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DELTA CHAPTER OFFICERS President |
DELTA CHAPTER COMMITTEES Bylaws, Chair |
EDITOR’S NOTES
Welcome to the Fall 1999 Newsletter! The purpose of our newsletter is to communicate chapter news and events, and to showcase member’s activities. We encourage you to share your professional accomplishments, scholarly endeavors, and any participation in Sigma Theta Tau activities with our newsletter.
Also, please note: Sigma Theta Tau is on the web! Check out the latest chapter information: http://www2.kumc.edu/son/stt.
Mark your calendars now for our fall meeting and program on October 21. Come ready to network, and enjoy Claudia Beckman’s exciting presentation.
| CALENDAR OF EVENTS | |
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October 7, 1999 October 21, 1999 November 6-10, 1999 December 1999 |
January 20, 2000 February 17, 2000 March 16, 2000 April 20, 2000 May 2000 |
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
As fall arrives, I want to encourage all Delta chapter members of Sigma Theta Tau to renew your commitment to our chapter and the society. There exist wide spread opportunities for participation and the Board welcomes your involvement in the activities we have planned for the upcoming year. This year Delta chapter will be holding its traditional Fall business and program meeting on October 21, 1999. This event will provide you an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues in addition to learning about some exciting nursing research going on in our community.
On May 20, 1999 the chapter inducted 49 new members, including a second international community member from Australia. I especially encourage new inductees to attend the Fall chapter meeting, volunteer to serve on a committee, and consider running for an office when the year 2000 slate is being prepared.
Delta chapter had a busy and productive 1998-99 academic year and now we are reaping the rewards of our endeavors. Headquarters has recently notified us that we have been selected as a recipient of the 1999 Chapter Key Award. This will be the fourth time Delta chapter has received this award, demonstrating a sustained record of excellence and member contributions. Cindy Teel and I, as chapter delegates, will receive this award at the 35th Biennial Convention in San Diego this November.
The chapter nominated Christine Gorman, author of “The Wired Prairie”, for the International Public Print Award and she was selected to receive this award. Her article, published in a special edition of TIME magazine entitled Heroes of Medicine, profiled the University of Kansas statewide collaborative family nurse practitioner program offered in Garden City via telecommunications. The chapter also nominated William G. Bartholome, MD for honorary membership in Sigma Theta Tau International to recognize his many contributions to nursing. This award will be presented posthumously at the convention.
The 35th Biennial Convention commences on November 6 and continues through the 10th. Dr. Eleanor Sullivan will be presiding over the convention and the program offers many opportunities for learning through the clinical practice, scientific, and leadership sessions. The Sigma Theta Tau International Board recently approved the strategic plan and it will be presented at the House of Delegates, providing chapters direction for organizational endeavors in the upcoming millennium. I encourage you to take a look at the exciting program and consider attending the convention.
Last year we initiated a Community Service project and through member support we were able to donate a number of fans to low-income clients of the Redemptorist Center during the peak of the summer heat. The Board voted to continue this project and soon we will announce a fund raising activity that we hope all Delta members will support. We also established a WEB presence for Delta Chapter that can be accessed either through the University of Kansas School of Nursing home page under Beyond the Classroom or directly through the url http://www2.kumc.edu/son/STT.
I look forward to serving another year as your president and representing Delta chapter. I welcome any ideas you may have of ways to strengthen our chapter.
Barb Langner
YOU ARE INVITED
SIGMA THETA TAU, DELTA CHAPTER
FALL BUSINESS MEETING AND PROGRAM
THE EFFECTS OF ASTHMA ON PREGNANCY AND PERINATAL OUTCOMES
Presentation by Claudia Beckman, PhD, RN
Thursday, October 21, 1999
University of Kansas Medical Center
Lied Atrium and Auditorium
Research Building
Parking available at 39th and Rainbow, North of Taylor Building
AGENDA
5:00 - 5:30 p.m. Refreshments and Networking
5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Business Meeting
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. The Effects of Asthma on Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes
Research and Travel Awards are given twice a year by our Chapter. Members can apply to the Awards committee, who selects worthwhile projects to fund with a monetary award. Described below are the research endeavors of two recent award recipients, Carol Starling and Patricia Wahlstedt.
| Carol K. Starling, PhD, RN was awarded funding for support of her study “Pre-Term delivery prevention program: Effects on pregnancy outcomes for the population of an urban health department.” Using Newman’s Systems Theory as a conceptual framework, the purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes of women who received prenatal care at an urban county health department prior to initiation of a Pre-Term Delivery (PTD) Prevention Program with women who received prenatal care after the program began. The PTD Prevention Program uses risk scoring developed by Holbrook, Laros, & Creasy (1989) and a comprehensive interdisciplinary (nursing, medicine, social work, and nutrition) team approach to prenatal care. The study uses a descriptive correlational design to examine the outcomes of gestational age and birth weight. Prenatal records of 175 women in each of the two time frames will be investigated. Stratified random sampling based on ethnicity (Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic) will be used to assure representation of the county population. Data will be abstracted from the health department prenatal records using a data collection form developed by the investigators. For those infants whose birth weight or gestational age is not recorded in the mother’s prenatal record, newborn records from the hospital of delivery will be used. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be performed to explore differences between the baseline and PTD Prevention groups and differences among the three ethnic groups. T-tests to examine demographic differences between the pre-PTD program group and post-PTD group will be conducted to determine if analysis of covariance will be required to control for group differences. Implications of the findings will be examined. | Patricia Wahlstedt, R.N., Ph.D.,
received a Delta Chapter Travel Award for support of “Web-Based
Continuous Professional Learning for Advanced Practice Nurses” which
was co-authored with Dr. Helen Connors and presented at the Seventeenth
Annual International Nursing Computer and Technology Conference, Boston,
April 25-28, 1999.
The goals, implementation and evaluation of the Kansas Continuous Learning Project (KCLP) were described in this presentation. The KCLP is a partnership of the University of Kansas School of Nursing and Academic Support Unit, Fort Hays State University Department of Nursing, Pittsburg State University Department of Nursing, and Wichita State University School of Nursing formed to support advanced practice nurses in rural areas. The KCLP Advanced Practice Nurses’ Communication Center, located on the internet at http://www2.kumc.edu/kclp, connects rural nurses to peers, other healthcare colleagues, faculty members and online resources, as well as provides the ability to “attend” continuing education courses online. The goal of the KCLP is to create a learning community that will alleviate the sense of isolation felt by many primary health care providers in rural areas. |
Delta Chapter held its Spring Induction Banquet at the Kansas City Marriott on May 20, 1999. Please welcome the following 52 new members to our chapter:
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Sigma Theta Tau International is a nursing honor society dedicated to developing professional excellence in practice, research, scholarship and leadership to enhance world health.
Call for Chapter Officer Nominations
Recording Secretary: Individual is responsible for the minutes of Board meetings of the Delta Chapter and corresponding with individual members and outside groups. The term of office is two years.
Treasurer: Individual is responsible for the budget of Delta Chapter and financial record keeping. The term of office is two years.
Undergraduate Counselor: Individual acts as a liaison between the School of Nursing and the Executive Committee and serves on the Eligibility Committee for a two year term.
Nominating Committee: Three individuals who will be responsible for preparing the ballot for the Chapter Officers for the next year. The term of the position will be one year.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING IN ONE OF THESE LEADERSHIP ROLES, PLEASE LET THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE KNOW BEFORE JANUARY 20, 2000. CONTACT:
Amal Medhat, RN, MPH, EdS
University of Kansas School of Nursing
3901 Rainbow Blvd
Kansas City, KS 66160-7502
Email: amedhat@kumc.edu
We are calling for volunteers to be Chairs of our Publicity and Heritage/Archivist Committees for 1999-2000. Please let us know if you are interested.
AWARDS
Anita Wingate, RN, PhD, Professor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing was one of twenty professors at the University of Kansas who were recognized for their teaching expertise. The award, the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, was announced during a surprise visit by University and Commerce Bank officials to her classroom on August 25. The $5000 awards presented this year are part of a five-year program supported by The William T. Kemper Foundation and the KU Endowment Association.
HONORS
Shelly Neu, RN, was elected Treasurer of the Heart of America Chapter of the American Nephrology Nurses’s Association (ANNA) in January 1999, and recently passed the Certified Nephrology Nurse exam. We will miss Shelly, as she has recently moved to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Sara Forbes, RN, PhD, was awarded funds from NINR/NIH for a grant titled, “End of Life in Nursing Homes: Process and Outcomes of Care.” The study will use both qualitative and quantitative methods to describe end of life care, and will evaluate quality of life, resident satisfaction with care, pain and symptom management, and advance care planning.
PUBLICATIONS
Wambach, K., Boyle, D., Hagamaster , J., Teel, C., Langner, B., Fazzone, P., Connors, H. & Smity, C. (1999). Beyond correspondence, video conferencing, and voice mail: Internet-based master's’degree courses in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 38, 267-271.
For more information about Sigma Theta Tau, use our new website: http://www2.kumc.edu/son/stt
Submission of Information for Future Newsletters
We at Delta Chapter are proud of our distinguished membership and are delighted to hear about member’s achievements, appointments, and awards. We are pleased to carry announcements of such items in the Delta Chapter Newsletter. Please use this form to notify us of your accomplishments. Or, mail to: Jackie Nowak, Delta Chapter Newsletter, University of Kansas School of Nursing, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160-7502.Thank you!
If you are enclosing a publication notice, please include appropriate citation information. The deadline for submission of reports of activities, honor, presentations, or publications for the next newsletter (Spring/Summer) is February 17, 2000.
Delta Chapter Recruitment Of Community Members
We are looking for those nurses that you know who foster high standards, work at a superior level, are highly committed to nursing and promote creative work. If this nurse is not a member of Sigma Theta Tau, please consider nominating this person as a member. The deadline for submission of completed materials is February 16, 2000. Application materials are enclosed on the following pages to allow for completion. You can copy the information to give to potential community members, then materials must be submitted to:
Sarah Forbes, RN, PhD
University of Kansas School of Nursing
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Kansas City, KS 66160-7502
Applicants: Submit a “Community Leader Membership Intent Form.”
Submit letters of endorsement from two nursing leaders who are Sigma
Theta Tau members.
Possess a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.