Greetings to all Kappa Theta members. As we enter the second year of the pandemic, may we reflect on the lives cut too short by this deadly virus and remember their families who are struggling with various stages of grief. We also continue to celebrate nurses across the globe for the compassionate care given and the multitude of lives they touched in such a positive way. As we welcome the emergence of additional vaccinations, nurses are again stepping up to help distribute the vaccinations. One nurse recently described each injection she gave as an “injection of hope.” May we continue to spread this hope among all populations.
Upcoming events
Please mark your calendars now and plan to attend the following Kappa Theta virtual activities:
- A continuing education (CE) program on “Best Practices When Serving on Health-Related Boards” from 5:30 to 6:30 pm on April 20th. This event is co-sponsored by the Reach Chapter of KNA and Kappa Theta Chapter of Sigma.
- Annual Meeting and Research Day on May 18th at 5 pm.
- A call for nominations for Kappa Theta’s annual awards will be sent to all members on April 1st. Be thinking about who you might nominate for Kappa Theta’s annual awards: Excellence in Research, Excellence in Education, Excellence in Nursing Practice, Leadership, Mentorship, Donna Blackburn Service, and Friend of Nursing.
- It is time to cast your vote for Kappa Theta leadership positions! Voting starts today and closes on April 2ndat 11:59 pm. Please click here to cast your vote anonymously! If the above link does not work, you can copy and paste the following url into a browser.
https://wku.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eCZMhHa4oognu5g
Spotlight on Scholarship: Dr. Dawn Garrett-Wright, PHD, CNE, APRN-PMHNP
Our Kappa Theta scholar of the month is Dr. Dawn Garrett-Wright. Dawn is a professor in the School of Nursing and teaches in the undergraduate BSN and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs at WKU. She also mentors undergraduate Honors students and DNP students in their research projects. In her practice she provides care for patients at Medical Center Psychiatry. In her service role she serves as chair of the Kappa Theta Governance Committee and secretary for the REACH chapter of KNA. She is also a member of the WKU Faculty Senate and Graduate Council. Dawn’s research primarily focuses on mental health in rural and occupational settings and healthcare in Anabaptist communities. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana and her church youth group. A few select citations are listed below:
Main, M. E., Garrett-Wright, D., & Jones, M. S. (2020). A content analysis of health promotion topics selected by an Old Order Mennonite community. The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities 1(1), 26 -37. http://dx.doi.org/10.18061/jpac.v1i1.7548
- Garrett-Wright, D., Main, M. E., & Jones, M. S. (2020). Health care providers' understanding of health care beliefs and preferences in Anabaptist communities, The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities 1(1), 26 -37. http://dx.doi.org/10.18061/jpac.v1i1.7537
- Branstetter, M., Garrett-Wright, D., & Padgett, B. (2020). Adverse childhood events: Missed opportunities by nurse practitioners to screen adult clients. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(3), 20-27. doi: 10.3928/02793695- 20191118-01.
- Link, K., Garrett-Wright, D., & Jones, M.S. (2020). The burden of farmer suicide on surviving family members: a qualitative study. Issues in Mental HealthNursing,41(1),66-72 https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2019.1661048
Spotlight on Leadership: Vivian McClellan, RN, MSN
Vivian McClellan is a charter member of the Kappa Theta Chapter of Sigma, and her leadership has left a positive impact on the nursing profession in south central Kentucky and beyond. Vivian was a leader in staff education and development intermittently over 29 of her forty-four year nursing career. As Director of Nursing Professional Development and Quality, she set vision and guided nursing development to improve quality in patient care. Continued exploration of the research and latest evidence-based practice provided by Sigma was invaluable for the design of staff development. She led Med Center Health in becoming an Accredited Provider of Nursing Continuing Professional Development with the American Nursing Credentialing Center, to provide local access to accredited continuing nursing education required to remain certified. She facilitated collaboration with WKU nursing leaders as well as numerous national nursing leaders to share their knowledge and expertise to enhance nursing knowledge, skills, leadership, and self-governance. She led integration of technology into teaching and training methodologies to include use of online training platforms and patient simulations. She designed a simulation lab to include patient simulators and equipment for Critical Care, Trauma, Med-Surg, Pediatric, Surgical, Labor and Delivery and Nursery. Vivian has always promoted nursing and recently stated, “I am in awe of the knowledge of nursing that is in our community and it is a privilege to have access to Kappa Theta members to facilitate the sharing of that knowledge. “
Spotlight on Service: Laurie Branstetter, DNP, APRN-FNP
Dr. Laurie Branstetter is a graduate of Norton Memorial Infirmary School of Nursing with a diploma in nursing. She continued her education at Western Kentucky University completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1994 and a Master of Science in Nursing in 1997. She was a member of the first family nurse practitioner (FNP) class at WKU. In 2011, she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Kentucky.
Laurie practiced as a registered nurse for 20 years in the peri-operative and critical care areas. Her FNP practice has been in primary care in the rural setting. In 2009, she joined the School of Nursing faculty at WKU and currently holds the rank of Associate Professor. Dr. Branstetter is a member of ANA, KNA, KCNPNM and Sigma International. She has authored or coauthored 13 publications during her tenure at WKU. Dr. Branstetter is also the recipient of numerous service, leadership, and professional awards. In addition to her busy professional schedule, Laurie and her husband volunteer with the Children of the Americas, a medical-surgical mission to the indigenous people of Guatemala. Laurie is looking forward to retirement in May 2022. She enjoys cooking, baking, and working in the yard. She hopes to spend more time with her children and granddaughters.
Closing Remarks
Do not forget to renew your membership and check out the benefits of your membership. While Sigma currently does not offer multi-year membership options, members do now have the option of signing up for automatic membership renewal. Members simply log into the redesigned My Membership site at https://Membership.SigmaNursing.org From this site you can renew your membership, access more than 120 free and discounted continuing nursing education courses, and learn about many other benefits of membership.
May you continue to spread joy in all you do!
Respectfully,
Susan Jones, President of Kappa Theta Chapter