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