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Nursing student recognized nationally by Chris West Public Relations Winning may not be everything, but it is the one thing that has moved a MUSC student closer to her goal of becoming a psychiatric nurse.   The good news came in May for nursing senior Amy Funderburk. A letter confirmed her as a recipient of the 2001 Janssen Scholarship through the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). The scholarship, in its third year, is supported by an educational grant from Janssen Phamaceutical Inc. and seeks to proactively increase student involvement in the field of psychiatric nursing.   “Mardi Long, director of Student and Alumni Affairs, brought the scholarship to my attention,” Funderburk said. “So I submitted my essay and a few months later, I received the news. I was quite surprised.”   But the Awards and Recognition Committee of the APNA weren’t surprised in that Funderburk was chosen along with 29 other nursing students nationally and was the only South Carolina recipient of the scholarship.   Funderburk received travel and conference expenses, a field journal and newsletter, as well as a one-year membership to the APNA. In October she was flown to Reno, Nev., the site of this year’s APNA annual conference. There she would join her scholarship co-recipients and more than 700 psychiatric nurses for a four-day affair of networking, leadership and recognition.    “The topics covered were so diverse— from cultural diversity to cutting-edge technology to genetics. There was a wide scope of information at the conference that went beyond simply how to work with patients,” Funderburk said.    Her initial interest in psychiatric nursing came quite naturally in that she holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and Funderburk’s mom is a psychiatric nurse. She admits that one thing that turned her towards it is because “it is a different type of nursing. Aside from the medical end, there is an emotional side that has to be addressed by sitting, listening and empathizing with patients and families.”       And in dealing with those families, Funderburk cites the importance of the role of the psychiatric nurse in the days to come. “With our parent’s generation beginning to show its age, a large percentage of the population is going to need this type of care,” she said. “With this the need for psychiatric nurses will grow exponentially on subjects such as aging issues, end of life questions and areas of quality of life.”   Currently, Funderburk is concentrating on her senior year, yet ever looking towards the future. “Aside from what I have on my plate immediately, I am trying to make good future contacts, beginning to formulate possible dissertation topics and generally finding areas that interest me,” she said. “Anything that will help my transition into my graduate program.”   Paired with personal mentor Gail Stuart, Ph.D. and professor, Colleges of Nursing and Medicine, Funderburk is on track to graduate in December and start her graduate program in psychiatric and mental health nursing next fall. This, according to Stuart, isn’t a minute too soon.    “Nursing is striving to recruit the best and brightest into the profession, and it is wonderful to see one of our own students selected for this national honor. We have many mental health needs to address in South Carolina and Ms. Funderburk will help us lead the way in a new cohort of nursing leadership,” Stuart said.