In June, Carroll’s Accelerated Nursing students took part in an engaging meeting with Senator Tester as part of a course assignment in ACNU406: Leadership and Management, taught by Assistant Professor of Nursing, Kate Pieper.
“In 2022, upon assuming responsibility for the Leadership and Management course, my goal was to deepen students' awareness of the impact of politics on their professional practice. I aimed to empower them to engage directly with policymakers who shape healthcare policy. To achieve this, I conceptualized and implemented "Nurses at the Capitol," a multifaceted project requiring students to select pertinent issues affecting nurses in Montana, conduct thorough research, prepare presentations, and engage in discussions with political leaders. This initiative fosters teamwork, research skills, and interprofessional collaboration—essential components of effective nursing leadership.”
~Kate Pieper, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Students were asked to reflect on their experience.
“I think one of the biggest things I learned from this project, especially being able to talk to Senator Tester, was that it is extremely possible to have a voice, especially if you can overcome the initial barriers of communication and contact.
“I think I realized that it’s especially powerful when it is not just us and there are multiple people on the same page working towards a similar goal. I think how this translates to my future practice is realizing that if I’m having a problem or concerned, it’s possible that the people around me are as well. When I feel like that, I should bring it up and talk to the appropriate people about that. Then if I find support and other people going through the same thing, I have the right and the ability to reach out to people even higher whether that’s at a hospital level or a national government level and I can bring it to their attention.”
~ Maile Allzer, ACNU student, Townsend, MT
ANCU students and faculty meet via Zoom with Montana's United States Senator Jon Tester (pictured at center) as part of their Leadership & Management course.
(Fun fact: Senator Tester's daughter is a graduate of Carroll's nursing program.)