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  • Day 4: sigma biennial

    Day 4: Sigma Biennial 
    Today we served as delegates in the voting of new officers and listened to the Sigma biennial reports.  The take home message from the reports is that Sigma is in a very healthy financial state. For those chapter members who submitted your votes we voted based on your preferences and the choices for officers were elected successfully. So our day was basically sigma international reports and updates and the elections of officers.  We then went to dinner with the Region 14 members and brainstormed some collaborative events we can do to enrich our members with research, community and education and to hopefully increase chapter member engagement and participation. Yes that means you all! So please message or email us with any community or educational events you are interested in participating in or planning as a chapter! Tomorrow is the voting on the bylaws amendments and articles of incorporation. We did get to go out to the Alamo and river walk for a bit. “Remember the Alamo!”

  • Day 3- Sigma Biennial

    Day 3: Sigma biennial
    Today we attended the Plenary closing and awards ceremony where the following recipients were awarded the Nell J Watts Lofetime Achievement in Nursing Awards: 
    Dr Dana Bjarnason 
    Dr John Patrick Daly 
    Patricia Davidson
    Dr Beth Ulrich
    Dr Bethany Ann Hall-Long, (Lieutenant governor of Delaware)
    Dr Jean Watson (Nurse theorist)

    Archon Award recipients:
    Medical Bridges
    United network for Organ Sharing
    Luci Baines Johnson (daughter of President Lyndon B Johnson) and Ian J Turpin

    We then presented our poster at poster sessions for the afternoon.  
    We took a bit of time to see the most famous Alamo.
    We attended the key awards in hopes of getting ideas so our chapter can earn another key award! We need member engagement in order to obtain this goal. 
    In the evening we joined the nurse educators and researchers from Morristown Medical Center in a Trivia FUNraiser to raise money for the sigma foundation who provides scholarships and grants. We did not place but we did well and had a lot of fun!
    Our chapter proudly is a giving club donor to the Foundation of Nursing. 

  • Day 2-Sigma Biennial

    Today we had a lot of interest in our poster titled “Does Interprofessional Simulation Increase Students' Self-Confidence, Self-Efficacy, and Decrease Anxiety”. We attended multiple presentations on student engagement activities to utilize in the classrooms and incorporating interprofessional simulations with nurse practitioner students. We attended a presentation by Dr’s Lise Cooper and Mildred Kowalski on puppy cam use prior to nurse leaders huddles to reduce stress. Our clinical coordinator at Morristown Medical center, Marilyn Robayo presented a poster on “Medication Flash Cards for Humanity: Increasing Distribution and Utilization of an Interactive Flash Cas Card” it was a good day!

  • Day 1 of the Sigma Biennial Conference

    Day 1 of The Biennial Sigma conference. We arrived in San Antonio, Texas and set up our poster on our recent research project and had good responses so far to our poster and research findings.  We attended the plenary session and had the privilege to see our colleague from Morristown Medical center Nurse researcher Dr Mildred Kowalski who was a keynote speaker at one of our chapter research days a few years ago receive the Marie Hippensteel Lingeman Excellence in Nursing Practice award.   We also got our picture with the current Sigma International President Dr Kenneth Dion. San Antonio is an awesome city.

  • Happy Nurses Week!

  • UPCOMING SPRING EVENTS AND NEWS

    Epsilon Rho Chapter (Fairleigh Dickinson University)

    Upcoming Events:

    41st Annual Induction:

    Date: Friday, March 31st, 2023

    Time: 5:30pm

    Location: The Mansion at FDU (Florham Campus) Lenfell Hall, Madison, NJ

    Keynote speaker: Dr. Mary Ellen Levine

     

    Annual Nursing Research Day:

    Date: Saturday, April 22, 2023

    Time: 9:00am- 12:30pm

    Location: Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, New Jersey, Dickinson Hall, Wilson Auditorium

    Keynote speaker: Dr. Lisa Heelan-Fancher

    Scholarship News:

    Dr Jeannie Couper, Assistant Professor, Henry P Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health, Epsilon Rho Past-President and current Leadership Succession Chair. Publication titled:

    Couper, J. (2022).  Micro-preemie parents’ perceptions of trauma-informed developmental neuroprotective care and nursing support.  Advances in Neonatal Care, 22(5), 422-431. 

    This study explored the parents’ perceptions of their extremely preterm (<26 weeks gestation) infant’s nursing care during their hospitalization in the NICU.  Trauma-informed developmental neuroprotective care (TIDNC) encourages robust nurse-parent authentic caring relationships, which are foundational to the parents' perceptions of nursing care and support. These relationships, built on mutual trust, respect, and genuine listening, appear to foster an exceptionally high degree of support.  Parents were extremely grateful for the compassionate care and support.

    Dr. Oyedele Olufunke (Chapter Vice-President) Assistant Professor & Dr. Marnie Sperling (Chapter President), Clinical Assistant Professor, Henry P Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health, abstract accepted  for presentation at the 47th Biennial Sigma Theta Tau Convention titled:

    “Does Interprofessional Simulation Increase Students Self-Confidence, Self-Efficacy and Decrease Anxiety”

  • SAVE THE DATE! DINNER AND THEATRE NIGHT AT FDU-MADISON

    PLEASE SAVE THE DATE FOR DINNER AND THEATRE NIGHT AT FDU TO SUPPORT OUR CHAPTER AND THE FDU THEATRE AND PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, 5:30 PIZZA DINNER THEN 7:00 SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL. IN LENFELL HALL AT THE MADISON FDU CAMPUS. 25$ GENERAL PUBLIC/ 20$ EPSILON RHO MEMBERS
  • You're invited: Annual Founders Day October 11, 2022

    All Epsilon Rho members are cordially invited to join the NJ Consortium of STTI Chapters at its annual Founders Day Dinner.
     
    Date: Tuesday, October 11, 2022
    Time: 5:30pm
    Location: The Rutgers Club Livingston Campus, 85 Avenue East, Piscataway Township, NJ 08854
    Cost: $45
     
    The keynote speaker is Dr Beth Jameson, Assistant Professor at Seton Hall College of Nursing and Gamma Nu member. The Mary Ann Rooney Essence of Nursing Award will be presented during the program.
     
    Eventbrite - NJ Consortium of Sigma Chapters presents Founders Day 2022 - Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at The Rutgers Club, Piscataway Township, NJ. Find event and ticket information.
    www.eventbrite.com
    Thank you,
    Epsilon Rho E board
  • Annual Induction and 40th anniversary tea

    Sunday April 24th, 2022 9:30AM
    Please join us for Epsilon Rho’s 40th Anniversary and Induction Celebration Tea Party

    The Orangerie- Florham Campus
    Sunday April 24. 9:30 am
    Cost $25.00

    Please send RSVP to Marnie Sperling to Msperl01@fdu.edu by April 19th and a check can be made out to Epsilon Rho and if necessary be brought to the day of the induction, but we must have an exact head count. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at our induction and 40th anniversary celebration!
  • Spring Happenings and apparel sale!

    Hello Epsilon Rho chapter members. Just some updates to our Spring activities coming up:
     Our apparel sale is officially on to show your pride as an Epsilon Rho chapter member celebrating 40 years!!!

    See the below link order yours soon, this round closes at April 1 then will reopen in time for induction.

    https://www.customink.com/fundraising/epsilon-rho-chapter-is-celebrating-40-years-please-show-your-pride-and-buy-a-shirt?utm_campaign=desktop-campaign-page-share-v3&utm_content=epsilon-rho-chapter-is-celebrating-40-years-please-show-your-pride-and-buy-a-shirt&utm_medium=social&utm_source=copy-link


    The Epsilon Rho Sigma 2022 Induction is scheduled for Sunday, April 24, agenda will be posted soon but it is scheduled from 9:30am-1:00pm, at Orangerie hall on the Florham campus, please email msperl01@fdu.edu for ticket information, light refreshments will be provided, we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary!!!.

    Please note Research Day has been scheduled for March 26. on the Teaneck campus 9a-12p.
  • Region 14 conference: today Nov 14, 2021 8:30-1

    Sigma region 14 conference is today:
    8:30-1pm Chapter Members are welcome to join

    Join Zoom Meeting

    https://columbiacuimc.zoom.us/j/96472624566?pwd=ZHlacDlmeTdCMTlvYXoxU21iK3RGdz09



    Meeting ID: 964 7262 4566

    Passcode: 393888
  • Day 5 and 6: Biennial Conference

    Day 5 and 6: these two days were the House of Delegates and Professor Lola and I served as delegates voting on 13 amendments to the international bylaws and 9 proposed resolutions. I know this sounds like a cake walk but these individual votes do not go without a lot of discussion and debate and with proposed changes.

    It was announced that Sigma has 33 new chapters with 6 outside of the United States.

    Another milestone is that we have for the first time added chapters with three Greek letters starting with alpha alpha alpha (University of St Augustine).

    Our new international officers that we voted on where installed including our new President Dr Kenneth Dion, PhD, MSN/MBA, RN, FAAN who declared his Call to Action to “Be Bold”

    So let’s as leaders and members in our Epsilon Rho chapter stand up, participate, innovate and take our chapter to a BOLD new level!

    Thanks for following us on our journey here this past week at the biennial conference and continue to follow us and participate in the events we are planning this spring for our 40th anniversary celebrations.

    Submitted respectfully,
    Lola and Marnie

    Love, Courage and Honor
  • Day 4: Sigma Theta Tau Conference

    Day 4: Today we visited the poster presentations and the exhibit hall to see what swag we may consider for our 40th anniversary Induction ceremony planned for the Spring. We also perused the booths and looked at resources for incorporating the Next Gen NCLEX into our courses and lectures.

    In the Plenary session, Sister Callista Roy was honored and spoke to us from the podium and also honored was Dr Anthony Fauci for his lifelong work in Infectious Disease.

    We then took a course titled "online self paced new faculty orientation" which was designed for a university that had one campus in St Croix and a campus in St Thomas. We found this of interest considering we have 2 campuses that have our Nursing program in NJ. This was utilized for full-time, adjunct lecturers and clinical adjuncts also. Lighbulbs went off on how can we implement something similar in our program especially in supporting our new hires and our great clinical adjunct faculty who work full time in their professional primary jobs and have very little time to do a formal orientation on campus prior to their clinical assignment start dates.

    In the afternoon, we did something that was amazing, a cardiovascular escape room which was the highlight of our day. We were placed in small groups of 5 with other sigma members with varied specialty backgrounds and had 60 minutes to save our coding patient that was in his ICU room where the door was accidentally locked and we had to get through multiple activities in order to obtain the final key that opens the door. These activites involved critical care concepts, pathophysiology, pharmacological interventions, rhythm interpretations and doseage calculations. Hummmm maybe a great idea to incorporate into a simulation, classroom or even yes, a Sigma chapter event for our members!! We would have to do a lot of preparation and a lot of work goes into preparing escape rooms but the benefits totally outweigh the work involved. (perhaps some of our members would love to volunteer and participate in the planning and implementation of such an event..hint, hint) So Stay tuned.. we may come up with one of these for our chapters members when we can once again meet in person for Epsilon Rho events. Oh and did I mention we came in first place? Well our team name was Purple hearts and yes, we came in first place!

    After the joy of winning the escape room, we had time to attend two more presentations. We attended a presentation on strategies to improve NCLEX first time pass rates utilizing data from the standardized focused course exams that are administered throughout the BSN program and data from the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) detailed NCLEX content. That is the report that actually looks at content that students either did poorly or well on so that the faculty and administrators can do root cause analysis of where we can improve on our content delivery in our courses to ensure higher first time pass rates on the NCLEX for our students. Perhaps we can bring these ideas into our faculty meetings and have brown bag brain storms to ensure we are staying up with what is being tested each year and incorporating those weaker content areas into our courses.

    The last presentation was about mentoring programs considering the writings by Dr. Patricia Brenner on"From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice" Patricia Brenner's writing in a nutshell is about the 5 stages of a career trajectory from novice nurse to expert nurse. In summary, the presentation went over strategies to implement a mentoring program for both nurses in practice and in academia. The presentation explained the basics of what characteristics make for an effective mentor. How nice would it be if in every nursing area we practice in would provide a mentor for those novice nurses.

    In the evening was the 100th Anniversary Sigma Gala event. It was an inspiring event and we had the privilege to sit at a table with 3 members who have been members for many many years with a plethora of experience, one of them helped build a hospital in Nigeria with one of the Catholic Ministries. She told us that the nurses there make $1800 a month and the doctor makes $400 a month. The ministries also help pay nurses salaries. She was also informing us that the need is so high there for healthcare, people wait for care there and in one of her annual visits they had cared for 634 people in one day. We also had the honor to be seated with Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN who received the 2021 Sigma International Board of Directors Archon Award for her work in policy, nursing education and scholarship for improvement across the healthcare continuum on the impact of inequalities on healthcare and human rights issues.

    We networked with members from all over the Globe and it was a wonderful day of education and networking.
    Until tomorrow, continue to follow us on both facebook and on our chapter website!
    Love, Courage and Honor
  • Day 3: Biennial Sigma Theta Tau conference

    Hello members,

    Day 3, we attended a seminar on how to get published which was so enlightening. It was an amazing perspective that was presented by some of the reviewers for the Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Sigmas publication. 

    The tips were invaluable to publishing but the message that being rejected for publication should not be a deterrent but an opportunity for improvement in writing and an opportunity for constructive feedback of your hard work in order to address areas that require improvement. 

    I found it interesting that author Theodor Geisel had his first book rejected 23 times before it was accepted for publication on the 24th submission. This book was called “I think I saw it on Mulberry Street”  Dr Suess’s first book. 

    We attended the Tribute awards which was so inspiring. So many awardees were recognized  for their work with global issues, veteran issues and high risk and special populations. 

    Our chapter did not receive a key award this year along with many others who had to put their initiatives and activities on hold due to the pandemic.  With the participation, innovative ideas and leadership that many of our own members possess we would like to make it our mission in the next two years to increase participation within our chapter and increase our presence in the our very own communities.  We task each and every one of you to use our chapter as a stepping stone to the commitment to our communities. Please email us, email anyone on the board for your ideas and where there are needs in your communities where we as the Epsilon Rho chapter can come together and help! Some of our members are doing a volunteer opportunity in the upcoming 2 weeks for “Moms helping Moms” in collaboration with the Florham campus Student Nurses Association.  So let’s get out there ! We welcome any and all ideas.  

    In the afternoon, we attended a hackathon where we spent three hours with other members of other chapters and were put in groups to each come up with a technology based sustainable plan addressing one of the United Nations sustainable development goals. Each team then presented their pitch to the Sigma UN liaisons.  It was a lot of fun and we have been inspired to incorporate hackathon team activities in the classroom for our students. 

    See our pictures from day 3 on our chapter Facebook page  

    https://m.facebook.com/114760493315833/

    Until tomorrow!!!

  • Day 2: Sigma Theta Tau Conference

    hello members!


    Day 2: today we attended some lectures on flipping the classrooms in didactic and using standardized patients in advanced health assessment. Other topics included utilizing escape rooms in undergraduate BSN education.

    In the afternoon the exhibit halls opened and we tried to get ideas on how to make our chapters 40th anniversary induction planned for the spring a special celebration. We also sought out resources to integrate the next gen NCLEX alternative format questions in our courses to prepare our students for the planned changes coming to the nclex in 2023.

    Perusing the posters was very interesting, there were some presentations on how various schools of nursing used the COVID pandemic to get their students out in the community, testing, vaccinating and answering hotline calls collaborating with their local county departments and healthcare facilities when the clinical settings could not accommodate students in the hospitals. This made us think we could have presented a poster in how we were able to integrate our very own FDU students in the community settings to obtain their clinical hours while contributing by providing support and promoting health during the pandemic in our very own communities.

    Until tomorrow!

    Continue to follow us on the chapter website and Facebook!

  • Election results and biennial conference updates

    Thank you to all members who voted in our election, the results are as follows:

    Vice President- Marnie Sperling
    Treasurer- Louise Gabriele
    Counselor- Erin Graulich
    Leadership succession committee member- Mary (Jackie) Heyward

    Biennial conference:


    We have arrived in Indianapolis representing the Epsilon Rho chapter at the 100th anniversary of Sigma at the biennial convention. Enjoy following us here and on Facebook as we share what we are doing here representing our chapter.

    f
    ollow us on Facebook at:

    https://m.facebook.com/Epsilon-Rho-chapter-of-Sigma-Theta-Tau-FDU-114760493315833/

    Your delegates, Olufunke Oyedele and Marnie Sperling are currently attending the biennial conference. We have arrived in Indianapolis representing the Epsilon Rho chapter at the 100th anniversary of Sigma at the biennial convention. Enjoy following us here and on Facebook as we share what we are doing here representing our chapter.

    Day 1- we took a session on integrating innovative strategies into the clinical and classroom. We look forward to sharing what we learned with our nursing faculty colleagues at FDU.

  • Nominations for elections:

    All chapter members, Look for an email from us today! We would like to ask for your enthusiasm and dedication to our chapter to self nominate or nominate a member to take on a leadership role. check your email for request for nominations!
  • Save the date: more details to follow

    TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 AT 6:30 PM EDT

    Virtual Founders Day Celebration

  • Spring 2021- Inductees


  • Join us April 24th! Nursing research symposium

    rsvp for the zoom link to Couperj@fdu.edu

  • RESEARCH DAY! Please Join us Virtually Saturday April 24!!

     

    Please JOIN US FOR: The Annual Epsilon Rho Chapter Research Symposium

    Year of the Nurse and Midwife: Showcasing Nursing Research

    Saturday April 24, 2021 10 am- 12 pm

    Dr. Linda Flynn, the keynote speaker, will share her research journey. Learn more about the innovative research and EBP projects here at FDU.

    RSVP to couperj@fdu.edu by April 23 to receive link to access virtual conference.

    Thank you,

     Board members of the Epsilon Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau

  • SAVE THE DATES!!!

    PLEASE SAVE THE FOLLOWING DATES:

    SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2021- VIRTUAL INDUCTION, (MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW.)

    SATURDAY APRIL 24, 2021- VIRTUAL RESEARCH DAY.
    (MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW.)

    SATURDAY MAY 1, 2021- SIGMA OUTING!
    (MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW)
  • Epsilon rho chapter members volunteering in the local community in the fight against Covid 19

  • CONGRATS TO OUR NEW CHAPTER INDUCTEES!

    IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A CHAPTER INDUCTION. Thank you to our keynote speaker Dr. Donna Fountain.
  • Scholarship opportunity

    Applications for the new Helene Fuld Trust Scholarship is now available for the 2020-2021 academic year.  Eligible students must be enrolled in either an Accelerated Second Degree or Doctor of Nursing Practice program at an accredited US school of nursing. Funding is up to $5,000 per academic year. To learn more and apply online visit Sigma at  www.sigmanursing.org   
  • Member challenge

    Serving as delegates today and tomorrow, representing Epsilon Rho. We challenge you, our members to take the Sigma Theta Tau 2019 new vision and mission and integrate it into your nursing practice.Get out to your communities and make a difference. Post the differences you made in your community to our discussion board. Post a picture or encourage other members to make a difference. Pay it forward Campaign!
  • Your Delegates at Work

    Your delegates, President Dr Jeannie Couper and Vice-President Dr Marnie Sperling are attending the 45th Biennial Convention in National Harbor, MD.

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