Participate in the NSNA Breakthrough to Nursing Project (BTN)
School Chapter and/or State Student Nurses' Association

As an NSNA leader, you'll learn and practice essential leadership skills by participating in the Breakthrough to Nursing (BTN) Project. The goal of the BTN Project is to increase the number of underrepresented students enrolled in and graduated from nursing school. The following will be helpful when approaching faculty to explore the possibility of having your participation in the BTN Project partially fulfill course requirements or independent study electives. Use your course syllabus to see if you can meet the objectives with the following leadership activities. By participating in BTN, you will be eligible for the NSNA Honor Society.

BTN Leadership Activities

  • Serve as a member of the school chapter or state SNA's Breakthrough to Nursing Leadership Team (i.e., BTN Committee; Board of Directors/Executive Board).
  • Accomplish the goals and objectives of the BTN Project.
  • Incorporate the 4 signposts of Professional Identity  in Nursing into your leadership formation.
    1. ​​​​Ethic and Values: Help members to incorporate NSNA’s Core Values and Code of Ethics in recruitment of underrepresented populations into the nursing profession.
    2. Knowledge: Facilitate learning related to cultural competence, diversity, equity, inclusion,  and understanding of why it is important to have a diverse nursing workforce.  Understanding of how social determinants can be overcome to study nursing.  
    3. Leadership: Prepare diverse students with the leadership skills needed for the recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations into the nursing profession.
    4. Professional Comportment: Foster nursing students to think, act and feel like a professional nurse. As you grow in confidence in your nursing journey, you will project professionalism in your actions.

By participating in the BTN project you will be able to:

  • Incorporate the conceptual model of professional identity in nursing by recognizing how values and ethics, leadership, knowledge, and professional comportment contribute to thinking, acting, and feeling like a professional nurse. 
  • Identify your personal and professional leadership attributes;
  • Create a personal vision for the recruitment of underrepresented populations into the nursing profession;
  • Explain the complex role organizations play in the profession and society;
  • ​Collaborate with faculty and peers to implement BTN projects;
  • Define the role of the volunteer within the team structure.
Brooke Budniak, NSNA 2022-2023 BTN Director, speaks on the Breakthrough to Nursing Committee during the 2022 NSNA Leadership U Summer Summit.

BTN Learning OBJECTIVES

A past BTN Director shares his insights on tips for recruiting minorities and other underrepresented populations into the nursing profession.
  • Articulate the issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that contribute to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in the nursing profession;
  • Explain the need for increasing the number of underrepresented populations into nursing:
  • Incorporate education about culturally competent nursing care into BTN activities; 
  • Prepare an agenda and run a committee meeting (or participate in a committee meeting);
  • Present written and verbal reports of progress made toward reaching committee's goals;
  • Analyze and articulate issues related to the recruitment and retention of qualified students into the profession;
  • Create and implement a Breakthrough to Nursing projects to address DEI issues;
  • Practice collaboration among peers, faculty, and community leaders.

Breakthrough to Nursing (BTN) Committee responsibilities*

BTN Committee team leader*
BTN Committee Team*
  • Read NSNA's Breakthrough to Nursing Guidelines;
  • Read the National League for Nursing Diversity and Inclusion Tool Kit
  • Evaluate Breakthrough to Nursing and recruitment activities currently underway;
  • Develop a theme for Breakthrough to Nursing Campaign (or reaffirm old one);
  • Review NSNA's resolutions that pertain to BTN;
  • Identify 2 or 3 goals for Breakthrough to Nursing Committee to accomplish in 2 semesters;
  • Publicize Breakthrough to Nursing activities by providing new items for school and state chapter newsletters, social media, and websites;
  • Communicate activities to state and national Breakthrough to Nursing chairs;
  • Serve as a liaison with faculty DEI and recruitment committee and school of nursing recruitment staff;
  • Initiate and facilitate appropriate partnerships with community hospitals; medical centers, and others to students into nursing;
  • Explore and implement recruitment presentations in elementary, middle, and high schools as well as undeclared major college students;
  • Submit your project for the monthly and annual NSNA Breakthrough to Nursing awards.
  • *See your chapter bylaws for the BTN role and responsibilities specific to your school or state chapter.​ ​
For a list of attributes and competencies for future nurse leaders and managers, click here.
For a printable version of the information above, click here.
For a FREE version of the Leadership Assessment for Student Nurses, click here.