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alpha chi newssigma theta tau international honor society of nursing

Fall 2012BOSTONCOLLEGE

WILLIAM F . CONNELL

SCHOOL OF NURSING

For more information and to see the Alpha Chi Calendar, please visit our website:

www.bc.edu/sigma

2012-2013 calendar

september 12, 2012 wednesday Executive Board meeting 5:30–7:00pm Cushing 413 Committee orientation 7:00–8:00pm Cushing 411/412october 1, 2012 monday Founders Night 7:00–8:00pm Cushing 411/412october 17, 2012 wednesday Executive Board 5:30-7:00 Pm Cushing 413november 14, 2012 wednesday Alpha Chi Board Meeting 5:00–6:00pm Murray Room All members welcome Yawkey Center Networking 6:00–6:30pm Gorman Humanitarian Night 6:30–8:00pmjanuary 23, 2013 wednesday Alpha Chi Board meeting 5:00–6:00pm Murray Room All members welcome Yawkey Center Winter Business meeting 6:00–6:30pm All welcome Clinical Innovations Dinner 6:30–8:00pm and Program snow date:january 30, 2013 wednesday Alpha Chi Board meeting 5:00–6:00pm Murray Room(tentative) All members welcome Yawkey Center Winter Business meeting 6:00–6:30pm All welcome Clinical Innovations Dinner 6:30–8:00pm and Programfebruary 13, 2013 wednesday Alpha Chi Board meeting 5:00–6:00pm Cushing 413 All members welcome CEUs& Newslettermarch 20, 2013 wednesday Alpha Chi Board meeting 5:00–6:00pm Cushing 413 All members welcome april 28, 2013 sunday Induction Brunch 11:00am - 2:00pm Murray Room Yawkey Centermay 1, 2013 wednesday Alpha Chi Board meeting 5:00–6:00pm Murray Room All members welcome Yawkey Center Networking and Posters 6:00–6:30pm Annual Business Meeting 6:30–7:00pm Research 7:00–8:15pm Presentation Award 8:15-8:30pmjune 12, 2013 wednesday Transition meeting 5:30 – 7:00pm Cushing 207 Officers and Chairs

Deadlines

Membership applications – 12/7/2012 http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/son/sigma/membership/membership.html

Clinical Research Grant Applications –3/08/2013 http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/son/sigma/support/support.html

Call for Abstracts: Alpha Chi May Research Poster Presentation – 3/14/2013 http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/son/sigma/abstracts/poster.html

Alpha Chi Award/Scholarship Applications due – 4/8/2013 http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/son/sigma/awards/awards.html

Fall 2012 | vol. 31 no. 6

4 Greetngs from the President

5 Pinnacle lecture series

6 Open School Student Quality Leadershp Academy

9 Alpha Chi Members in Spain Celebrate a New Community Member

10 Research Day 2012

11 Poster Presentation Awards

12 2012 State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research

13 News from the Sigma Theta Tau’s 23rd International Nursing Research Congress

14 Nursing Honor Society Induction April 29, 2012

16 Scholarship News

17 Global Health Care Course

18 Global Health Initiative

19 Every Member Giving First Annual Fundraiser

20 Community Opportunities – Donations

21 Community Opportunities – Volunteer Opportunities

22 BC Vietnam: Institute of Liberal Arts Funds Project with Major Award

23 Announcements

24 Officers & Committees 2012-2013

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Iawould like to thank members for allowing me to serve as President for the second time. This year is off to a great start.

We had our first Board and Orientation Meeting. Alpha Chi Members and 10 students/new inductee’s attended. The Chapter received some great suggestions about what we as a chapter can offer

our new members. We had a Social gathering, topics such as; job interviewing techniques, questions to ask, and helpful hints that may help when looking for a job. Each Committee Chair spoke about their committee. New Inductee, Anne Harrington, shared her experience as a participant in the IHI Student Leadership Conference she attended in July 2012. Members shared their skills on how to navigate the STTI web site. Additionally, they shared all the great opportunities Sigma Theta Tau International can offer them. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and energy of the chapter. I look forward to working with so many talented and dedicated Alpha Chi Members over the next two years. The Alpha Chi Board Meetings are held monthly at BC and I welcome every member to attend. We would love to have you stop by and see what our committees are doing and to share your thoughts and ideas. Please read our yearly calendar on the back page of our fall newsletter. I hope to be able to see all our members at the “Father Gorman Series” (November 2012), “Clinical Innovations”, (January 2013), “Annual Spring Research Day”, (April 2013) and New Member Induction (April 2013). I look forward to working with all our members as we share our leadership, scholarship, and commitment to community.

Louisa Dichard, President, Alpha Chi Chapter, Boston College

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This spring Karen Daley was the speaker at Boston College’s Pinnacle Lecture series. Dr. Daley is the president of the

American Nurses Association and graduate of the Connell School of Nursing’s PhD program. A former staff nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and past president of the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses and the Massachusetts Center for Nursing, Daley is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. A nationally recognized health care advocate, Daley raised awareness about the importance of needlestick prevention among nurses, legislators and health care administrators, and attended then-President Bill Clinton’s 2000 Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act signing ceremony. The Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses recognized her as a Living Legend and Modern Healthcare named her one of the 100 most influential people in health care in 2011. Dr. Daley’s lecture titled “Leading the Charge: A Nursing Agenda in the Age of Health Care Reform” discussed the progress of the nursing agenda and the challenges that remain in the efforts to transform our health care delivery system. After her lecture, Dr. Daley met with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty of the Connell School of Nursing for small group dialogue.

Greetings from the President Pinnacle Lecture Series

welcomes Karen Daley PhD., MPH, RN, FAAN

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is in an independent not-for-profit organization based in

Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group was formed in 1986 in response to the belief that everyone deserves safe and effective health care. It is currently an international organization, serving as a center for improvements in quality and safety in healthcare. Its mission remains focused on motivating and building the will for change; identifying and testing new models of care in partnership with both patients and health care professionals; and ensuring the broadest possible adoption of best practices and effective innovations. The IHI inspires and trains our current and future health care workforce to be skilled agents of change — to improve care at home, in the community, in the office practice, and throughout the hospital: in the outpatient clinic, on the medical-surgical floor, in the intensive care unit, and in the emergency department (www.IHI.org). Boston College nursing students are actively involved with the IHI through classroom discussion, exploring research, and engaging in evidenced based practice. One specific educational community within the IHI is the IHI OPEN School which offers on-line course work and other programs designed to introduce students to health care improvement. Students are encouraged to join the IHI Open School for Health Professions which provides educational offerings at no charge while they are still in school. Three Boston College School of Nursing students, Ann Harrington, Brooke Hopkins, and Nicole Tuccinardi, were granted full scholarships to attend the Annual IHI Open School Student Quality Leadership Academy held July 19-20, 2012 in Cambridge, MA. The two-day program, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, focused on building leadership competencies. Dr. Donald Berwick, former Administrator of the

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and former President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, opened the program and was joined by expert faculty members from IHI and leaders from the health care community. Participants learned specific skills related to leading change, managing conflict, communicating effectively, and tackling other leadership challenges they currently face, or will face in their careers. Additional guest speakers Diana Chapman Walsh, President Emeritus of Wellesley College and IHI Board Member, and Julian Harris, Director of the Office of Medicaid for Massachusetts, directed interactive workshops allowing participants to explore their own leadership styles. Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Chi members Anne Harrington(‘13) and Nicole Tuccinardi, BSN RN (‘12) share their experiences at the Leadership Academy with our membership. Anne Harrington Boston College School of Nursing, Class of 2013:

On July 18th and 19th, I had the opportunity to attend the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’ Student Leadership Conference. The list of attendees and their credentials was impressive and diverse; healthcare administrators, public health

policy managers, medical engineers, pharmacy students, and even a veterinary student comprised this extremely motivated and skilled group. As a student nurse entering my senior year, I must admit that initially I felt intimidated and out of place amongst some of the most innovative and well known names in healthcare quality improvement. This feeling

The Institute for Health Care Improvement (IHI):

Open School Student Quality Leadership Academy Kathy Ahern Gould RN, PhD

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was quickly remedied as the first day of the conference began and I got to know my fellow students and guest lecturers better. Despite varying professions and backgrounds, the group’s collective passion for quality improvement and exceptional patient outcomes made us a team of healthcare providers, rather than distinct groups of the medical field. The two days of the conference were organized into a series of lecturers, delivered by extraordinary leaders in health care including, Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and former president and CEO of IHI, Jo Ayoub, director of organizational development and staffing at Beth Israel deaconess medical center, Amy Wasserman program manager, leadership development Beth Israel deaconess medical center, Barry Don , a professor at the Harvard school of public health, Susan Block, oncology and palliative care specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Vinod Saney, PhD, professor of health policy at Harvard, Diana Chapman Walsh, president emeritus Wellesley college, and IHI board member, Julian Harris, director of Medicaid in Massachusetts, Allan franked, Co-chief medical officer at Pascal Metrics inc, IHI faculty, and former director of patient safety at Partners Healthcare system, Katherine Luther, RN, MPM, vice president HOSPITAL PORTFOLIO planning and administration at IHI, and Kathy Masters, MS,RD, director of healthcare improvement at Memorial Herman Texas Medical Center (TMC). Each speaker had a different story to tell about their experience and commitment to healthcare improvement. I was most moved by the final presentation which was a case study aimed at improving specific outcomes, such as Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) and sepsis. Katherine Luther, RN, MPM, Vice President of Hospital Portfolio Planning and Administration at IHI, and Kathy Masters, MS, RD, Director of Healthcare Improvement at Memorial Herman TMC, presented a case study from the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) that revealed the unit had many areas in need of improvement. As session leaders, they asked the students to approach the situation from the standpoint of the nurses in the MICU. We were to asked to consider the difficult task of tackling improvements and instituting changes that were needed; while maintaining morale and relationships within the unit. After allowing the students to brainstorm and volunteer their suggestions, Luther and Masters revealed the actual strategies that were implemented to bring about

change and achieve successful outcomes. It was exciting to hear about the process and learn why they worked. Their presentation was dynamic and interactive, and allowed me to understand not the only the importance, but necessity, of involving every member of the healthcare team when attempting to make change. As a student nurse preparing to graduate in 2013, I was encouraged and energized by the underlying message of all of the speakers at The IHI Leadership Conference. In the future of healthcare, no single health care provider is more important than the other. We are all capable of implementing change we envision. As the second day concluded, I left the Charles Hotel Conference Center with an overwhelming feeling of hope and ambition, which was in every respect due to my interactions with colleagues and speakers that I had encountered just 48 hours earlier! Continuous Quality improvement, constant evaluation of outcomes, and research to improve those outcomes, are all essentials of the healthcare system I will enter as a new RN. As nurses and nursing students, we play an invaluable role in this process. I strongly encourage students to not only apply to attend this type of program, but to also envision themselves as the catalysts for changes they wish to make. I cannot thank the faculty at Boston College enough for encouraging me to attend this conference. Nicole Tuccinardi, BSN RN Boston College, 2012 “The IHI Open School for Health Professions is an inter-professional educational community that gives students the skills to become change agents in health care improvement…Skills like quality improvement, patient safety, teamwork, leadership and patient-centered care” (www.IHI.org). I was informed of this program by my Adult Health I clinical instructor, Dr.Kathy Ahern Gould. We discussed the program at the Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Chi Chapter induction ceremony last spring. I was very interested so when an email was sent out to the nursing school, I responded right away; it seemed like it was an opportunity that I wouldn’t want to miss. There was an online application that included several questions that required short essays. The application asked questions such as: “Why is patient safety important to you? Why do you want to Continued on page 8

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attend this seminar? What does being a leader mean to you? What do you hope to achieve from this academy?” I applied in April and received an email by the end of May accepting me to the IHI Open School Student Quality Leadership Academy to take place in Cambridge, MA in July. Before I attended, I expected the seminar to have a lot of role-play scenarios that the students would have to participate in. However, the seminar went above and beyond my expectations. The participants were emailed an itinerary a week in advance. We completed a live webinar one week prior to the program, with the former President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the former Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP. In addition, all students attending were recommended to take some of the free courses that the IHI website offers. These courses, currently offered to all students at no charge, were to help the students prepare and become familiar with the information they would encounter during the two-day seminar. The courses included “Introduction to Patient Safety”, “Fundamentals of Improvement”, “The Model for Improvement: Your Engine for Change”, and “So You Want to Be a Leader in Health Care”. The first day of the Student Quality Leadership Academy had every minute scheduled with lectures and speakers from several healthcare workers such as: Dr. Donald Berwick, Susan D. Block (Chair of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at Dana Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital), Vinod K. Sahney (Senior Fellow at the IHI and Adjunct Professor of Health Policy and Management at Harvard University School of Public Health), and Diana Chapman Walsh (President Emerita of Wellesley College and IHI Board Member), amongst many others speaking on a variety of topics such as “Leading Change and Managing Conflict”, “Dealing with Conflict”, “Difficult Situations”, “The IHI Leadership Model”, Teamwork and Communications”, and “Leadership Cases and Discussion”. Nearly every state was represented, in addition to students from the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and Latin America. Boston College was represented by three of its nursing students, Nicole Tuccinardi ’12 Anne Harrington ’13, and Brooke Hopkins ’14. Students from all walks of healthcare were represented including:

medicine, nursing, engineering, public health, healthcare administration, health policy and law, pharmacy, and international affairs. I was assigned to work as a team member at a table where I was the only nurse and the only representative from Massachusetts. I gained invaluable information on how to maneuver difficult conversations with those in superior positions and how to structure that type of conversation. Undoubtedly, every person will come across this situation in his or her career. As I looked around the room, I noticed I was not the only one taking diligent notes on the role-play scenario we watched ensue with volunteer students and Susan Block about an ICU patient who did not want to continue aggressive care while his sister (as his Health Care Proxy) wanted to continue the treatment. This was the most memorable aspect of the Academy. Another stand-out presentation was delivered by Jo Ayoub, Director of Organizational Development and Staffing at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She spoke about how to lead change. She identified different types of change, the Bridges Model and Transition Curve, which unfailing occurs whenever there is change because it is a normal human response, the reasons why people resist change, and strategies to deal with people who are in denial and resistant of change as well as people who are exploring and committed to change. Without question, this experience was unforgettable. I met people from all over the world, different backgrounds, points of view, and healthcare systems. Every lecture and speaker I heard will help me in my practice as a nurse. I began to understand what qualities and skills are required of a leader and how to effectively become one. I witnessed how healthcare providers from many disciplines work efficiently in teams, and how to improve outcomes for the number one priority of healthcare… the patient. I would recommend this Academy to any student involved or interested in healthcare. As a nursing student and now a new graduate I am excited to use this experience to inform my practice and begin my career with a renewed emphasis on patient safety, effective communication, and being a leader, not only with your colleagues, but a leader for your patients. It is important to jump at the opportunities presented to you because it will only enhance your confidence and skill as a nurse!

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In March of 2012, Dorothy Jones visited the University of Navarra in Pamplona Spain. During

this visit, she presented Dr. Mercedes Perez with her induction materials from Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chi Chapter. Dr. Perez was inducted as a community member for Alpha Chi.

The photo(s) show(s) Dr. Perez with Dr. Maribel Sarcibar, Dean of the School of Nursing, a past inductee into Alpha Chi. Also included in the photo is Dr. Amparo Zaragoza, who is another Alpha Chi member. Over the years, these three members have contributed significantly to the growth of nursing in Spain. They developed the first Clinical Nurse Specialist Master’s program several years ago and in 2012 began enrolling Doctoral students into the first PhD Nursing program. Dean Sarcibar is working with the Sigma Theta Tau International headquarters to develop a chapter in the School of Nursing at the University of Navarra. The faculty is most grateful for the support and encouragement provided by Alpha Chi members in helping to promote the development of an international honor society available to the nurses from Spain.

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Alpha Chi Members in Spain Celebrate a New Community Member

Open School Student Quality Leadership Academy continued from page 7

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Research Day2012 Poster Presentation Awards

1st Prize Daniele Grimm/ Mandy Hung

Provider response to Patient disclosure of IPV

2nd Prize Somatra Simpson

Determining if a relationship exists between sexual assault victims and eating disorders

when compared to non victims.

3rd Prize Erika Giovanniello

Review of Transactional Sex among Men and Women in

the United States.

On May 9th, Alpha Chi hosted their annual Spring Research Program. The featured speaker was Katherine Hutchinson, PhD, RN FAAN, an Associate

Professor at New York University. Recently, she joined the William F. Connell School of Nursing as a tenured professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs. Dr. Hutchinson presented “Family Based Approaches to Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviors: From Models to Interventions”. She discussed her research findings on young Jamaican females and risk reduction interventions in the prevention of HIV.

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Research Awards: Mary Poyner Reed Parental caregivers descriptors of caring for children with intractable epilepsy.

Holly Fontenot Intersection of HPV and sexual assault: An opportunity for practice change.

Allyssa Harris Intersection of HPV and sexual assault: An opportunity for Social scripts and urban literature: Identification and meaning for urban African American adolescent girls.

Sigma Awards:

Rita Kelleher Scholarship – Lucy Murphy

Spirit of Sigma Award – Anya Diane

Mary Pekarski – Paulina Miklosz

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BC Represented at the 2012 State of the Science Congress on Nursing ResearchBy Viola G. Benavente, PhD, RN, CNS

News from the Sigma Theta Tau’s 23rd International Nursing Research CongressJune Andrews Horowitz

From July 30-August 3, 2012 in Brisbane, Australia, nurses from around the world met

to share research and scholarship. Hundreds of podium and poster presentations reflected how nursing research has exploded worldwide. I presented the following paper and poster developed with colleagues/co-authors and fellow Alpha Chi members. Horowitz, J. A., Murphy, M., Gregory, K., Wojcik, J., Pulcini, J., Solon, L. (2012, July). Nurse home visits improve maternal-infant interaction and decrease postpartum depression severity. Paper presentation. Sigma Theta Tau International Research Congress, Brisbane, Australia. Horowitz, J. A., & Tran, C. (2012, July). Evaluation Of Online Resources For Women Experiencing PPD. Poster presentation. Sigma Theta Tau International Research Congress, Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city that serves as a wonderful base for exploring other parts of Australia. One of the highlights, aside from attending the conference, was visiting the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, a wonderful preserve that is home to koalas, kangaroos and many other species of Australian wildlife in a naturalistic setting. I enjoyed representing Alpha Chi and sharing research with colleagues from around the world!

This year’s Congress attracted not only the best of the nursing science community, including

Alpha Chi faculty members from Boston College (BC), but also many promising scholars, students, and other colleagues who support nursing science. The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS) proudly proclaimed “Discovery & Innovations” as this year’s conference focus of the biennial State of the Science Congress in Nursing Research held from September 13th through the 15th in Washington, DC. The Council is an open membership entity of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) and was established in 2000 to foster and advocate for “better health through nursing science.” The goals of CANS are to: (a) be a strong voice for nursing science at national and international levels by developing, conducting and utilizing nursing science; (b) disseminate research findings across individuals and groups in scientific and lay communities; and (c) facilitate lifelong learning opportunities for nurse scientists. Sigma Theta Tau is a founding partner and generous supporter of the Council and AAN. Along with other nursing or healthcare researchers and organizations, Sigma Theta Tau helped to initiate and sustain the State of Science Congress held every other even-numbered year. On the odd-numbered years, a Special Research Topic Conference is sponsored. These events are the two main agenda platforms of the Council.

Additionally, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), as an ex-officio member of the Council and AAN, hosts the NightinGala on the eve before the Congress or Special Topics Conference, in conjunction with Friends of the NINR (FNINR). The NightinGala is a celebratory event to honor the extraordinary work of nursing researchers and enhance the health of our nation. It is held annually at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. Dean Gennaro and distinguished members of Alpha Chi also attended this event (see the BC attendee list below)! The NINR was established as a Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and an Institute in 1993. The mission of NINR is to promote and improve the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations through the support of research in scientific areas and training of new investigators. Ultimately, the NINR aims to disseminate and transform research into clinical practice and into the daily lives of individuals and families. The FNINR is an independent, non-profit organization also founded in 1993. The mission of FNINR is to provide resources to support nursing research and advance the mission of the NINR by educating nursing professionals and the public about the advances made through nursing research and its benefits to patients, families, the community and healthcare delivery.

The Congress generated extraordinary interest this year and BC was well represented. Triumph and victory begins with strong leadership, and Dean Gennaro served as the Chair of the Program Planning Committee this year. Dr. Barbara Wolfe was a member of this Committee and assisted with finding and securing speakers for keynote and plenary sessions, podium and poster presentations, as well as exhibitors and supporting organizations. Distinguished Alpha Chi members from BC attended the Congress and gave the following presentations: Judith A. Vessey, Rachel L. DiFazio, & Tania D. Strout “Increasing meaning in measurement: A Rasch analysis of the Child Adolescent Teasing Scale” Judith A. Vessey, Allison Walker, Rachel L. DiFazio, & Tania D. Strout “Measuring bullying and victimization: Evaluation of the psychometric properties of existing instruments” Sr. Callista Roy “Generating cumulative knowledge: Evidence for practice” Viola G. Benavente “Effects of acculturation and literacy on cardiovascular health promotion of Mexican-American women” M. Katherine Hutchinson, Hermi H. Hewitt, Loretta Sweet Jemmott, Norma Waldron, Eulalia Kahwa, Pansy Hamilton, & John B. Jemmott “The Jamaican Mothers and Daughters Standing Strong Together Project: Mothers’ and Daughters’ Outcomes”

Dean Susan Gennaro and other Editors, Associate Editors, & Representatives from scholarly journals “Breakfast with the Editors”

Attendees at the NightinGala

Dean Susan Gennaro, Viola G. Benavente, Katherine Gregory, Allyssa Harris, M. Katherine Hutchinson, Melissa Sutherland, Sr. Callista Roy, Susan Kelly-Weeder, Luba Litvinova (FNINR), Nancy VanDevanter, & Tanyka Smith (Ph.D. student from NYU)

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Alpha Chi Chapter of STT International, Inc. Nursing Honor Society InductionApril 29, 2012

The 42nd induction of the Alpha Chi Chapter of the STT Nursing Honor Society was held on

April 29, 2012 at Boston College sponsored by the William F. Connell School of Nursing. Over 110 undergraduate and graduate nursing students and community leaders were inducted. The induction brunch was celebrated with over 150 family and friends. This year’s keynote address focused on inspiring new inductees to commit their support to the mission of Sigma Theta Tau International. The keynote address was delivered by Diana Kach, RN, BSN, and Dr. Cathy St. Pierre. As delegates of our STT Alpha Chi Chapter, Diana and Cathy both attended the 41st Biennial STT convention in Grapevine,Texas November 2012. Inspired by STT’s President, Suzanne Prevost’s keynote address titled, “Give Back to Move Forward,” they shared their impressions and highlights with the new inductees. Four major objectives from the address were highlighted: 1) Engaging in collaboration 2) Embracing technology, 3) Creating your legacy and 4) Responding to vulnerable populations. One illustration of these objectives, engaging in collaboration, was demonstrated by our delegates (Cathy St. Pierre, Diana Kach) when they actively participated in getting to know other delegates from our own region, our nation, and our international colleagues. The picture below shows our delegates with two of our international colleagues from the Netherlands: pictured left to right are: Dr. Cathy St. Pierre, Dr. Thora Hafsteinsdottir, Ms. Mare-Louise Luiking, and Diana Kach. Dr. Hafsteindottir

was elected at the biennium as the chairperson representing our European colleagues. Ms. Luiking was noted for being the first Nurse Practitioner to practice in the Netherlands. Additionally, learning from and about our colleagues from various countries and cultures helps to develop a more global view of the world and contributes to building relationships that foster the profession of nursing. Furthermore, embracing technology is a very germane topic for health care and the world today. Because of the advances in technology, we are able to create a bridge for enhancing communications both in the United States and around the world. The daily environment of health care has been significantly enhanced through the use of advanced computerized systems and mobile devices. Dr. St. Pierre and Diana Kach R.N. encouraged Alpha Chi members to begin developing their legacies today. They asked members to think about what they want to contribute to our profession by urging them to begin to think globally and act locally. New members were encouraged to get involved in their own communities and demonstrate through action what nurses can do to enhance the health and well being of our patients and the world we live in. In conclusion, the membership was urged to respond to the needs of vulnerable populations by providing lifesaving education. Examples cited included education and assistance to prevent childhood diseases through immunization programs, getting involved in helping to improve maternal health, and work to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

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Inductee Community Leaders: Kathleen Gould Lori Solon

Graduate: Rachel Ades Maria Barros Danielle Barry Zareen Barry Alice Bass Karen Bikofsky Meaghan Callahan Alexandra Chabot Jennifer Clair Nicole Colucci Teresa Connolly Lauren Costello Lena Crandell Susan Davenport Emily Davis Lenore DelGrosso James Dionne Odom

Rosemarie Dominia Jennifer Echo Anne Gleason Krista Good Lindsay Goodyear Gwenda Graham Kayla Greenberg Danielle Grimm Andrea Hewitt Rebecca Hoeweler Shen-Yin (Mandy) Hung Sarah Kalil Cara Kilroy Yanghee Kwon Emily Lancaster Kayoung Lee Christine Logue Elise Loiselle Monique Machado Ciera Maffei Lauren McGrath Donna McLellan Kathryn Mordino Kacie Nakamura

Erica Newkirk Jeanne Norton Jessica Osuch Lindsay Pesacreta Kayleigh Prowse Lindsey Putman Tiffini Reed Julia Robof Sarah Romeo Kristen Rounds Shannon Rounseville Betty Sam Erin Shallcross Meghan Shanahan Allison Sherwood Somatra Simpson Jessica Smith Leah Smith Jodi Stevens Emily Swisher-Rosa Cindy Theodore Sophie Thibodeau Emily Ware Meghan Weake Jenny Wong

Lindsay Young Sarah Zappala

Undergraduate: Jordan Balcom Terry Bustos Allison Cotta Alexandra Covelle Anna Diane Sandra Dickson Spencer Driscoll Erin Dromgoole Katherine Farrell Angelica Ferrazzi Megan Galvin Michelle Golden Ann Harrington Beth Harvey Christine Hayes Christen Heye Kyle Humphrey Megan Kane Shelby Kaubris Lauren Kohlhepp

Elisabeth Kuhlow Deborah Lipman Bryanna Mahony Colleen Mara Jennifer Maraia Kathleen Marion Madison McEvoy Kristen Moll Stephanie Mui Annemarie O’Toole Caroline Ouimet Amanda Scott Lauren Skirvin Victoria Soal Ashley Stewart Kristen Taylor Siobhan Tellez Ashley Thibodeau Jennifer Tomich Angela Torgersen Anna Trueb Nicole Tuccinardi Malika Weekes Katherine Wormser

Graduate

Undergraduate

Scholarship NewsBook publication:

Dr. Rachel E. Spector, R.N., FAAN, former faculty member and member of the BCSON classes of 1972 and 1974 has published the eighth edition of her book CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN HEALTH AND ILLNESS. It continues to promote an awareness of the dimensions and complexities involved in caring for people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Completely revised and updated, it examines the differences existing within North America by probing the health care system and consumers, and examples of traditional health/ HEALTH beliefs and practices among selected populations. An emphasis on the influences of recent social, political, and demographic changes helps to explore the issues and perceptions of health and illness today, while new introductory and capstone chapters help place material within perspective. It is an essential for any health-care professional, and sets the standard for cultural perspectives and more importantly HEALTH–the balance of the person, both within one’s being–physical, mental, and spiritual–and in the outside world–natural, communal, and metaphysical. (Terms, such as HEALTH, are written this way to emphasize the holistic meaning.)

Research publications:

Cook, K., Mott, S., Lawrence, P., Jablonski, J., Grady, M.R., Norton, D., Liner, K.P., Cioffi, J., Hickey, P., Reidy, S., & Connor, J.A. (2012). Coping while Caring for the Dying Child: Nurses’ Experiences. Journal of Pediatric Nursing 27(4) e11-21.

Onyango, M. & Mott, S. (2011). The nexus between bride-wealth, family curse and spontaneous abortion among Southern Sudanese women. Journal of Nursing Scholarship 43(4) 376-384.

Gaughan, V., Logan, D., Sethna, N., & Mott,S. (in press) Parents’ perspective of their journey caring for a child with chronic neuropathic pain. Pain Management Nursing.

Consortium for Congenital Cardiac Care Measurement of Nursing Practice (C4-MNP). (2011-present) PPSQ grant ($20,000) and AACN grant ($50,000). J Connor, Principle Investigator. S Mott, Co-Investigator. Multi-site study to identify and codify nursing linked outcome measures.

Honors:

Congratulations to Elizabeth Burgess Dowell, MS ’97. She informed us of her induction as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Dowell is a professor of pediatric nursing at Villanova University, Pennsylvania.

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This past June the William F. Connell School of

Nursing offered a course titled “Global Healthcare:

Meeting Challenges and Making Connections”. Ten

Boston College nursing students and sixteen nursing

students from the University of Applied Sciences in

Switzerland participated. Alpha Chi member, Colleen

Simonelli organized and coordinated this four week

course. Topics covered during the course were palliative

care, healthcare disparities, domestic violence, healthcare

systems, as well as ethics and global health care.

Students learned about the similarities and differences

in healthcare between the two countries. In addition,

there were field trips to Swissnex, the Massachusetts

Department of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer

Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Mass General

Hospital and the VA Medical Center in West Roxbury.

Guest speakers included CSON Dean Susan Gennaro,

Mariead Hickey, Executive VP and chief operating officer

at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Dr. Alfred

DeMaria, director of the Massachusetts Department of

Public Health. Sigma members who were an integral

part in the success of this course include: Nancy Allen,

Vanessa Battista, Ann Burgess, Rosemary Byrne, Donna

Cullinan, Rosanna DeMarco, Susan DeSanto-Madeya,

Holly Fontenot, Stacy Garrity, Pamela Grace, Allyssa

Harris, June Horowitz, Terri Lacoursiere Zucchero,

Natalie McClain, Donna Perry, Fr. Richard Ross, Sr.

Callista Roy, Judith Schindul-Rothschild, Kelly Stamp,

Melissa Sutherland, Patricia Tabloski, and Judith Vessey.

Next year sixteen Boston College nursing students will

travel to Switzerland to participate in a Swiss led course.

Global Health Care Course

community

Global HealthInitiative

This September, Drs. Rosanna DeMarco and

Ronna Krozy were invited by the Jubilee House

Community-Center for Development in Central America

(JHC-CDCA) to initiate a new HIV/AIDS education

prevention intervention training program in Nicaragua.

Dr. DeMarco is a BCCSON faculty member; an Advanced

Practice Public Health Clinical Specialist; a fellow of the

American Academy of Nursing (AAN) and co-chair of the

AAN’s expert panel on emerging and infectious diseases;

and an expert nurse and researcher in HIV/AIDS. Dr.

Krozy is a retired BC Community Health faculty member,

a doctorally prepared health educator and Coordinator of

the BCCSON Global Health Initiative (GHI). The GHI is

a foundation-supported yearly spring clinical practicum in

Nicaragua entering its 7th year, allowing selected UG and

Grad students to provide nursing care and teach Nicaraguan

lay health promoters about important health issues.

HIV is a growing problem in the Nueva Vida community,

with the population at greatest risk pregnant teenagers,

young mothers and their babies and adolescents in

general. Sexually transmitted infection/disease (STI/

STD) prevention is one of the 4 main foci that JHC-

CDCA has set for its Nueva Vida health promotion

program this year. We used Dr. DeMarco’s Spanish

version of the DVD-based health promotion intervention

program, entitled Women’s Voices, Women’s Lives, as

a tool for initiating discussion. Lectures and materials

were presented in Spanish and included several exercises

related to myths and stereotypes about HIV, behaviors

and risk levels, and self-advocating behaviors. We used a

portable DVD player to present the program in the Nueva

Vida clinic, various neighborhoods and people’s homes

where we reached over 20 health promoters, pregnant

young women, adolescent mothers with babies, male

adolescents and transgendered youth. We based the

program on ‘training the trainer’ and community based

participatory research models of prevention. We also

presented by invitation at the Universidad Americana

Medical School for medical students at different levels of

their education to discuss HIV/AIDS research and health

education needs of disadvantaged populations.

A key result was the clinic nurse’s confident ability

to take over the program, continue training health

promoters and to test the efficacy of this health

promotion intervention training. Future plans include

testing health protective outcomes before and after

the intervention to measure healthcare adherence and

self-advocacy in addition to increased HIV testing. This

approach of measuring the outcomes of this work will

help validate the impact on prevention efforts of the

clinic. When our students’ return in March they can

also further the teaching and program efficacy while

gaining student-centered learning in public health,

prevention, and community-based interventions.

community

18 alpha chi news 2012 19

With more than 700 STT Alpha Chi members, we are well positioned to reach a goal of

every member giving to our first annual fundraiser. This year the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) has been chosen as a worthy recipient of our chapter’s focus on community service. The mission of the GBFB is to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts. By 2013, their objective is to distribute enough food to provide at least one meal a day to those in need. Every $50 we raise as Alpha Chi members will provide 118 meals to aid the GBFB’s mission. Before considering giving, please go to the GBFB’s home page @ http://www.gbfb.org and view the featured video, “Hunger 101: Hunger’s Three Truths”, and WCVB-TV’s Chronicle feature “Inside the Greater Boston Food Bank”. Then follow the link listed below to the GBFB for donation information. Thank you for helping those in need with food for the upcoming holiday season. Results of our “Every Member Giving” fundraiser will be announced in the spring newsletter. http://www.gbfb.org

First Annual Fundraiser for the Greater Boston Food Bank

http://www.wcvb.com/chronicle/Inside-the-Greater-Boston-Food-Bank/-/12523032/16698292/-/sc9x64z/-/index.html

http://www.gbfb.org

EveryMemberGiving

Haiti DONATIONS - Urgently Needed!!!!

Boston College Nursing Students join BC

Assistant Clinical Professor, Donna Cullinan, RN, MSN, each January for a missionary trip to Haiti. The Haitian people are in great need of canes, moisturizing eye drops,

and reading/magnifying glasses. Please consider donating these items by December 30th 2012. Contact: Donna Cullinan@ 617-413-3528

DONATe YOur CAr Wheels for Wishes benefiting Make A Wish

Free vehicle pick up: any vehicle running

or not. Also accepts boats, motorcycles & RVs. 100% Tax deduction. Contact: #857-220-8288 email: WheelsforWishes.Org

epIlepSY FOuNDATION

All proceeds go to finding a cure for epilepsy through research, provide money for the children’s camp

(Camp-Wee-Kan-Tu), and to help families working to overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. *Items needed: Clothing for infants, kids, men and women; books, CDs, DVDs, shoes and accessories, bed & bath items, small appliances and electronics (no tvs), furniture, toys & games, tools, draperies and curtains. 357 Middlesex Avenue Wilmington, MA 01887 Contact: # 888-322-8209 Visit www.donatenewengland.org for convenient drop locations

Clean out your closets to help support their mission to promote economic independence of disadvantaged

women. They provide professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. 989 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 Contact: #617-779-2177

email: boston @dress for success.org

VOlUNTEER OPPORTUNiTiEs

Bridge over Troubled Waters

Bridge over Troubled Waters cherishes individuals who volunteer their time to make a difference in the lives

of homeless and at-risk youth. Volunteers are the heart of Bridge Services. One-time and long-term volunteer opportunities are available: Health Services – Contact Greg Perchik: Mobile Medial Van & Dental Clinic

Education and Workforce Development – Contact Steve Cote: Tutors, guest speakers, worksite tour leaders, job shadow leaders, internship providers Residential Component – Contact Amy Abair: Mentor youth involved in the Transitional Living Program or Maternal Group Home. 47 West Street, Boston, MA 02111 Contact: #617-423-9575 (assists age 18-24) or #1-800 ruNAWAY (assists ages 14-17) email: bridge@bridgeotw.org

Barbara McInnis House: Boston Health Care for the Homeless program

Barbara McInnis House is a nationally recognized facility that continues the legacy of Barbara McInnis; a generous

and talented nurse who cared for thousands of Boston’s homeless men and women while tirelessly advocating for their interests. The house provides “medical respite care” and short-term medical and recuperative services for homeless persons who are too ill for live in shelters but not sick enough to occupy an acute care hospital. 780 Albany St., Boston, MA Contact: Kerry eldredge Dickson #857-654-1700 , email: info@bhchp.org

Mother Caroline Academy

The academy’s mission is to provide a high quality education that develops

the individual gifts of each student and prepares her for success in competitive secondary schools and colleges. MCA is a private, tuition free school for girls in grades 4-8 from limited financial means. Numerous volunteer activities include: tutoring, breakfast/lunch/snack assistant, afternoon activities, library assistant, adult education, mentor program, fund raising, event planning and office duties. 515 Blue Hill Ave, Dorchester, MA 02121 Contact: Alexandra von Ballmoos #617-427-1177 ext 103

Nativity prep

Consider volunteering as a tutor, work in building maintenance, financial aid,

student testing, field trips, library assistant. Nativity Prep is always seeking an RN to help the school nurse with a variety of health education programs. Even once a month for several hours would be greatly appreciated. Contact Donna Cullinan if interested. # 617-413-3528

39 lamartine St., Jamaica plain, MA 02130 Contact: Aimee McGuire, Director of Advancement. #857-728-0031 ext. 14 amcquire@nativity boston.org

rosies’s place

As a volunteer you would play a vital role in providing important

services. Some of the many opportunities are: teach English as a second language class to adult women, spend an hour each week as a friendly visitor, play cards, service and clean up a lunch or dinner, teach an art workshop, help women select groceries from the food pantry. Rosie’s Place volunteers contribute more than 50,000 hours annually equivalent to 29 full-time staff!

889 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118 Contact: Volunteer Services #617-442-9322 ext. 226 or email: volunteer@rosiesplace.org

20 alpha chi news 2012 21

In an effort to reach out to persons in need, each newsletter will provide a listing of meaningful community service opportunities that could benefit from our members diverse skills, experience, and knowledge. Please

explore these opportunities to share your talents and non-perishables with those in need.

Community OpportunitiesDonations & Volunteer Opportunities

DONATiONs

community

AnnouncementsPinnacle Lecture Series:

Pinnacle Lecture series is an ongoing Boston College tradition. Mark your calendar for April 10, 2013, when the featured speaker will by Lee Woodruff, wife of ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff, who was critically injured in Iraq in 2006.

42nd Biennial Convention:

The 42nd Biennial Convention of Sigma Theta Tau will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from November 16-20, 2013. A call for Abstracts is open with a submission deadline of January 30, 2013. If you are interested in submitting an abstract or want more information, here is the link: http://www.nursingsociety.org/STTIEvents/BiennialConvention/Pages/43_ContentSubmissionGuidelines.aspx Submission dates for spring awards and poster presentations: • Clinical research grants – March 8, 2013 • Abstracts for Poster Presentations – March 1, 2013 • Awards (Excellence in Nursing, Mentor, Spirit of Sigma & Mary Pekarski Award) – April 8, 2013 http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/son/sigma/pdf/awardsnominationform.pdf

Heritage Committee:

The Heritage Committee is looking for past event and induction programs to place in the archives. If you have any of these programs from the last ten years and would like to donate them to the Alpha Chi archives please contact Joellen Hawkins at joellenhawkins@mac.com or Karen Lourence at klourence@earthlink.net

Free Stuff for Students:

Remember that Sigma Theta Tau has free stuff and career help: http://www.nursingsociety.org/student/Pages/StudentCentral.aspx

Every Member Giving:

Please refer to community section of this newsletter for information on community opportunities and our First Annual Fundraiser “Every Member Giving”.

Submit News:

News that you would like to submit to the Alpha Chi Newsletter regarding Leadership, Scholarship or Community can be emailed to behney@bc.edu or luanne.nugent@bc.edu

community announcements

22 alpha chi news 2012 23

BC Vietnam:

Institute of Liberal Arts Funds Project with Major Award

Drs. Rosanna DeMarco (CSON) and Thanh Tran (GSSW) led a group of 6 students to Ho Chi Minh

City and Da Lat, Vietnam this summer for four weeks. Three of the students were from CSON and the other two were from Arts and Sciences at Boston College studying biology or sociology as majors. One of the students was a pre-med student. The purpose of the trip was to 1) test the validity of a Vietnamese translation of the HIV prevention film and curriculum Women’s Voices Women’s Lives© while obtaining outcome data related to self-advocacy and healthcare adherence behaviors and perceived stigma in those living with HIV and those at risk, 2) increase an understanding of the healthcare system, and 3) explore how social work as a profession is being developed. The ILA supports programs that examine and advance liberal arts education by fostering innovative programs that will enhance the intellectual life of students and faculty and lead to new ways of understanding the world we live in. Therefore, the trip was interdisciplinary in nature from the perspective of both faculty and students and as such helped all to appreciate the different contributions of various disciplinary worldviews specifically on the care given to people at risk or living with HIV. The group visited HIV palliative care clinics where patients have little recourse but to receive comfort care where there is no curative infrastructure in public facilities. The clinic was organized and run by the Roman Catholic diocese of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) as a non-governmental agency (NGO) and served people by offering them a place to rest and receive medication for disease symptoms such as intravenous fluids for dehydration. The students, some who were fluent in Vietnamese language and some that were not, talked to the patients and loved ones who brought them to the clinic on family motorcycles (everyone’s vehicle for travel in Vietnam is a motorbike of some sort) and were able to understand the context of HIV

vulnerability and after care. The group visited a center for HIV care where people living with HIV supported each other in moving on with their lives and heard stories of stigma experienced within families, friends, and healthcare facilities. We also visited a home where religious women (nuns) cared for teen/young mothers and their newborns where primary HIV prevention was needed and wanted. In Da Lat the group participated in the primary care offered patients at the Pasteur Clinic). Students assisted in analyzing blood samples and immunizations of children and adults specifically. In the interim the group had opportunities to see the urban and rural centers, talk to people who live in the country, visit historical centers and museums and to understand the mosaic of different ethnic groups and international influences in the country over many years from the French and Chinese. While there the group was interviewed by an NPR senior correspondent who was traveling through Vietnam after finishing a story on human trafficking in China (see http://www.wgbh.org/articles/index.cfm?tempid=6731). The Dean of the School of Social Work from Da Lat Unviersity also met with us to discuss the education system in Vietnam and the needs of students who study Social Work specifically in the country. Special thanks to our group: Mary Gerardo, Cindy Cao, Nguyet Chau from CSON and Pauline Tran, Ha Nguyen, and Sophia Trinh for taking time in the summer when they could have been doing other things to participate in this experience. A special thanks to Nguyet Chau for her assistance in translating and back-translating many of the research documents that we used in the research component of the visit which she completed as an undergraduate research fellow at CSON and to Pauline Tran for her student leadership before, during and after the trip.

officers officers

24 alpha chi news 2012 25

Alpha Chi Chapter, Boston CollegeSigma Theta Tau International

Officers & Committees 2012- 2013

Catherine Hill hillcat@bc.edu 617-552-4908 (administrative assistant)Zan John johnza@bc.edu 617-552-4059 (web master) president louisa Dichard louisaedichard@yahoo.com Co/Vice presidents Kelly stamp Kelly.stamp.1@bc.edu (on sabbatical) Diana Kach diana.kach@bc.edu Secretary Amy smith amy.smith.9@bc.eduTreasurer Barbara Hedstrom bbhedstrom@gmail.com Faculty Counselor Rosemary Byrne rosemary.byrne@bc.edu

Governance Committee Rosemary Byrne rosemary.byrne@bc.edu sherri st Pierre stpiersh@bc.edu Kelly stamp kelly.stamp.1@bc.edu Colleen simonelli colleen.simonelli@bc.edu Leadership Succession Heather Vallent, Chair hvallent@gmail.com Program Committee louisa Dichard, Chair louisaedichard@yahoo.com Diana Kach kachdf@gmail.com Nola Della Monica gdellamonica@aol.com Katie Mclaughlin kathryn.mclaughlin.3@bc.edu

Publicity /Newsletter Chair & Committee luanne Nugent, Co- Chair luanne.nugent@bc.edu Dorean Behney, Co- Chair dorean.behney@bc.edu Kathy Gould gouldkc@bc.edu

Awards & Scholarships Committee Amy Cebulski, Chair ACEBUlsKi@PARTNERs.ORG Rosanna DeMarco rosanna.demarco@bc.edu Kristin Markowski Goedkoop kmmtoke@comcast.net Margie sipe margie.sipe@lahey.org Paulina Miklosz miklosz@bc.edu Research Development Committee Robin Wood, Chair robin.wood@bc.edu Viola Benavente viola.benavente@bc.edu stewart Bond stewart.bond@bc.edu Joyce Edmonds joyce.edmonds@bc.edu Allyssa Harris allyssa.harris@bc.edu lois Haggerty lois.haggerty@bc.edu stacy Hutton Johnson stacy.johnson@bc.edu Anna Paskausky anna.paskausky@bc.edu

Clinical Research Committee Jane Flanagan, Chair jane.flanagan@bc.edu Alice Rose June Horowitz june.horowitz@bc.edu Maureen McRae Diane Carroll DCARROll3@partners.org

Membership Involvement Jane Flanagan jane.flanagan@bc.edu Kelly stamp kelly.stamp.1@bc.edu Heather Vallent hvallent@gmail.com Paulina Miklosz miklosz@bc.edu

Heritage Committee Joellen Hawkins, hawskinsj@bc.edu Chair & Archivist Beth Grady bethgrady61@gmail.com Karen lourence klourence@earthlink.net Holly Fontenot holly.fontenot@bc.edu Kristin Ferguson freguskr@bc.edu

Finance Committee Barbara Hedstrom bbhedstrom@gmail.com lois Haggerty haggerty@bc.edu Robin Wood woodr@bc.edu Maureen Curtis Cooper pmmkcoop@comcast.net