Member Spotlight: Sherrie Serrano

Meet our current Vice President and President-elect, Sherrie! With her extensive leadership experience as the Founding President of the pre-medical chapter of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) at UNLV, Sherrie has been an indispensable executive board member of SNA. She has made efforts to allow us to participate in the House of Delegates at the NSNA National Convention where we can represent UNLV and advocate for national issues that matter. She also worked tirelessly to host a successful speaker event in remembrance of 1 October by inviting the ER doctor who was working during that dreadful night. Most importantly, Sherrie has helped kick off our fundraising efforts with Rebel Raiser and we have reached almost 80% of our goal of $5,000! With all the hustle and bustle of nursing school, Sherrie can simultaneously balance working night shifts at the Emergency Department at Sunrise Hospital, be active in SNA volunteer events, make the Dean’s List, and even have time to grab dinner with friends. She is known to be kind, helpful, proactive, and excels at any task she is given!

Nursing School Level: 3

Fun Fact: In 2005, I got invited to be part of Student Delegation to South Africa to examine the effects of the HIV pandemic in a society. It was one of my most life-changing experiences to say the least. 

Why Nursing School? 

I was once told by a doctor that I used to scribe for that a career in healthcare was what one would consider a “calling.” Especially with the intense amount of stress and pressure, you would only go to healthcare if you felt deeply passionate about helping others. I was lucky enough to experience this firsthand as a scribe, and with my current job as the Health Unit Coordinator (HUC) for the ED. It’s awe-inspiring to know that some people come to work on a daily basis knowing that they have to take on this great burden of caring for someone when confronted with the fine line of life and death. They are the everyday unsung heroes of this community. I may have taken a detour from my initial plan of going to medical school, but I carry with me the same spirit of altruism. There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to take care of someone when they need it the most. 

What SNA means to you?

SNA is the avenue where I am able to share my passion for advocacy, my creativity, my ideas and my energy with my fellow peers. Through SNA, I’m able to further foster my ideas about nursing from all different angles – through the lens of advocacy, health policy, and public health. 

Your Most Memorable SNA accomplishment? OR Memorable Nursing School Experience?  

I’m very grateful to be afforded the opportunity to take care of patients in the clinical setting. I love that I am able to sit down and really get to know and talk to my patients and listen to their concerns. To be a part of their lives whether it’s during the birth of their newborn or to listen to someone’s fears about their battle with HIV. By also integrating the community setting into our clinical practice, I am able to better understand where my patients are coming from and the different layers that affect their respective conditions.