ANNOUNCEMENTS
 

 

A Message from the President
Shannon Steele

June 18, 2007

Dear Gamma Xi Members,

Hello and Welcome!  My name is Shannon Steele and on July 1st, I will be installed as the new President of Gamma Xi, the central Arkansas chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing.  Not only am I truly excited about my term, I am also honored to be associated with STTI which long ago established itself as an organization that is truly dedicated to providing leadership and scholarship to nurses worldwide.

My upcoming term will likely prove to be a busy one, as there are many activities, meetings, and events slated to take place during the next year.  Besides the day to day duties that running the chapter requires, we have recently stepped up our fundraising efforts with much success (thank-you Mr. Eric Scroggins for spearheading this), and we have planned various projects within the community as a means of giving back as well as increasing STTI visibility and our involvement in the communities we live in.  Some of these projects include Habitat for Humanity, The Heifer Project, volunteering at local homeless shelters, and the Special Olympics.  The STTI Biennial Convention is in Baltimore and takes place in November, in which I as well as a couple of other Gamma Xi members, will be attending  in an attempt to gleam ideas and strategies in the hopes of bringing those ideas back to use at the local chapter level.  I also want to send a message out to all of the past members whose memberships have lapsed…WE WANT YOU BACK!  Regardless of where you work or where you went to school, Gamma Xi is your chapter, so I personally invite you to come and enjoy fellowship with us as we make a difference in our communities and in the profession of nursing.    

I also felt it appropriate to take a moment to provide a little background about myself for those of you I have not met.  I have worked here at UAMS since June of 2005, with the first 18 months on 4A (ICU step-down) and now, as an instructor in the Clinical Programs Education Department.  I serve as the medical surgical liaison and I coordinate and teach all ACLS classes for nursing services.  I graduated from UAMS in May of 2005 with my BSN and think it fair to say that though my body of nursing experience is considerably less compared to some of you, my energy, my creativity, and my communication abilities are not.  I bring a wealth of people skills and would invite any and all constructive comments from you, as it is my goal to provide a local and national platform that is representative of the beliefs and interests of all of Gamma Xi’s members. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in our officer elections and would like to congratulate all of our new officers.  Their generous efforts and time will be appreciated and help ensure the future of Gamma Xi, STTI, and nursing as a whole.  I would also like to thank all of our outgoing officers who, through their hard work have not only improved the local infrastructure but also have started a climate change in attitudes which has helped increase enthusiasm for chapter/member functions.  I would personally like to offer special thanks to Robin Easley and Angela Duncan for their innovative thinking and diligent chapter service throughout this previous year. 

Again, I would like to thank-you for this opportunity as I look forward to meeting and working with many of you in the near future. Feel free to e-mail any board member with your ideas, needs, and or vision for our chapter.

 Sincerely,
 Shannon Steele
 Gamma Xi President
 ACLS Coordinator, Medical Surgical Liaison
 UAMS

Here is a list of a few of the STTI web site resources:

  • Career Map - Managing your career with purpose! Let Sigma Theta Tau assist you every step of your nursing career...whether you're thinking of nursing as a career, are an RN looking for new directions, or working towards a fulfilling retirement. Services include, but aren’t limited to:
  • NTN NurseNet! - a customized employment search database. 
  • Career advice service - nurse experts answer your career questions
  • Member Community - this online resource connects members world wide. Benefits now available include:
  • Publications - print and electronic publications are distributed through Center Nursing Press, the society's internal publishing unit, and through the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library.
  • Journal of Nursing Scholarship - Free to active members, $39 value - One of the most widely read and respected health care journals today.
  • Reflections on Nursing Leadership -  Free to active members, $23 value - an award-winning four-color news magazine featuring contemporary articles on nurses at the forefront of change.
  • Excellence - Free to active members - Three issues-oriented newspapers providing members with customized information pertinent to their individual needs. Members select from Clinical Practice, Nursing Administration or Nursing Education.
  • You Belong Here - an online newsletter for newly inducted members featuring industry news and targeted for early career nurses.
  • Directory of Nurse Experts - consider using society members as resources. More than 300 nurse experts in a variety of specialty areas - from Alternative Care to Women’s Health - are available for you to contact!
  • Research Grants - members receive priority when applying for research funds through the Small Grants Program and co-sponsored Grants Program.
  • Awards and Recognition for excellence in the areas of nursing research, education, practice, leadership, informatics, multimedia and writing.