Spring 2005 A Call for Nominations for the following Excellence Awards Nominees must be members of STTI and be currently licensed to practice as a registered nurse. Packets are due July 1, 2005.

Schools Update

Concordia College, by Connie Peterson: Concordia College is excited to announce the start of an accelerated program for students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree in some area but want to return to school to earn a major in nursing. The first class of ten students was recently accepted and will begin their first nursing course this summer. They will complete the nursing major in approximately 18 months, and finish the nursing major in December. Other developments at Concordia include the selection of the new Academic Dean of the college, Mark Krejci. Mark served as the interim dean last year and is a staunch supporter of the nursing department.

In fall of 2004, Concordia College was approved by the Higher Learning Commission to admit students into the graduate program. It has been an exhilarating experience working with the graduate students. Our traditional undergraduate program is doing some innovative things as well. This year, new learning experiences focused on nursing as a vocation, cultural diversity and interdisciplinary projects. It has been a joy to work with our excellent clinical facility partners to prepare such outstanding graduates. We want to thank all of the nurses and agencies that have worked with our students in various capacities to ensure the quality of their nursing education.

Jamestown College, by Jacqueline Mangnall: Jamestown College has had a busy and productive year. Our sophomore and junior classes number 35 each which is a large number for our small department. This year we will graduate 26 nursing students. They will soon be returning from thier senior leadership clinical rotations. Our seniors each complete two different preceptor-based rotations in the facility of their choice. This year we placed our seniors in 23 different healt-care facilities in 10 different states with a total of 52 preceptors. I am consistently amazed and deeply grateful that the nurse preceptors are so willing to be mentors and teachers for our students. Following thier exceptional experiences the students come back to Jamestown College professionally polished and ready to enter the work force.

Jamestown College underwent accreditation visits form the North Dakota Board of Nursing and the National League for Nursing Acrreditation Commission in October of this year. Our visists went smoothly and we have received word of al full accreditation from both the NDBON and the NLNAC. Preparation for the visits was chaotic and stressful at times but it is nice to have our "house" in order and to receive confirmation that it is. Of course, having oor house in order does not mean that we can become complacent. We are excited about beginning some curriculum changes that, in part, will include a greater emphasis on complex clinical skill mastery.

The Department of Nursing will be hosting an all nursing reunion this fall and is palnning a nursing symposium as part of that event. The symposium will feature some of our graduates who have demonstrated excellence in ursing practice and leadership. In addition, we will be featuring a dinner theater with a cameo performance by Florence Nightingale (aka Penny Breise).

Minnesota State University Moorhead, by Barb Matthees: Growth and change are the norm at MSUM Nursing! The department continues to work toward adding the new Baccalaureate 8 semester prelicensure program with an anticipated beginning in August 2005 under the leadership of Dr. Barbara Vellenga. A MnSCU team was recently on campus to review three programs for potential approval as 'on-line' with Minnesota On-line. Currently the RN-B track is 30 credits--all coursework is on-line and clinicals are coordinated in the student's home area .In March, Dr Jane Bergland again led a team of RN-to-BSN students to Jalapa, Nicaragua with the ISLA (InterFaith Services to Latin America). This year we were pleased that a TCU-NC graduate student, Peggy Hornung, also traveled with the group as part of her Nurse Educator practicum. Bueno! Donna Heald is on sabbatical Spring 2004 and developing the End of Life course in cooperation with Hospice of the Red River Valley. This will be offered (on-line of course!) in Fall 2005.

North Dakota State University by Mary Margaret Mooney: North Dakota State University has The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program has received institutional and North Dakota State Board approval. The first students have enrolled. There is a completion track available for advanced practice nurses with a master's degree who want to attain the DNP credential. Several faculties have published work in several professional journals as well as made many presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. Interest in the undergraduate program remains "healthy"; with approximately three qualified candidates for every available applicant position. The class who entered the curriculum pathway designed for the working LPN will graduate this year (two in May, two in August and six in December). The program is a participant in the national safe patient-handling project.

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10th Anniversary November 2004

Xi Kappa Chapter-at-Large celebrated its tenth anniversary November 2004. Along with guest speaker Clarann Weinert, thirty nine new members were inducted during the festive event lifting all of us on to a new decade of excellence. Read Carla Gross' article for a complete review of the inductees. Welcome to each and everyone of you!

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SPOTLIGHT ON A MEMBER this time the focus is on

Caroline Schauer

“What an honor to be highlighted in the Xi Kappa newsletter! I started with Hospice of the Red River Valley as a Private Duty Nurse 20 years ago. I fell in love with the concept of patients being able to have excellent medical care and end of life support in their own homes. I went back to MSUM to obtain my bachelors degree in nursing and was attracted to School Nursing and Pediatrics, as I worked at Dakota Hospital in pediatrics at that time. My school projects kept drawing me back to hospice, however, and I did my preceptorship at Hospice of the Red River Valley, and was hired as a staff nurse shortly thereafter.

As I look back on the 16 years I have served at Hospice of the Red River Valley, I am excited to see how far we’ve come, and I look in anticipation to where we are headed. The need for good end of life care has always been present, but the awareness and the support have not always been as strong as it is at this time. My current role of Provider Relations Coordinator allows me to facilitate collaborative care between our agency and other health care providers on a daily basis. It has been rewarding to see an improvement in delivery of care through better communication and support. Obtaining certification as a Hospice and Palliative Nurse, along with several other nurses at our agency, helped solidify our knowledge base and allowed us to share and teach other nurses the principles of Palliative care and good symptom management. Nursing leaders have led the end of life care movement in our country. It is exciting to see the national standards for excellent care being incorporated into our own local communities, and my privilege to share in that work.”

Professional achievements include: certification as a Palliative and Hospice Nurse, a Sigma Theta Tau International community professional inductee, a representative on the North Dakota Healthcare Review project, and co-author (2004) of The conversion challenge: From intrathecal to oral morphine; American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 21(2), 143-7. Schauer received the 11th Eva Vraspir Excellence in Nursing Alumni Award, fall 2004.

Please contact Helen Harris if you have someone in mind to place under the spotlight.

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Recent Bylaws changes create more streamlined and volunteer-friendly chapter, by Donna Heald & Marjorie McCullagh

Xi Kappa members approved a change in the Chapter bylaws at the November membership meeting. Recent changes by the international honor society organization created a need for the changes.
The changes focus on chapter committee structure and chapter fees. Previously, the committee structure called for a total of 12 standing committees: Bylaws, Eligibility, Finance, Nominating, Program, Membership, Research, Scholarship, Publicity, Heritage, Newsletter, and Creative Works. Under the revised committee structure, the number of committees was reduced to two: Governance Committee and Leadership Succession Committee. The chapter can create (and dissolve) Advisory Councils and Task Forces, as desired, giving the chapter flexibility and reducing workload on chapter volunteers.

The new streamlined committee structure provides for more effective use of chapter members as volunteers, enlisting them for brief, task-oriented work groups rather than the more traditional two-year term of committee membership. The Bylaws change also provides for a modest increase in chapter fees from $20 annually to $25 annually.

Members can contact Chapter President Marjorie McCullagh or member Donna Heald for more information.
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Membership in Sigma Theta Tau International comes with several benefits. Read Julene Brown's article which includes six identified reasons for professional membership.

Members: Recruit & Endorse a Community Member: Xi Kappa welcomes nurse leaders who have earned a baccalaureate degree to become members in the society. Active members are invited to consider endorsing a nurse for membership. 

 

• Membership information 
• Membership intent form  
• Endorsement form

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