Nursing Committee Orientation and Clinical Liver Pathology Notes

Executive Leadership - Chair: Faith (Current Chair). - Vice Chair: Harley. - Interns (Co-Chairs Elect): Ali and Catherine are the current interns who will transition into the Co-Chair positions next year. - Community Adviser: Jennifer.
Specialized Department Leads and Staff - Mentorship Team: - Lead: Kiara. - Intern: McKillie is the current intern who will take over the Lead position next year. - Events Team: - Current Events Lead: Dylan. - Intern: Jeanine is the current intern who will take over as Lead next year. - Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): Chris, Morgan, and Giselle. - Administrative and Records Team: - Secretary: Kayla. - Secretary Intern: Caitlin. - Historians: Chelsea, Marin, and Christine; Caitlin and Kayla also assist in this capacity.
Committee Membership Overview - The committee currently consists of approximately $20$ members. - Most current members belong to the Class of $2026$ . - Due to the impending graduation of the Class of $2026$ , the committee is looking to recruit between $15$ and $20$ new members from incoming cohorts ( $2027$ and beyond).

The Internship System: The committee operates on a mentorship model where new members serve as interns under a Lead to learn the specific responsibilities of the role before taking over the position the following year.
Specific Role Descriptions: - Committee Member: General members participate in meetings and contribute their expertise to either the Mentorship Team or the Events Team. - Liaison / Representative: Responsible for representing the committee to other departments or external organizations, such as the Student Nurses' Association (SMA). - Subject Matter Expert (SME): Provides specialized knowledge and expertise in specific academic or clinical areas. - Mentor (Mentorship Group Member): - Mentors are assigned to approximately $8$ to $12$ pre-nursing students (for students who opt-in). - Responsibilities: Answer questions regarding nursing school applications and specific classes; provide general support, tips, and guidance throughout the pre-nursing process. - Rationale: There are approximately $400$ pre-nursing students, necessitating a large number of mentors to maintain a ratio of $1 ext{ mentor}$ to $8$ or $11 ext{ students}$ . - Events Group Member: - Responsibilities: Assist the Events Lead in organizing and running events. Tasks include answering questions during workshops/webinars and staffing events such as blood drives or "First Flight."

Digital Infrastructure: All pre-nursing students are automatically added to a Pre-Nursing Canvas Shell. This shell includes: - Pre-nursing roadmaps. - Discussion boards for student inquiries. - Information regarding the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
Academic Support: - Tutoring Support: Provides pre-nursing students with access to study groups and tutoring sessions led by current nursing students specifically for science prerequisites. - Study Resources: Access to shared notes and worksheets for prerequisite courses and the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) exam.
Professional Development: - Volunteer and Work Opportunities: The committee maintains lists of local volunteer sites and work opportunities within the Los Angeles (LA) area specifically for pre-nursing students who may be unsure where to find clinical experience.

Reasons to Join: - Opportunity to give back to the pre-nursing community. - Expanding leadership experience for resumes. - Participation in campus events such as "PB Day," "What's the Best," Orientation, and blood drives.
Commitment and Flexibility: - Requirements are described as flexible and manageable. - Meetings are typically short, held over Zoom for convenience, and scheduled using Google Forms to accommodate different student schedules. - Accountability is expected for all assigned tasks.
Application Details: - Target Recruits: Students from the current cohort and Cohort $27$ . - Method: Scan the provided QR code to fill out the interest form. - Deadline: Friday, May 22 at $11:59 ext{ PM}$ .

Physiological Assessment: When evaluating liver disorders, it is critical to understand the primary functions of the liver and assess what the organ is doing in its baseline state.
Mechanisms of Injury: - Liver Damage: Divided into functional damage (direct impairment of the hepatocyte cell) and structural damage. - Comparison: Similar to renal injury, cell damage eventually leads to long-term structural impact.
Cirrhosis Definition and Pathophysiology: - Definition: Permanent, irreversible scarring of the liver. - Pathogenesis: A spectrum of scar formation involving fibrosis and attempted regeneration. - Structural Change: The liver transitions from a "sponge-like" (perfusable) consistency to a "stone-like" (hardened) consistency.
Clinical Consequences of Cirrhosis: - Impaired Perfusion: Scar tissue prevents proper blood flow through the organ. - Portal Hypertension: Increased blood pressure within the portal vein system due to obstruction. - Hepatorenal Syndrome (Pararenal): A condition where liver failure causes the backup of fluid or toxins, ultimately causing secondary kidney failure.

Case Study Discussion: - Scenario: A patient with cirrhosis was administered $82 ext{ mg}$ IV push of Advil (ibuprofen) ordered by a doctor. - Clinical Concern: While this might be a standard dose for a healthy individual, it is extremely high/risky for a patient with cirrhosis due to impaired metabolism and risk of further injury.
Electrolyte Assessment Dialogue: - Question: "Wouldn't we be more worried about the electrolyte?" - Data: A student notes a CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) showing: - Potassium ( $K^+$ ): $3.2 ext{ mEq/L}$ - Sodium ( $Na^+$ ): $130 ext{ mEq/L}$ - Context: These values indicate hypokalemia and hyponatremia, posing significant risks for a patient.
Academic Performance and Exam Logistics: - Current Grades: A student mentions sitting at a "close B+" (at $5\%$ short of an A) and hopes for an improvement on the final exam. - Exam Structure: The upcoming exam consists of $65$ questions. - Point Calculation Dialogue: - Student A: "So $15$ divided by—it’s $23$ points per question?" - Student B: " $23 ext{ points}$ ?" - Student C: " $0.23 ext{ points}$ . Oh, it's $0.23$ ." - Student D: "Thank you. It’s point $93$ ."
Social/Miscellaneous Dialogue: - Discussion regarding food (popcorn chicken, cracklings) and upcoming social events like a "Beach Day" potentially occurring on Sunday, the $22 ext{nd}$ .