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February 2023 CNSA - SACRAMENTO STATE CHAPTER VOLUME 42, ISSUE 1

Fraudulent Nursing Scheme Busted

By Oscar Hernandez
CNSA Global Initiatives Director
3rd Semester

Fake nursing licenses. Yes, you heard that

correctly. In Florida, an estimated 7,600
A Few Thoughts on fake diplomas were sold to people with
Thriving in Nursing aspirations of becoming a nurse but with-
School out going through the schooling process
Page 2 that includes rigorous coursework or
The WELL at Sacra- countless clinical hours (Cohen). These
mento State University fraudulent diplomas were sold for any-
& Feeling Stressed where from $10,000 to $15,000, and it en-
Page 3 abled people to qualify for board exams. A
Three Things I Did Not third of these people passed and were eli-
Know About Nursing gible to find jobs as a nurse. It is quite
School concerning that there are roughly 24,000
Page 4 people in this country participating in pa-
The Best and Worst tient care without the proper education
Day because they are endangering the safety
Page 5 of the patients. Additionally, it is unfair
Nursing School Is a for the nurses and nursing students who go through their demanding programs
Journey Like No Other to obtain a diploma the right way. This crime is an insult to such a highly re-
Page 6 spected and honorable profession.
Mental Health As a result of this scheme, twenty-five people who were in the mix of selling di-
Page 7 plomas were all charged and sentenced to 20 years in prison. As for those re-
Campus Resources
ceiving the licenses, none of them have been charged quite yet. They are being
investigated on a case-to-case basis and although it is stated by federal officials
Page 8
that they will likely not face criminal charges, they will be losing their effortless
Nursing Meme Corner
licenses soon enough. This goes to show that there are no shortcuts to becoming
Page 9 a nurse. All the regulations are set in place for a certain reason; we must do our
Updates & Other Info best to ensure our patients are safe at all times.
Page 10
Cohen, Li. “More than 7,600 Fake Nursing Diplomas Issued in Florida in
Alleged Wire Fraud Scheme.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 28 Jan.
2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fake-nursing-diplomas-
issued-florida-alleged-wire-fraud-scheme-justice-department/. Photo from RegisteredNurseRN website
THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 2

A Few Thoughts on Thriving in Nursing School

By Amos Humber
NURS112 Teaching Assistant
4th Semester

“Buckle-up, it will be Christmas before you have any time to spend with your family.” I remember hearing this
stated repeatedly at my new student orientation. Then I recalled the Youtube videos I’d nervously watched,
the voices of exhausted nursing students saying “nursing school is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. You just
have to grind and get through it.” Friends, this does not have to be our experience. Let’s think beyond the basic
stereotypes of nursing students and look at six practical ways we can thrive in school.

1). Speak kindly. Be careful what you say about your experience, it profoundly influences how you think about
your life in nursing school. Find a neutral or positive way to describe your real experience. Rather than saying
“I’m exhausted all the time,” say “I’m low on sleep this week, but I can get an extra hour Saturday morning.”
It’s not about putting on the rose colored glasses, it's about taking off the sunglasses and reading the situation
for what it really is.

2). Be gracious to others and yourself. Your faculty are human; sometimes they misspeak or don’t have an ex-
cellent answer for your question. You are a student; undoubtedly you’ll make mistakes on exams, have the
wrong information in clinical, or harm your patient in the sims lab. Don’t condemn yourself, be solution orient-
ed and growth minded with every mistake.

3). Be humble. Ask for help. Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions. You will need to ask for help nearly every
day of your career— practice here. Get good at saying “I think I’m missing something here” or “Jane, can you
help me with this?”

4). Be studious. No joke, there isn't a shortcut to learning complex materials. Do yourself a favor and put the
time in. As a tutor, I’ve seen very high stress and discouragement with individuals that have not done well on
their first exam. The rest of the semester is spent worrying about their minimum exam score and possible
course failure. It’s always best to study the first time!

5). Be effective! Do the things that will help you succeed every week— those rituals that make you confident,
focused, and productive. For some people it's dressing well for class, getting in an early morning shower, going
for a run, having a prayer time, singing loudly on the way to school, calling a friend, or not stress eating that
box of oreos!

6). Share with people. This is one of the most rewarding ex-
periences of school and sets you up to be someone people
enjoy working with. If you found a resource that’s helped
you, give it a shout out. If your classmate has had a bad
week, bring them a coffee. Volunteer to be a mentor, sim lab
assistant, or club officer. Ask about opportunities for tutor-
ing, being a teacher's assistant, or a student extern. Nursing
school is about more than survival. When we graduate, we
want the peace of mind that we did well in school and made
a difference among our classmates and patients.

Photo from American Nurse website

 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 3

The WELL at Sacramento State University

By Hameeda Sabawoon
CNSA Secretary
3rd Semester

The WELL at Sacramento State provides a variety of programs and services to students attending the
university. These services include but are not limited to Athletic Training, Birth Control Methods, Group Coun-
seling, Immunizations, Reproductive Health, and more. The two most widely known services and programs,
among many others, are the Pharmacy and the Health and Wellness Promotion at the WELL.
Pharmacy services are one of the most important and highly used services offered by the WELL. The
WELL stocks medications and emergency treatment supplies that are often used for students to take ad-
vantage of when needed. They also sell medications at very low costs for those who do not have the proper
insurance to cover the costs. The Pharmacy at the WELL also accepts prescriptions from Student Health Ser-
vices and outside providers, if the medication isn’t found over the counter at the Pharmacy.
Health and Wellness Promotion at the WELL, as its name implies, was created to support students’ well
-being, and provide them with proper health education to carry out more successful lives and make more logi-
cal decisions involving their own health and well-being. Some of the other things offered through this program
are Wellness Workshops, Cooking Demonstrations, Diet Analysis, Healthy Lifestyle Presentations, as well as
Events and Seminars.

Feeling Stressed?
By Rita McCann
CNSA Treasurer
4th Semester

Don’t worry you are not the only one feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Nursing school is mentally and physi-
cally draining. Burnout, lack of self-care, and high stress is a reality for many nursing students. There are many
counseling services available through Sac State that are free to students. If you feel like you need to see a coun-
selor immediately, students can go to the Student Health and Counseling Services located on the second story
of the WELL for drop in hours while they are open. The Student Health and Counseling Services office is open
Monday-Thursday 8:30am-5pm and Friday 9:30am-4:30pm. You can also call (916)-278-6461 to set up an
appointment via zoom or in person. You can schedule individual appointments or for a group of 5-10 students.
If traditional counseling is not your jam you can also talk to Peer Counselors that are trained in basic counsel-
ing skills. If you want to learn how to help those in distress, the Student Health and Counseling Services also
offers “The Art of Helping Student in Distress” workshops, which are on March 14th 10am-12:00pm or May 4th
1-3pm. All of this information and more can be found on the Student Health and Counseling Services website,
https://www.csus.edu/student-life/health-counseling/. Another great
resource is your group advisor. This advisor is a School of Nursing facul-
ty member you are assigned to starting your first semester. You can find
who your advisor is by going into Canvas and looking under the “Groups”
tab and your advisor’s name will be listed under “group advisor”. You got
this. Take care of yourself first in order to help others!
THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 4

Three Things I Did Not Know About Nursing School

By Samantha Jang
Undergrad Representative 3
3rd Semester

Neither the meticulous nature I developed from Microbiology nor the deep theoretical
understanding I acquired from Anatomy and Physiology II could have prepared me for nursing
school. Nursing school requires perseverance, emotional strength, and compassion. However,
nursing school also shapes students into resilient individuals who are ready to dive into the
healthcare system and provide patient- and family-centered care. There are three things I did not
know about nursing school that I wish I knew. First, nursing school requires flexibility and
adaptability. Flexibility and adaptability are required when completing coursework, providing
patient care during clinicals, collaborating with peers, and advancing through nursing school in
general. Although this skill may not come naturally to some, it is an essential ability when
managing workload from several classes and clinical placements. Being organized and keeping
an open mind helped me most when adapting to change. Second, nursing school creates a family
of students who can help support each other. I believe no one understands the dedication and
worry that comes with being a nursing student better than other nursing students. This creates a
special bond between nursing students that cannot be replicated with others. Having gone
through the same adversities in the nursing program, nursing students truly understand both the
hardships and joy that are unique to nursing. This allows nursing students to become a special
family that can empathize with each other. Third, nursing school requires students to take care of
not only their patients, but also themselves. Indeed, one cannot take care of others if she does not
care for herself as well. Not taking care of oneself, which includes not sleeping enough or eating
nutritious foods, is both harmful to that person and the individuals she cares for. For example,
sleep deprivation can lead to dangerous medication errors that may cause poor patient outcomes
and jeopardize the student. Taking care of yourself allows you to enjoy your nursing school
journey and practice safely in the clinical setting. Overall, these are the three aspects of nursing
school I did not know of, but have pushed me to become a more compassionate, adaptable
student nurse that I hope to continue to improve on.

Photo from author

 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 5

The Best and Worst Day

By Justin Perez
Class Representative 1
2nd Semester

Getting into nursing school was one of the best and one of the worst days in my academic
career. The best included breaking into a profession that I had worked so hard to get into and the
worst included the overbearing thoughts of having no life outside of school. As first semester classes
began and the coursework continued to build up, I dug deeper into the books and avoided invitations
to group study sessions or professional organization meetings. What I pictured to be an ideal life of a
nursing student came to be a daily cycle of overbearing anxiety and not meeting my own expectations.
As cliche and promotional as it might sound, it was CNSA/MIN that helped me develop into a success-
ful nursing student.
To those reading this, outside events that do not directly affect nursing classes grades are
of great benefit. Although it can seem like a waste of time or a distraction from studying, being
involved in something outside of the classroom can provide great benefits. Countless studies
have demonstrated that “...extra-curricular activities should strengthen mental health, promote
engagement and improve academic performance” (Buckley & Lee, 2021). The increasing roles
and responsibilities of a nursing student progressing through each semester should be balanced with
time spent outside the classroom with others who share similar values. It is a nursing student’s re-
sponsibility to put their best foot forward and extracurricular activities may be the best way to do so.
Completing my first semester of nursing school has shown to me that every different
pathway a student takes ends up at the
same finish line. Nursing students
should find what works for them and
not categorize the aspects of their life
with fine edges with no room for error.
If given the opportunity, like I was
countless times, give in and go have fun
outside of school. It can be a way to not
only connect with those in the commu-
nity, but also a way to continuously
break the barriers ahead in every aca-
demic journey.

Buckley, P., & Lee, P. (2021). The impact of extra-curricular activity on the student experience.
Active Learning in Higher Education, 22(1), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418808988

Photo from author

THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 6

Nursing School Is a Journey Like No Other

By Rebecca Acoba
Chapter Representative
3rd Semester

Early morning clinicals, driving to class, wearing scrubs,

late night studying for upcoming exams, working on
presentations, giving medications, completing clinical
packets, practicing for skills checkoffs, are all experiences
us nursing students do on a regular basis.

I am currently a third semester nursing student, in what is

hopefully, my final year of college, and I can say it’s going
by quickly. I have been reflecting very recently about my
nursing school journey and my college path, especially as
graduation is in my near future and a couple steps forward
on this path. I am making it a goal to slow down and take
time to remember what I have gone through, what I have
worked towards, what I have learned, and all the memories and experiences I am taking with
me on this journey. It is very humbling to remember each of our “why’s”- why we are doing all
of this and what we are working towards. It is true that nursing school is something that you
only really understand when you are going through it and have gone through it. I am extremely
thankful for the many people I have with me on this path. My fellow nursing students are some
of the best people I have come to know in my life. They are the people that I have been in very
close contact with, experiencing life with them day after day for this past year. We’ve seen each
other in stressful moments, and we’ve seen each other grow in our skills, in our knowledge,
and in our character. Nursing school has also given us the opportunity to learn and be men-
tored by amazing professionals in the field we’ve dreamed of being a part of. All these gifted
individuals, and an education from a school that truly cultivates and inspires our learning and
growth as future medical professionals, have come alongside each of us!

Nursing school is a journey that changes you educationally and knowledge-wise, as we are
pushed to our academic limits to know and become the best future nurses we can be. Howev-
er, we are going through this together. This two-year program is going by so quickly, and
I’m thankful to know all the people who are going on this journey with me too!

Photo from Pinterest

 THE MONTHLY SHOT
Resources
COUNSELING:
Student Health & Counseling Services
https://www.csus.edu/student-life/
health-counseling/counseling/
We offer confidential individual and
group counseling. If you would like to ex-
plore whether counseling is right for you,
the first step is to call us during business
hours at 916-278-6461.
If you are experiencing an urgent matter,
you can drop in during our business
hours. (Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. )
Please reach out, support is out there you do not have to be alone!
PAGE 7
CRISIS ASSISTANCE & RESOURCE
EDUCATION SUPPORT (CARES):
https://www.csus.edu/student-affairs/
crisis-assistance-resource-education-
support/
The Sacramento State CARES office provides
support to students who are in crisis or experi-
encing unique challenges to their education.
They address a variety of issues including, but
not limited to: Transportation Barriers, Mental
Health and Wellness, and Physical Health and
Wellness.
THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 8

Campus Resources—Food Pantry and Pop Up Pantry

ASI Food Pantry ASI Pop Up Pantry

Registration once every semester: Fresh produce at no cost to Sac State

https://asi.csus.edu/asi-food-pantry students in need!

MONDAYS: 10 pm—2 pm Spring Semester 2023 dates:

TUESDAYS: 12 pm—3 pm
WEDNESDAYS: 12 pm—4 pm FEBRUARY: 13, 27
THURSDAYS: 12 pm—3 pm MARCH: 6, 27
FRIDAYS: 10 am—2 pm APRIL: 17, 24
Location: University Union, Room 1246 MAY: 8
Location: Library Quad
Students are able to select foods using a
points system every week!

For more information, visit ASI’s website https://asi.csus.edu/asi-food-pantry or Instagram @sacstateasi

Photo Credit: Andrea Price (Instagram @andrea.price.sac)

THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 9

Nursing Meme Corner

Do you have a nursing meme you want posted?

csus.cnsa.monthlyshot@gmail.com
Photo Credits: CNSA Board
 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 10

Learn more about

Men in Nursing at IMPORTANT
aamncsus.weebly.com UPCOMING DATES
& aamn.org
Events:

Men In Nursing Meeting

Spring 2023 Apparel Order March 10 @4:30pm
Folsom Hall 1048
Update: In the future, apparel orders will be placed
online on CNSA’s Merchandise Store. C.N.S.A. Meeting
March 3 @4:30pm
Folsom Hall 1063

Contact Info
California State University, Sacramento,
View Past Monthly Shots School of Nursing:
7667 Folsom Blvd.
sacstatecnsa.weebly.com/past-entries Sacramento, CA 95819-6096
https://www.csus.edu/college/health-
human-services/nursing/
Phone: (916) 278-4106

Monthly Shot Editor:

Karina Yakimtsev
Email: csus.cnsa.monthlyshot@gmail.com

Faculty Co-Advisors:
Dr. Rachel Hill
& Dr. Bridget Parsh
Write for the Monthly Shot!
Join CNSA: Each article is one CNSA event and is great for your
CSUS CNSA chapter:
sacstatecnsa.weebly.com
nsnamember- resume! Articles should be at least 250 words, and can
be about anything nursing or school-related.
ship.org
We want to hear from all semesters!

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THE MONTHLY SHOT!
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