Emporia State University nursing student, Adam Tebben, was elected 2016-17 NSNA President during the National Student Nurses’ Association’s 64th Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, March 30-April 3, 2016. Tebben, who served on the 2015-16 Board of Directors, will be entering his senior year in fall 2016. He served as the 2014-15 president of the Kansas Association of Nursing Students and as 2014-15 nursing class representative to the Emporia State University Student Council. While serving on the 2015-16 Board of Directors, Tebben was chair of the Convention Planning Committee. He also served on the Breakthrough to Nursing (recruitment into the nursing profession), and the Community Health/Disaster Preparedness Committee.
A second-degree nursing student, Tebben was inspired by his RN mother to return to school for nursing.
“I am a people person with a passion to give back to others,” he said. “Serving as president of the largest independent nursing student association in the world will help me to lead others to do the same.”
Described by Emporia faculty and peers as a mentor, leader and team player, Tebben has used his leadership to engage his peers in association activities. In addition, recognizing the importance of faculty support, Tebben developed a proposal, which was approved by the NSNA Board of Directors, to create a website dedicated to nurse educators.
“The goal of the NSNA faculty website,” he explained, “is to inform faculty about NSNA’s mission and to gain their support for student involvement in NSNA. The latter is crucial to chapter and individual leadership development.”
“There is no better way to practice leadership and shared-governance as a nursing student than through involvement in NSNA,” he added. “We learn how to advocate for our patients and for the profession while debating and passing resolutions as delegates in the Annual House of Delegates. This prepares us for involvement in professional associations and healthcare organizations as registered nurses. We want students and faculty to see the big picture that goes beyond passing the licensure examination.”
Tebben has been recognized with many honors including the Foundation of the NSNA McKesson Scholarship in 2015. “My greatest honor,” he admits, “is to be preparing for a profession where I will devote my life to the health and well-being of others.”