A good day

As members of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International filed into the Grand Ballroom of the JW Marriott in Indianapolis to conduct business in Session 2 of this convention’s House of Delegates, they did so with the distinct awareness that, while they were part of a long tradition, they were also making first-time history.

It was 42 bienniums ago—1929 to be exact—that members of a much smaller honor society installed their first president, Dorothy Charlotte Ford Buschmann, advisor to the six student founders. Between 1929 and 2013, 29 presidents have served (some for more than two years) and today, Hester C. Klopper, PhD, MBA, RN, RM, FANSA, of South Africa was installed as the 30th president of an organization now known as Sigma Theta Tau International and the first person to serve in that role from outside North  America. (To learn more about President Klopper, read "Hester Klopper: Blazing new trails.")

When the 42nd Biennial Convention adjourned shortly before noon today in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, it marked the end of one biennium and the start of another, and there was celebration on both sides of the Atlantic. It was a good day—a good day for President Klopper’s chapter, Tau Lambda-at-Large, with its more than 1,000 members representing 18 universities across Africa; a good day for her friends and colleagues in South Africa, who celebrated the occasion seven time zones away; a good day for the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, where Klopper recently served as dean of the Faculty of Health and Community Science; a good day for the Forum of University Nursing Deans in South Africa (FUNDISA), where she currently serves as chief executive officer; and a good day for the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. 

—James Mattson, editor, Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL)

Photo memories of history in the making ...

A few of the delegates.

Outgoing President Suzanne Prevost addresses the House of Delegates.

Immediate Past President Suzanne Prevost hands the gavel to President Hester Klopper.

Past Presidents Karen Morin, Carol Huston, Patricia Thompson, and Suzanne Prevost.

President Hester Klopper calls the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau Internationally, to action, to serve locally, transform regionally, and lead globally.

President Klopper (right) with President-Elect Cathy Catrambone, PhD, RN, associate professor, Rush University College of Nursing. 

Klopper, Catrambone, and Prevost greet well wishers.

South African dancers celebrate the occasion.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Career advice for members

A career in professional nursing often entails a path of twists and turns. For the many who choose the diverse and exciting opportunities that nursing has to offer, the trail may not be straight and nurses don’t always have the tools or know how to navigate their career trajectory.

To meet the career needs of its members, the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, with sponsorship of Johnson & Johnson, offered the Career Management Center (CMC) at the convention. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, members came by in great numbers, some with appointments, others as walk-ins, to discuss their career questions and concerns with volunteer career advisors.

Lois Marshall counsels CMC client.

Questions ranged from educational advancement and changing career paths in mid-career to how to write a CV, start a consulting business, get started in publishing research findings, and marketing a particular skill set within a specific area of nursing or health care. Some questions could be answered within the space of a brief appointment. Others took up to 30 minutes or more. Advisors spent as much time as was needed with each “client” and everyone left feeling that they had new tools to assist them on their journeys.

The majority of members who came to the center were nurses who were two to five years into their careers, but some had been nurses for more than 40 years. In addition to answering members’ questions, networking between advisors and advisees took place, and, in some cases, possible mentors were either found or recommended, with post-convention follow-up arranged.

Bottom line? The CMC was a great success! Thanks to all who participated.

—Lois S. Marshall, PhD, RN, coordinator, Career Management Center, reporting for Reflections on Nursing Leadership

Attendees ...

Presenters present ...

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FNAP, FAAN, dean of nursing at The Ohio State University College of Nursing (OSU) and editor of Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, discusses the "so what factor." Read about Melnyk and her efforts to promote wellness at OSU and elsewhere.

House of Delegates, Session 1 ...

Editor connects with RNL bloggers ...

Left: Cynthia "Cindy" Clark, PhD, RN, author of "Musing of the great blue," and Jim Mattson, editor, Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL) meet in the hotel lobby. Right: Raney Linck, MSN, RN, clinical instructor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and soon-to-be RNL blogger, discuss Linck's upcoming blog over coffee at Starbucks. In April, Linck's article, "The mobile revolution is here: What every nurse needs to know," was published in RNL. His blog will also relate to digital trends. Stay tuned.

For more convention photos, click here!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. 

Plenary session 3

You've probably read one of more of her books. In fact, if you've read one, you've probably read more than one. Tilda Shalof, BScN, RN, CNCC(C), medical-surgical intensive care staff nurse, is the author of The Making of a Nurse, Opening My Heart: A Journey from Nurse to Patient and Back Again, and A Nurse's Story: Life, Death and In-Between in an Intensive Care Unit. This afternoon, she challenged attendees to share their stories in "Opening my heart: Sharing our nursing stories."

Tilda Shalof inspires colleagues to share their stories.

Up early for research ...

Participants in the 90th Anniversary Celebration Walk for Research started the day early,  departing at 6:15 a.m. The event was sponsored by HCR Home Health.

Authors sign more books ...

Left: Cynthia Clark, author of Creating & Sustaining Civility in Nursing Education. Right: Nancy Dickenson-Hazard, former chief executive officer of Sigma Theta Tau International and  author of Ready, Set, Go Lead!

Left: Carolyn Crowley and Carrie Morgan, authors of Re-Entry: A Guide for Nurses Dealing with Substance Use Disorder. Right: Sara Horton-Deutsch, co-author of Reflective Practice: Transforming Education and Improving Outcomes.

Left: Jennifer Cavilieri, author of Clinical Research Manual: Practical Tools and Templates for Managing Clinical Research. Right: Nancy Rollins Gantz, author of 101 Global Leadership Lessons for Nurses.

Presenters present ...

Diane M. Billings, EdD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, presented at a special session, "Nurse educators role in transforming education systems for the future."

At Founders Awards Celebration ...

Members of the board of directors of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International pose for a photo before the Founders Awards Celebration.

William Wright, son of founder Mary Tolle Wright, acknowledges appreciative applause at the Founders Awards Celebration, held this evening in the JW Grand Ballroom.

And the Mary Tolle Wright Award for Excellence in Leadership goes to Thembeka Gwagwa, RN, BSN, general secretary, Democratic Nursing Organization of South Africa, member of Tau Lambda-at-Larger Chapter. Click here for list of other Founders Awards recipients.

Past presidents of Sigma Theta Tau International (l-r): Carol Huston, Karen Morin, Melanie Dreher, Daniel Pesut, May Wykle, and Patricia Thompson.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

And this year's Episteme Laureate award goes to ...

In an article titled “Caring at the end of life,” published 14 years ago in Reflections—now Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL)—Betty R. Ferrell, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, CHPN, observed: “Care across the disease trajectory does not end at the completion of treatment or long-term survivorship. Cancer nurses continue to provide care even amid terminal disease. … Good end-of-life care is … best described as the kind of care we would seek for ourselves if faced with terminal illness … .”

Betty Ferrell, this year's recipient of the Episteme Laureate award.

Ferrell has not abandoned her mission to ease pain and advance end-of-life care, and today, in Day 2 of the 42nd Biennial Convention, she became the 13th recipient of the Episteme Laureate award. Regarded by many as nursing’s equivalent to the Nobel Prize, the biannual award was presented to Ferrell by Donna Namath, executive director of The Baxter International Foundation of Deerfield, Illinois, USA. After accepting the award, Ferrell spoke on “The global imperative of palliative care.”

Donna Namath of The Baxter International Foundation presents the
Episteme Laureate Award to Betty Ferrell. At left: Patricia Thompson,
chief executive officer of STTI, and President Suzanne Prevost. 

Each year, 570,000 people die of cancer in the United States—approximately 7.6 million worldwide—and millions more die from tuberculosis, malaria, and AIDS, said Ferrell. For each of them, she observed, the end of life is an opportunity for profound meaning, healing, comfort, and growth. She identified five elements of care needed for dying patients: 1) challenging the paradigm of care, 2) creating expertise and knowledge in palliative care, 3) fostering nursing presence, 4) expert attention to the body and relief of symptoms, and 5) a vision of the end of life as a spiritual experience.

Ferrell has played a leading role in the creation and growth of the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). Founded in 2000 with initial funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ELNEC has provided direct palliative-care training to more than 17,250 nurses in 77 countries across six continents since its inception. Through the program’s training-the-trainer approach, more than 390,000 nurses and other health care providers have receiving training. ELNEC is administered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), in Washington, D.C., and by the City of Hope, in Duarte, California.

Experts discuss disaster response ...
When it comes to disaster, nurses are the most responsive group of health care workers, and today, in a session titled “Disaster response: Nursing leadership in difficult times,” attendees were informed of opportunities for nurse involvement and equipped with the latest resources and information for disaster response and preparedness. Presenters included STTI headquarters staff experts Cynthia Vlasich, MBA, BSN, RN, and K. Joanne McGlowan, PhD, MHHA, RN, FACHE. Also presenting were Karen M. Pehrson, MS, PMHCNS, BC, and Safiya George Dalmida, PhD, APRN-BC, both members of STTI’s International Service Task Force, which is chaired by Dalmida.

When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines on 8 November, it was a disaster of epic proportions. According to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, as of Saturday, 16 November, 12,501 had been injured, 3,637 were reported dead, and 1,186 were missing, with the death toll expected to rise. When such massive tragedy occurs, the tendency is to assume that disasters are becoming worse and more frequent, but the picture is mixed. According to a United Nations report, between 1994 and 2003, there was indeed a pronounced increase in the number affected by disasters, with a 60 percent increase over the previous two 10-year periods. However, between 2002 and 2011, there was a decrease in average disaster frequency and the human impact. Nevertheless, viewed over time, from 1975-2006, the trend is upward and, given the shortage of health workers around the world, achieving the Millennium Development Goals on time is indeed threatened. (Source: Guha-Sapir D, Hoyois, Ph., Below. R. Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2012: The Numbers and Trends. Brussels: CRED; 2013.)

What is the nurse’s role as a leader in disaster planning, management, and evaluation? The presenters identified the following: 1) To participate in planning at every level of your organization/community; 2) to engage as part of the team to sharpen skills and knowledge; 3) to be fully prepared—educationally, mentally and physically—and to respond if needed; 4) to demonstrate leadership among and with teams; 5) to lead, mentor and educate; 6) to evaluate each response, with active planning for improvements; 7) to deploy and “stand down” appropriately; and 8) to contribute to the body of knowledge through the use of evidence-based practice and in the conduct of research. 

Authors sign books ...

Lois Marshall, author of Take Charge of Your Nursing Career, signs a book while Melanie Dreher, author of Healthy Places, Healthy People: A Handbook for Culturally Informed Community Nursing Practice, converses with a member.

At left, Dorothy Jones and Marianne Ditomassi , co-authors of Fostering Nurse-Led Care. At right: Robert Fraser, author of The Nurse's Social Media Advantage.

At left, Janet Boivin, co-author of Accelerate Your Career in Nursing. At right, Connie Curran and Therese Fitzpatrick, authors of Claiming the Corner Office.

At left, Beth Mancini, co-author of Mastering Simulation: A Handbook for Success. At right, Katherine Pakieser-Reed, author of A Daybook for Nurse Educators and Night Shift Nursing: Savvy Solutions for a Healthy Lifestyle.

At left, Sharon Weinstein, co-author of Nursing Without Borders and author of B is for Balance: A Nurse's Guide for Enjoying Life at Work and at Home. At right, Kristina Ibitayo, Mary Lou Bond, and Susan Baxley, authors of Mentoring Today's Nurses: A Global Perspective for Success.

A very good Marketplace customer!

More awards are presented ...

For list of award recipients, click here.

Chapters take center stage ...

Candidates talk with members ...

New members are inducted ...

And attendees smile for the camera ... again.

Pop quiz: Can you name all eight MDGs?

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Speed Connect: Like speed dating, only different

Today, over the noon hour, I had the privilege of facilitating STTI’s first-ever Speed Connect event. Speed connecting is like speed dating, but with the purpose of making professional connections. Although there were other activities available for members to choose from during the same time slot, and this was a first-ever event for an STTI biennial convention, it was great to see that there was barely an empty seat in the house.

This innovative way to meet people was attended by many long-standing convention attendees. I know that, for me, it gave me an opportunity to associate names and faces with people I have just smiled at in STTI convention halls over the years. And for the many new young faces present in the crowd, the event offered the advantage of interacting immediately with seasoned nurse leaders who, a few minutes before, may have been just names in a textbook.

Speed Connect links seasoned nurse leaders with new members.

One of those new faces belonged to the immediate past president of the New Jersey Student Nurses’ Association who found out just 15 minutes before the session that she had passed the NCLEX! I’m sure she will remember this event! You can also be sure she will remember nurse leaders she met today and will be inspired, as a member of STTI, to continue to lead.

I encourage those unable to attend today’s event or who didn’t realize it was happening to utilize The Circle to network electronically. And maybe I’ll see you at the next Speed Connect, to be held at the 43rd Biennial Convention in Las Vegas. Until then, keep connecting!

—Kenneth Dion, reporting for Reflections on Nursing Leadership.

[Editor’s note: Check out Ken’s new RNL blog, “Does this strike a chord?”]

Opening plenary

A flag processional that included flags from every country where Sigma Theta Tau International has chapter presence—the number has grown dramatically in recent years; a welcome from the mayor of Indianapolis; and an inspiring presentation and challenge from President Suzanne Prevost titled “Your gifts are moving us forward” marked today’s official opening of the 42nd Biennial Convention.

It’s difficult to watch flags carried by nurses representing nations from virtually all continents of the world—none were there from Antarctica—without being moved emotionally. At each biennial convention of STTI, the flag processional gives visual definition to the honor society’s vision statement: The vision of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is to create a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service, and learning to improve the health of the world’s people. Traditionally, the flag processional has marked the opening of the convention’s House of Delegates. This year, it was moved to the opening plenary, to give more attendees the opportunity to enjoy it.

Twenty-six nation flags plus one for Sigma Theta Tau International. Impressive!

Greg Ballard, Lt. Col., U.S. Marines, retired; author of The Ballard Rules: Small Unit Leadership; and mayor of Indianapolis received enthusiastic applause from the audience when he observed, “I cannot think of anybody in the world who does not want to be next to a nurse!” And he garnered appreciative laughter when he declared, “I want you to walk away from here getting better at your jobs, and I hope you walk away from here having spent a lot of money in our city!”

It was a fitting day for the mayor of Indianapolis to greet the many nurse members of STTI who had gathered for the opening plenary at the JW Marriott because today also marked the opening of Eskenazi Health hospital, the first publicly owned “people’s hospital” to open in Indianapolis in the past 100 years. The new state-of-the-art hospital, which replaces the former Wishard Hospital, was paid for by a generous $40 million donation from Sid and Lois Eskenazi and $80 million from Indiana citizens, many of them residents of Marion County, with no increase in taxes. See video.

Mayor Greg Ballard praises nurses and thanks convention attendees for economic boost to city of Indianapolis.

Generosity in giving also marked President Suzanne Prevost’s presentation, “Your gifrs are moving us forward.” After recounting things for which she is especially thankful at this season of the year—faith, family, education, profession—Prevost shared a quote from William Ward who said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Noting that giving does not always involve money—it could also be wisdom, influence, time, talent, and other resources—Prevost challenged members to 1) create a legacy, 2) engage in collaboration, 3) respond to vulnerable populations, and 4) embrace technology.

With regard to responding to vulnerable populations, she encouraged members to consider donating to water.org, a humanitarian organization committed to building clean-water wells for those unable to access healthy water. She also encouraged members to support research by giving to the Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing, which hopes to increase grants and subsidies 100 percent by 2020.

With city skyline as background, President Prevost commends members for their giving ways and challenges attendees to continue giving back to move forward.

Looking 10 years ahead

This evening, at the International Leadership Institute Celebration Dinner, presented in partnership with The Elsevier Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Corporate Contributions, Hill-Rom, and The Retirement Research Foundation, Carol Huston, MSN, DPA, FAAN, director, California State University-Chico School of Nursing and past president of STTI (2007-09), functioned in the role of futurist as she discussed “Preparing nurses to lead in uncertain times.” In doing so, she identified six leadership competencies nurses will need 10 years from now, in 2023: 1) A global perspective or mindset; 2) skill and confidence in using emerging technologies; 3) creating organizational cultures that recognize quality health care and patient-worker safety as paramount; 4) highly developed collaborative and team building skills; 5) being visionary and proactive in response to a health care system increasingly characterized by rapid change and chaos; and 6) ensuring leadership succession.

Past President Carol Huston provides thought-provoking glimpse into a uncertain future that will include one constant for sure: change.

And more ...

Cynthia Vlasich, MBA, BSN, RN, and Tom Whitehead, EdD, introduce session attendees to the Center for Excellence in Nursing Education (CENE), a collaboration between Sigma Theta Tau International, and Chamberlain College of Nursing. Vlasich is the director of Education and Leadership and Whitehead is CENE program manager, both on staff at STTI.

President Prevost cuts ribbon to open Exhibit Hall as Tammy Diane Barbe, assistant professor, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University, and Kathy Bennison, senior corporate relations and communications officer, Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing, admire her scissor-wielding skills.

Meet Charity Campbell and Anne Poppe.

New members enjoy coffee and camaraderie.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.