has its own Student Government

Association (SGO). This organization is made up of students that presently attend the college.

There is one meeting per month held every third Monday at 12:15 pm, and it is open to everyone

at the school that wishes to attend.

The goal of this organization is to promote honor and integrity among the students and

professionals at the college; give an opportunity to the students to share concerns, ideas, and

interests in dealing with nursing education with their student peers; the ability to instill an

atmosphere of communication, understanding, and cooperation with the students, faculty, and

administration alike; to arouse interest and participation in the development of a professional

setting; and lastly to provide community service opportunities to those concerned and harboring

professional interest. The BSMCON SGO helps its nursing students to develop leadership skills

and a sense of responsibility. It also upholds high quality standards both professionally and

personally, as well as encourages self discipline (SGO, 2016).

The content of the final meeting of the semester was not as heavily laden with business

and other issues as it normally would be. Instead the primary focus was Spirit Week for the

upcoming fall semester, saying goodbye to senior members and office holders, and welcoming

new office holders to their positions.

Application of Course Material

The BSMCON Student Government Organization (SGO) mirrored each of our three

modules of the semester: Business of Healthcare, Advocacy, and Quality Improvement. It did so
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through implementing different aspects of each topic that was touched upon in the Professional

Role Development class.

SGO exemplified the concept of stakeholders, governance, and budgeting that was

mentioned in the Business of Healthcare module number one. Healthcare alliances are

increasingly being examined as a potential solution for problems of fragmentation that

undermine coordination across the continuum of care and contribute to poor-quality care

(Herald et. al., 2012). The solution at hand, incorporates a collaboration between stakeholders.

Stakeholders are those people and companies that want a say in the mechanisms and workings of

an organization. In SGO, the stake holders are the students, faculty, and administrators that wish

to participate in the decisions being made within the organization. There is shared governance

within the organization that helps decisions to be made. The student body has a voice that is

heard by the faculty and the administrators. Steps are then taken to make possible the inquiries

and suggestions that come from the students. Budgeting is also a factor within the SGO. There is

a treasurer that maintains and updates what is gained and what is spent. This allows the rest of

the members to know what the organization, as a whole, has to spend on events that the school

puts on, or needs.

The advocacy module number two from the classroom teaching and discussion describes

the advocacy within the SGO perfectly. The SGO was developed in order to advocate for the

student body. As the school grows and changes, there are more expectations on the students. This

organization allows the students to advocate for themselves. They can have a bigger voice that

can be backed by other students therefore making it heard more loudly. The faculty involved and

the administrators involved, have more power that can help amplify the voices of the students. In

the hospital setting, patients need advocates, but the nurses do too sometimes. Here the SGO
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gives future nurses a taste of what hospitals offer, committees and other organizations that help

advocate for the nurses within that hospital.

The third module that was presented in the Professional Role Development class touched

on Quality Improvement; which really relates to nurses (in this case students) that should have a

hand in, and collaborate in, quality improvement. Quality improvement implementation, in turn,

was positively associated with greater perceived patient outcomes and human resource

development (Shortell et. al., 1995). The hospital setting, is not the only place that this finding

exists. This can apply to any setting, especially the BSMCON SGO. In the SGO the quality of

the school can be improved through the feedback and leadership of the students, the support and

backing of the faculty, and the honing and guidance of the administrators. The students have the

main voice in this organization. It is student run and the events are put on by the students. There

is even a student judicial board supporting the honor code that is part of SGO. The faculty are the

sponsors. The advocating that takes place for the student body that comes from this organization

is phenomenal, and really strengthens the school. When the students are heard, word gets out.

When word gets out, prospective students make BSMCON their top pick because BSMCON

listens to their students voices.

Application to Profession of Nursing

All hospitals have professional nurse meetings. If they did not, then no changes or

updates would occur. These professional meetings also keep the hospital staff on the same page

with all types of practice occurring within the hospital setting. These meetings help to keep the

hospital up to date, as well as keep the nurses well informed and advocated for.
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SGO is not a hospital based professional meeting. However, it gives future nurses a

meaningful look into the hospital setting; which in turn lets them practice making their voice

heard. When these students become nurses, they will already understand how to go about making

a difference and implementing new fresh methods and ideas for change. New nurses adding to

the hospital professional meetings after making a difference at their Alma Mater through similar

practices, will keep older nurses advocated for and the hospital practices up to date.

Reflection

After attending the BSMCON SGO meeting, I was very proud of my peers, faculty, and

administrators for all of the efforts that each was putting forth in order to make the college a

better environment for all. Seeing how involved the students were, and how much of a difference

was made was enlightening to say the least. I feel like if professional meetings in the hospital

setting are anything like the Student Government Organization at Bon Secours Memorial College

of Nursing, then they will surely make a difference to the practice of the hospital. More students

should be involved with SGO, and more nurses should be involved with their professional

meetings. The more voices speaking, means that more voices will be heard. I can only imagine

what kinds of differences could be made to hospitals and their practices if more nurses got

involved.

I feel like I took away a huge lesson from the meeting that I attended. I want to be more

involved with my school now, and my workforce in the future. I want to help advocate for my

fellow students, my future patients, and my future peer nurses. I want to keep my hospitals

practices up to date and ahead of the rest through continuous learning, and by speaking up in the
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professional meeting settings. Professional meetings are not a waste of time, they really and truly

make a difference to individuals and organizations as a whole.

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References

Harold, L. R., PhD, Alexander, J. A., PhD, Beich, J., PhD, Mittler, J. N., PhD, & O'Hora, J. L.,

BA. (2012). Barriers and strategies to Align stakeholders in Healthcare Alliances.

American Journal of Managed Care, 18(6), S148-S155. Retrieved May 1, 2016,

from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jessica_Mittler/publication/268516864

_Barriers_and_Strategies_to_Align_Stakeholders_in_Healthcare_Alliances/links/

546ec2a00cf2b5fc17607c31.pdf.

Shortell, S. M., O'Brien, J. L., Carman, J. M., Foster, R. W., Hughes, E. F., Boerstler, H., &

O'Connor, E. J. (1995). Assessing the impact of continuous quality

improvement/total quality management: Concept versus implementation. Health

Services Research, 30(2), 377-401. Retrieved May 1, 2016, from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070069/

Student Government Organization (SGO) | Bon Secours Health System. (2016). Retrieved May

01, 2016, from http://bsmcon.edu/students/student-government