| About
us : An Introduction |
 
|
|
|
An
Introduction
(STUDENT NURSES ASSOCIATION)
The
Student Nurses Association (SNA) is a nation-wide organisation.
It was established in 1929 at the time of the Annual Conference
of the Trained Nurses’ Association of India (TNAI). The Nursing
Superintendent of the Government General Hospital, Madras, Miss
L.N. Jeans, was the first Honorary Organising Secretary of this
Association. The pioneer unit of SNA was established at the
General Hospital, Madras, followed by Christian Rainy Hospital,
Madras and the Presidency General Hospital, Calcutta.
It
is remarkable that the growth of SNA Units has been persistent
ever since its inception. In the year 1954, the SNA celebrated
its Silver Jubilee and there was significant increase in the
number of units by then. The number rose to 117 and the membership
to 4,259. The S.N.A. celebrated its Diamond Jubilee with almost
three fold increase in the number of units and seven times increase
in membership, i.e., 355 units and 29,233 members. By September
30,1998, the number of SNA units were 518 and the total membership
of SNA was 45,171. The present number of SNA units, till August
2001 is 506 and the membership is 43,453.
The
SNA and TNAI used to have combined Annual Conference, but due
to the increase in number of delegates it was felt in 1960 to
hold separate Conferences for the student Nurses. Since 1961
the student Nurses are having separate Biennial Conferences.
These are held alternately with TNAI Conferences.
The
students are being given more and more responsibility to manage
their affairs both at the State and national levels. In 1975
it was agreed by the TNAI Council that one student representative
be included in the State Branch Executive Committee on trial
basis before the students are included in the TNAI Council as
representatives of SNA.
As
work of the Association increased, the need for a full time
Secretary for the SNA was felt and in 1947 Miss I. Dorabji was
appointed as SNA Secretary . Miss M. Philip succeeded Miss Dorabji
in 1964, when Miss Dorabji joined TNAI as Secretary. Miss Philip
continued as SNA Secretary till 1967. In 1970 with the reorganisation
of TNAI the designation of the SNA Secretary was changed to
SNA Advisor.
Mrs.
Narender Nagpal was appointed first SNA Advisor in 1973 and
she served in this capacity upto 1978. Miss D.K. Singh succeeded
Mrs. Nagpal after the latter’s appointment as Secretary, TNAI.
Mr. T. Stephens succeeded Miss Singh in 1981. On Mr. T. Stephens’
retirement in 1983 Miss Jaiwanti P. Dhaulta took over as SNA
Advisor. On appointment of Miss Dhaulta as Secretary-General,
TNAI, in 1996, Lt.Col. (Miss) M. David took over as SNA Advisor.
On her retirement in March 1998, Mrs. Sujana Chakravarty became
the SNA Advisor.
© 2002, Trained Nurses' Association of India (TNAI), All
Rights Reserved.