Hello Tau Kappa At Large members!

Kylie and I found the Convention in San Antonio to be a great experience, with many opportunities to network, be exposed to multiple research studies, and explore all that Sigma has to offer.

Of note, we appreciated

·       The Plenary call to action, reminding nurses to step outside their silos, “We can’t continue to just talk among ourselves!” The BE BOLD legacy focuses on economics, technology and conservation, and he discussed the nursing shortage, the increasing age of the world’s population, and the impact of mass migration as people move around the globe.

·       Research sessions we attended included

o   Latasha Powell’s research: Barriers for LPNs as they pursue RN orientation (Used Chickering’s Theory these students require support and mentoring)

o   University of Texas: Transition to Practice New Graduates to RNs (transition stages of Doing (1 – 3 months), Being (4  - 8 months), and Knowing (9 – 12 months) each transition stage is stressful. Anxiety, depression and stress peaked at 4 – 8 months and that is when they leave

o   Ohio State: Wellness Partner Program (50% of students come to campus with a mental health disorder, nursing students experience stress from their clinical practice. Program focused on health behaviors associated with wellness ]self care, nutrition, exercise, sleep]. 90% of the students who participated in the wellness program engaged in self care)

o   NYU: Inter-professional program (students work on a DEU paired with medical students.)

·       The closing plenary session described leading with Cause, Courage, and Curiosity to upskill and reskill the people on the team, which will increase performance and engagement. She challenged each of us to describe our WHY- to isolate why our school/department/healthcare facility exists, and then to describe how “MY JOB MATTERS BECAUSE…” She encouraged us to do that exercise with our team to build a shared vision, and enable each person on the team to engage in the process of success.

It was interesting to hear about the minor bylaws changes, and observe the pageantry of the international delegates as they entered the conference hall.

Thank you Tau Kappa for allowing us to attend.

Dawne Olbrych and Kylie Ackerman

The deadline to submit Recognition Awards and Student Scholarships is this Friday April 14, 2023. 

Know a deserving Nurse Leader? Nominate them for a Recognition Award for:
-Research
-Education
-Nursing Practice
-Leadership
-Mentorship
-Student Performance

Know a deserving Nursing Student? Nominate them for a scholarship!

Great news- you CAN self nominate!

Email kackerman@excelsior.edu for more information or for a nomination form!

Each biennium, Sigma installs a new president at the international level. At the 46th Biennial Convention, we proudly installed Ken Dion, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, FAAN, and introduced him as the 34th president of Sigma. Each president presents a call to action to help guide members and chapters as we strive to fulfill our mission. Going forward, this will be an organizational call to action with influence from the Board of Directors.

The organizational call to action asks us to be bold. As a profession we have a habit of talking among ourselves. We attend nursing conferences, we publish in nursing journals, and we often remain in siloes within the organizations where we are employed. This status quo cannot remain! If nothing else, the past two years have shown us how events outside of nursing force change within it. Case in point: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed global inequities in our societies, our healthcare delivery systems, and within the nursing profession. Consider COVID-19 a wake-up call. The future is coming, and it will profoundly affect nursing education, research, healthcare systems, and—ultimately—models of care.

Our profession must step outside its insular circle. We must actively collaborate with disciplines outside nursing and healthcare to influence decisions about our profession, populations, and the planet in three critical domains: economics, technology, and conservation. As we move forward in a post-pandemic world, it remains our duty as a profession to advocate to abolish inequities within societies, healthcare systems, and even within our profession. Advocacy has always been central to nursing. But how do we focus our advocacy for the future? Taking stock of our past, the present, and potential futures can help us determine how to do that.  

Hello colleagues,

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has offered our members an extensive Manuscript Writing and Reviewer Skills Program, and I am delighted to be able to share the recorded programs with all of you! Below is the program description. You will find recorded programs, speaker bios, and PowerPoint slides available at the webpage. 

*****YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER - JUST SCROLL BELOW THAT AND FIND THE RECORDED PROGRAMS ***** (Of course, you are welcome to, if you would like to do so!)

The value of publishing in gerontology extends beyond the investigator to other researchers, scholars, practitioners, and ultimately improvements in life for older adults and society alike. With this in mind, GSA is offering a live webinar series with practical advice on manuscript writing and reviewing. Graduate students and emerging professionals as well as experienced scholars who want to hone their writing and reviewing skills and become more involved in the publishing process will benefit from the hands-on practice, discussion of the “human side” of publishing, pointers from authors of manuscripts accepted by journals, and the insiders’ view with a panel of editors on what constitutes a good paper.

Watch this webinar presented by Carly A. Gerretsen to...

• Define the difference between gender, sex, sexual orientation, and gender nonconformity.
• Explain the NYS law and compare how it varies from the WPATH standards.
• Describe the hormones used for treatment and give examples of how they affect the body.
• State the different types of surgical procedures and describe potential complications.
• Integrate trans-specific needs when ordering medical and cancer screening.
• Implement change in their practice to provide culturally sensitive medical care.
• Discuss the difference between the medical diagnosis as defined by the DSM and that used by the population in culture.

An Essential National Goal Addressing Alzheimer's Risk Reduction – CME & CEU   David Hoffman, DPS, CCE   May 18, 2022 5:00 - 6:30 PM Free Webex

 

Register Here

Webex Link Here

 

Course Description In 2021, a new National Risk Reduction goal for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias was announced by the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) as an update to the annual National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. Risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias include but are not limited to tobacco use, sleep quality, diabetes, hypertension, and physical inactivity. This update aims to reduce an aggressive 15% in the prevalence of risk factors per decade. As the federal government accelerates research on these risk factors, it is important to strengthen our infrastructure for the translation and dissemination about risk factors, interventions, and health promotion activities.   Who Should Attend This course is designed for health care providers treating patients with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia (ADRD).    Accreditation The Albany Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Albany Medical College designates this Live activity for a maximum of  1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.   Albany Medical Center is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of Continuing Education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0522.   We have not received any commercial support for this activity.

Please enjoy the March 2022 Chapter Newsletter.

Applications and Nominations Now Open and Due 4/15/2022

Three opportunities for awards and scholarships are available!

• Recognition Awards
• Student Scholarships
• Lifelong Learning Scholarships

 

Recognition Awards annually recognize outstanding contributions to nursing and excellence in one or more of the following categories:

• Research
• Education
• Nursing Practice
• Leadership
• Mentorship
• Student Performance
                        

Nominate a deserving colleague or student, or self-nominate, describing how the nominee contributes to the nursing profession. Please email the completed Recognition Award Nominating Form to debrajeffs@comcast.net by April 15th to be recognized at the Tau Kappa At-Large annual induction ceremony.

 

Student Scholarships for Excelsior College and Empire State College nursing students are now available. Faculty may nominate students or students may self-apply. Please email the Student Scholarship application to debrajeffs@comcast.net by April 15th for a spring award and September 1st for a fall award. 

 

Lifelong Learning Scholarships are now available for Tau Kappa members. Please email the Lifelong Learning Scholarship application to debrajeffs@comcast.net by April 15th for a spring award and September 1st for a fall award

 

We look forward to the receipt of recognition nominations and scholarship applications.

Thank you!

Debra Jeffs, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, FAAN, Chair, Tau Kappa Awards and Recognition Committee

 

Slides: January 2022 Meeting - Sigma United Nations Program by Dr. Pennie Brandon Sessler

Congratulations to the 2021 Inductees. Welcome to Sigma and to the Tau Kappa At-Large Chapter. We are proud of your achievements and look forward to you becoming involved in your Chapter!

Please enjoy the March 2021 Chapter Newsletter. Thanks to our Editor, Karin Pantel for developing it!

The Tau Kappa virtual program will be on Thursday, 1/14/2021 from 3:30-4:30pm. There is a monthly board meeting to follow. 

Registration and meeting participation instructions:  

• This meeting will be held in Zoom and members must register in advance. Please go to: https://excelsior.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pce6rpjMsG91kxcXgsgKmdyLnxlsbQVA7  
• After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  

Please find our TKAL Communicator, your Chapter's newsletter. Additionally, please consider applying for our Lifelong Learning or Student Scholarships or nominating someone for a Chapter Award. The applications are below.


 2020 Lifelong Learning Scholarship Application
 2020 Tau Kappa At-Large Chapter Recognition Award Nominating Form
 2020 Tau Kappa At-Large Chapter Guidelines for Student Scholarships

The Leadership Succession Committee is happy to announce the new Tau Kappa At-Large Chapter leaders for 2020

 

Secretary- Rebecca Hegel, MS, FNP-C, RN

Leadership Succession Committee- Christie Barbur, MS, RN, CHPN

Counselor- Mary-Jane Araldi, MSN, RN

 

Congratulations to the 2020 Inductees. Welcome to Sigma and to the Tau Kappa At-Large Chapter. We are proud of your achievements and look forward to you becoming involved in your Chapter!

If you are interested in obtaining a mentor in any of the following areas, please reach out to Nicole Helstowski at nhelstowski@excelsior.edu: 

• Leadership
• Professionalism/Transition to Practice
• Research
• Gerontology and Long-Term Care Specialty Practice
• Health & Wellness
• Education

 

With lots to share, welcome to the March 2020 Edition of The TKAL Communicator. Also below are the Recognition Award Nominating Form and the Lifelong Learning Scholarship application. 


March Newsletter 2020
Recognition Award Nominating Form
TKAL Lifelong Learning Scholarship for TKAL Members

Davin Workforce Solutions and StatStaff Professionals shared this great video of them teaming up with Tau Kappa At-Large and Daisy Troop #3608 ​to help their community. They collected almost 3,000 items for Saratoga County EOC, which is an organization that is geared towards helping families, specifically single mothers and children. Thanks to CEO and Tau Kappa At-Large Community Service Committee Member, David Theobald for this great work!