Transforming ICoN into iCaN, Healthy Lifestyles for College Nursing Students: Implementing the Marylin Bagwell Leadership Development Grant.

Abstract

Transforming iCoN into iCaN": This was the mantra for the student leaders of the University of Cincinnati Student Nurses' Association (UC SNA) for the past academic year. In March 2015, the UC SNA was awarded the Marilyn Bagwell Leadership Development Grant for the 2015-2016 academic year. Although this grant project encompassed nutrition education and improvement of healthy lifestyles for our nursing students for this past academic year, the UC SNA has promoted events in past years that involved increasing physical activity and healthy eating habits. However, the UC SNA student leaders felt strongly that it was very important to provide a more structured, holistic program for our students than to just offer sporadic events, and to make this the purpose of UC SNA. This thought process led to the variety of activities and events that were offered this past year. In 2013, the UC College of Nursing integrated AppleTM products into our learning, and coined the term "iCoN" to refer to this initiative. This was incorporated into the title of our project, as it truly encompassed multiple initiatives of the UC College of Nursing.