Rho Gamma Chapter Newsletter. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. President s Message. Happy Holidays to You and Your Families!

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1 F A L L Rho Gamma Chapter Newsletter Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Board of Directors President s Message President Tammy Bocek ( ) President-Elect Vicki Teribury ( ) Vice-President Elaine Caso ( ) Treasurer Secretary Jennifer Mullen ( ) Counselor Missy Volino ( ) Directors Jennifer Carapella ( ) Bernadette DuVaul ( ) Vicki Kotchka ( ) Janeen Sheehe ( ) Leadership Succession Rosemary Anthony ( ) Suzanne Urban ( ) Suzanne Urban Newsletter Editor Happy Holidays to You and Your Families! As the year draws to a close, I want to thank you for all your contributions and involvement in Rho Gamma. It s hard to believe 2017 is almost behind us. What a wonderful year this has been. I want to remind you that nominations for Community Leaders will be accepted through the end of January. Please recognize your colleagues for their contribution to our profession by nominating them for membership. May you have a safe, enjoyable holiday season and a wonderful New Year. Warmest regards, Tammy Bocek, MSN, RN, NE-BC Rho Gamma President

2 2 Rho Gamma and the Professional Nurses of the Twin Tiers held their fall dinner meeting in the Petrie Conference Room of the Arnot Ogden Medical Center. Joyce Hyatt RN, PhD, PCNP presented a training on the topic of Psychological First aid and its implementation in times of disaster and trauma. Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach that provides staff and volunteers with practical ways to help people with their basic needs and immediate concerns during a disaster. The University at Albany Center for Public Health Preparedness (UACPHP) collaborated with the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz (IDMH), the NYS DOH, the NYS OMH and other partners to develop a Psychological First Aid Training Coordinator Guide and Training. More information and a copy of the guide can be found at the Center s website: Attendees learned the basic characteristics and elements of PFA, as well as the typical and extreme reactions to disaster exposure and the people who may be most at risk for these more serious negative reactions. One of the important basic tenets of this model is its universality, that it can and should be provided to all survivors. Participants had the opportunity to put the PFA elements into practice through hands-on participation in a small group activity. These elements included: making a connection; attending to physiological and safety needs; providing acknowledgement, recognition, reassurance; remaining calm; providing warmth, empathy, and genuineness; empowering the survivor; obtaining and providing accurate information; helping clients access social support; making referrals for additional help; ending the conversation. Thank you to Elaine Caso and Dennis Ice Cream, Newfield, NY, for hosting Rho Gamma Chapter members on September 30 th. On a beautiful summer day, Elaine and several member volunteers (p.3), served customers, who appreciated being able to enjoy Dennis homemade ice cream one more time at the end of the season. All proceeds, $317.20, went to Rho Gamma s Scholarship fund. Elaine, hard at work! Octagon Fair was held on Saturday, October 7 th. Proceeds ($81.87) from the sale of used jewelry went into the scholarship fund, as did Rho Gamma s share of the profits from Small Indulgences. Jewelry Raffle yielded $ for the scholarship fund. Congratulations to the winners: 1 st prize (Mystic topaz 3-piece set), Lois Schoener; 2 nd prize (lapis necklace), Vicki Kotchka; 3 rd prize (turquoise earrings), Suzanne Urban.

3 3 Elaine s helpers at Dennis Ice Cream Elaine Caso and William Godfrey represented Rho Gamma at the 44 th annual STTI Biennial Convention held in Indianapolis, IN, October 28-November 1. Among other things, as delegates, they voted on the organization s bylaws. One of the highlights of the 44th Biennial Convention was the unveiling of an effort years in the making the new Sigma brand. This is what STTI had to say about this change: After 95 years, the reputation of our organization is stronger than ever. Freshening our look and language is a great way to prepare us for even more success in the future, and we want to make sure that everyone understands how to help us in this rebranding effort. All this began with a brand study that revealed ways to bring strategic direction to the Sigma brand. We want to ensure we stand out against other nursing organizations and reduce the potential of being misperceived as a fraternal, social, or academic-only organization. The Board of Directors and leadership team have worked diligently to address what was learned and to develop the new look and feel for Sigma that will serve us well for years to come. We still are, and will remain, an honor society. But we re now welcoming you to call us what you ve been calling us already: Sigma. This primary logo replaces the old Sigma Theta Tau International logo containing the crest. As the historic and cross-cultural symbol of honor and excellence, the laurel branch is a perfect fit for Sigma. In our logo, it s placed above our name and modified by breaking into three individual leaves at the end of the branch. We have also added the descriptor line, Global Nursing Excellence, which concisely conveys who we are and what we do.

4 Mission 4 The mission of The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership and service. Vision Sigma Theta Tau International s vision is to be the global organization of choice for nursing. Elections 2018 You answered the call to become a nurse and to join Sigma. Now it s time to consider running for an open Rho Gamma Chapter position. According to Sigma, electing honor society leaders is a very important function of honor society membership. Honor society leaders represent the membership as a whole and the membership has entrusted the honor society's direction and vitality to the elected individuals. We need strong leadership to move the chapter forward. Contact Suzanne Urban, through our address rhogamma@elmira.edu, for further information. Official call for nominations will be coming out soon. For , the following positions are opened: Secretary (responsible for recording and distributing meeting minutes, along with preparing and distributing honor society correspondence) Board of Directors (2) (The directors shall provide expertise in policy governance, deliberate issues before the board, and exercise and engage in decision making beneficial to the whole of STTI) President-Elect (shall succeed into the presidency, for two years, at the end of the term of office of the president; promotes the purposes of the Chapter; shadows the president during his/her last year in order to successfully transition into the role) Leadership Succession Committee (2) (Oversees the selection of members who can provide the necessary leadership to achieve honor society/chapter goals and meet the needs of members; manages the preparation, distribution and tallying of election ballots)

5 5 Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering 'it will be happier'... Alfred Tennyson Here is a list of suggested books as recommended in Medscape. Title of the selection is: Books that doctors would like to give (and receive!). Medscape asked its advisors and contributors what books they re reading and would recommend to others. Happy reading! ?nlid=119410_424&src=WNL_mdplsfeat_171205_mscpedit_psyc&uac=42332DV&spon=1 If you have a community project, presentation, or research project for which you need financial backing, you are encouraged to apply for the Rho Gamma Chapter STTI Research Scholarships. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance to members of Rho Gamma who are engaged in scholarly research either as a part of a graduate nursing program, community project or presentation (poster or podium) at a regional, national or international conference or program. Applications are accepted throughout the year. Applications will be sent to the membership in early 2018, or can be obtained by writing to rhogamma@elmira.edu. Mail completed applications to Rho Gamma Chapter, Elmira College Nurse Education Program, ATTN: Research Committee, 1 Park Place, Elmira, NY The scholarships will be awarded at the annual business meeting in April. Any applications received after March 1, 2018 will be considered for the next year. Two awards of $200 each will be distributed. By using the Rho Gamma Chapter s Get-A-Member Campaign, we hope our members will honor nurse colleagues who share their commitment to research, education, nursing practice, and leadership by nominating them for membership. Our next chapter induction is slated for April There are three classifications of membership: undergraduate student, graduate student, and nurse leader. Nurse leader membership is open to registered nurses, legally recognized to practice, who hold at least a baccalaureate degree in nursing or another field, and have demonstrated achievement in nursing. If you would like to nominate a nurse, please contact Tammy Bocek at rhogamma@elmira.edu A mechanism also exists for nurse leaders to sponsor their own membership in STTI. By going to Cont. p. 6

6 Cont. from p. 5 the STTI website and clicking on the membership tab ( a potential member can access information on joining STTI, as well as indicating chapter preference (Rho Gamma s Chapter number is 409). STTI then submits the self-nominee s application to the chapter, which has the authority to approve the candidate s membership. Share this avenue with a friend! 6 If you know any inactive members who are considering becoming active again, please ask them to call STTI headquarters and member services are there to assist them. This is also true for those who would like to transfer their membership to Rho Gamma. Sign in at to complete your Volunteer Interest Profile (VIProfile). Your VIProfile connects you with potential volunteer opportunities at various levels. Here is the link: Rho Gamma receives points towards the Key Award for each member who becomes a VIP. Become one today! An Open Invitation The Board of Directors extends an open invitation to all members to attend Board meetings. Board meetings are usually held on the second Monday of each month at Elmira College in the 3 rd floor conference room, Cowles Hall, 5:00 PM. In very rare instances, there may be a change in date or location. Please check with Rho Gamma by phone at or rhogamma.edu for Board meeting verification. If you need a ride to a meeting, or would like to carpool, please contact us through our address rho gamma@elmira.edu You can access information (newsletters, scholarship applications) by going online to the Elmira College website and clicking in this order: academics, majors (nursing), honor society. Also, please let us know if your changes.

7 Donations 7 Rho Gamma continues to spread the word regarding the Family Reading Partnership of the Chemung Valley spromotion of literacy in our community. The book collection campaigns are maintained throughout our area. Gently used children s books may be placed in the red boxes at the following locations: Nurse Education Program, Cowles Hall, Elmira College; Arnot Ogden SON, Clute Building; Corning Community College Nursing Program; Elmira College Library; Guthrie- Mansfield Education Center, Patterson Building, Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, PA. All donated books are given to the Family Reading Partnership for distribution in our community. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to read to their children starting in infancy. According to AAP s research exposure to language has a profound influence on children s learning throughout life. We must get books into the hands of our children! Catholic Charities is in need of toiletry items for local families. If you have any hotel-size toiletry items that you wish to donate, please bring them to the next Rho Gamma meeting or drop them off at the Nurse Education Program Office, Cowles Hall, Elmira College. Items needed include: soap, shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste. shaving cream, mouthwash, toothbrushes, razors, deodorant, and lotion. Calendar of Events 2018 Sharing Innovations, Monday, February 5, 2018 (Snow date Monday, February 26), Cowles Hall, 6-8PM New Member Tea Friday, March 23, 2018, The Park Church, Elmira, 4-6PM Induction, Friday, April 6, 2018, Cowles Hall, Elmira College, 6-8PM Annual Meeting Monday, May 7, 2018, with time/venue TBD