Student Nurses Association forms lasting bonds between future nurses

Grace Kronfeld, a rising senior in the College of Nursing, discovered the Marquette University Student Nurses Association the way most freshmen do: through their ice cream social.

"I went to their kickoff event with a bunch of new nursing friends that I had just met that first week, and that's how I made some of my first-ever friendships here," says Kronfeld, who is now a vice president of MUSNA.

Every nursing student - from first-years to Ph.D. candidates - is represented by MUSNA, which serves as a liaison organization between the student body and college administration, faculty and staff. MUSNA transmits student feedback to college teams, hosts events that help bolster the college's sense of community and connects students with community service opportunities. Madeline Fullerton, a Class of 2026 graduate and MUSNA's outgoing president, estimates that several dozen members show up to the club's regular meetings. The organization's signature year-end event, the cleverly named "Nightingala," draws close to 200 attendees.

"Nursing school is really hard, and there are times where nurses struggle, either academically or just in life," Fullerton says. "We provide opportunities for people to come together, discuss any problems we might be having and just take a break for a while."

Madeline Schmidt, assistant dean for undergraduate programs, is the organization's faculty adviser and has seen firsthand how much it can do for young nurses.

"One of the characteristics that distinguishes a Marquette Nurse is the intangible leadership skills that they bring to a unit," Schmidt says. "MUSNA is one of the avenues Marquette provides to cultivate those skills. By learning to speak on their peers' behalf, students in MUSNA are learning how to advocate for their patients and their co-workers when the time comes."

Fullerton came to MUSNA early in her Marquette career. She credits the connections she made in MUSNA for guiding her through some of her toughest classes as a first-year student and even helping land a post-graduation job. When an opportunity arose to take a leadership position within the student organization, she didn't think twice.

"I was honestly just trying to make a difference in my community," Fullerton says. "Giving back is the Marquette way, and I wanted to try to make those connections for other people and be there to help them through some of the same struggles I was having."

While MUSNA is an important piece of Marquette Nursing's student support infrastructure, it isn't the only one. The Helene Fuld Center for Nursing Student Success provides students with academic advising services. Project BEYOND-2 cultivates a community of belonging for historically disadvantaged communities and first-generation learners. Carpenter Tower, one of Marquette's residence halls, houses the Nursing Living Learning Community, a floor of 22 first-year students that all live together.

These programs often overlap with and support one another. Kronfeld, a resident assistant on the Nursing LLC, invited all the first-year students on the floor to MUSNA's first meeting of the year. Some of those residents became engaged members, showing up to MUSNA's events. She still sees residents from prior years grabbing lunch together and engaging in group activities in and out of the classroom.

"I was walking down the street, and I saw a huge group of my residents from last year all walking together," Kronfeld says. "All these organizations help you build and maintain relationships; not just as a first-year student, but throughout your entire time at Marquette."

Serving on MUSNA's e-board has also given Kronfeld something else: a road map through the nursing curriculum.

"Madeline is a year ahead of me, so I was able to message her about a Care of Older Adults II class I was looking at and got her honest opinion on how hard it is," Kronfeld says. "Being able to text anyone in MUSNA, knowing that you have a whole community of people behind you, is fantastic."

Fullerton recently walked across the stage at Commencement, a capstone on a purpose-filled Marquette Nursing career. She says her fondest memories at Marquette involved volunteering with MARDI GRAS, a student-led relief organization that takes students to areas impacted by disasters. Kronfeld, whose fondest memories involve an immersive, health-focused study abroad trip in South Africa, will do her final year of clinical rotations at Children's Wisconsin in their NICU.

For both young leaders, MUSNA has been the connector between these experiences, imbuing them with the confidence and the relationships to make the most of their time as Marquette Nursing students.