Leading the next generation of nurses

Leadership as a pillar

Leadership is a fundamental component of a Linfield University education. For nursing students like Miguel Olide Gomez ‘24 and Carson Overstreet ‘24, it is an essential part of their professional training.

Miguel and Carson are both traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (TBSN) students who advanced their leadership skills through unique opportunities in the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing.

In April, the two students attended the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) annual conference in Florida, where they participated in a range of educational sessions.

“There was just a lot that was offered to students at the convention including breakout sessions on a variety of topics,” Miguel said. “One of the most valuable things to me was the NCLEX review sessions.”

Sessions spanned topics in the nursing field, including “Why Do Nurses Get Sued?”, “Lions Tigers and Clinical Judgement Oh My” and “Success Strategies for New Grads.”

Also at the conference were the association’s House of Delegates meetings, where members reviewed the guidelines and bylaws of the NSNA as well as the association’s financial standing.

Additionally, students from across the U.S. presented on topics of interest and values that they think should be at the core of the NSNA.

Both Miguel and Carson participated in the NSNA House of Delegates meetings. Miguel served as a gate guard, ensuring the integrity of voting and speaking for students from all over the nation, while Carson served as a delegate representing both the Linfield-School of Nursing and the Oregon Student Nurses’ Association.

Serving on the Oregon Student Nurses Association

Representing nursing students’ interests was not a new thing for Miguel and Carson. Both served on the Oregon Student Nurses Association board of directors for the 2023-24 term. These yearlong positions are voted on by members of the House of Delegates. Carson served as the professional development director and was reelected for the role for the 2024-25 term. Miguel served as the breakthrough to nursing director but chose to not run for the position in 2024.

In his continuing role, Carson brings professional development workshops and opportunities to students both on the Linfield campus as well as throughout the state.

“One really cool example that I got to do over the last year was with the Mayo Clinic,” Carson said. “We hosted an interview skills session as well as a LinkedIn session.”

The students were given firsthand information on how to prepare their resumes and tailor their LinkedIn profiles toward the nursing profession.

For Miguel, his role primarily focused on connecting with high school students and teaching them about the nursing profession. He provided students with insight into what the profession is like, as well as how to get enrolled and started in the career.

Miguel also succeeded in having nearly 30 high school students attend the state convention, which had not been held since before the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this, Miguel contacted guidance and career counselors from local high schools to encourage their students to attend.

“It was a really cool way to introduce nursing as a career path to them,” Carson said, while speaking highly of Miguel. “Miguel played a huge role.”

Integrating leadership into the classroom

Miguel and Carson’s leadership roles have proved beneficial in the classroom setting.

“Learning new things in the profession, researching it and applying that to how you can be a better nurse every day … I think that's a major thing that I took from the convention in general that I can use in my own practice,” Miguel said.

These opportunities also connected Miguel and Carson with other professionals and nursing student leaders. As president of Linfield’s Student Nurses Association, Carson is excited to implement what he learned from other schools into practice at Linfield.

“Hearing what other schools are doing versus us is really valuable,” Carson said. “As we increase membership at the school and state levels, we will be able to send more students to future conferences and provide these opportunities and experiences to them.”