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Your

Sigma Theta Gamma Rho

Helping You Achieve Your Professional Goals

Sigma Theta Tau International

Connections

Sigma Theta Tau International

Connections

Quarterly Newsletter of

Gamma Rho Chapter March 2016

About STTI Founded in 1922, STTI – with

members in approximately 490

chapters throughout 85 countries –

supports the learning, knowledge,

and professional development of

nurses making a difference in

global health.

Sigma Theta Tau The founders chose the name

from the Greek words Storge’,

Tharsos and Time’ meaning “love”,

“courage” and “honor”.

Organizational Mission

The mission of the Honor Society

of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau

International, is advancing world

health and celebrating nursing

excellence in scholarship,

leadership, and service.

Society Vision Sigma Theta Tau International's

vision is to be the global

organization of choice for nursing.

STTI is you!

STTI has over 130,000 members,

1st U.S. organization to fund

nursing research, 39% have

Masters and/or doctoral degrees,

51% have nursing staff positions,

19% are administrators or

supervisors, 18% have

faculty/academic positions, 12%

are advanced practitioners.

President's Note

As we welcome Spring, we are also welcoming new members to Gamma Rho.

Our Induction Ceremony and Reception is planned for Wednesday, May 4th from

2:30 – 4:00 pm. It will be held in the Health Sciences Education Building Alumni

Hall. We invite all members to join in the celebration to recognize future leaders in

nursing. Dr. Danielle Pendergrass will be our Keynote speaker. More information

about her and her amazing career is found in this newsletter. This event is being

held the week of graduation and commencement to encourage family members to

attend as well. More information about registration will be sent to you by email or

you can find it on our Calendar of Events webpage http://nursing.utah.edu/sigma-

theta-tau/calendar.php

As many of you may know, our baccalaureate program and admission cycle has

changed. Students are now admitted in Fall and Spring and continue for four

consecutive semesters graduating in December and May. With this change, we

will move our annual induction to Fall semester, starting this year to recognize

students in the new graduation cycle. Yes, this is a banner year, as we will

conduct two inductions. We hope to see you at these ceremonies or one of our

other activities for Gamma Rho members.

Respectfully,

Sue Chase-Cantarini, DNP RN President, STTI Gamma Rho Chapter Susan.chase@nurs.utah.edu (801) 585-9642

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On May 4th, the Gamma Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau will be inducting our newest members. To help welcome them, the event will feature keynote speaker Danielle Howa Pendergrass. Pendergrass has a long list of credits to her name including DNP, MSN, WHNP, owner of the Eastern Utah Women’s Health, and winner one of the prestigious Breakthrough Leader in Nursing awards from the Robert Woods Jonson Foundation and AARP’s Center to Champion Nursing for her role in changing Utah Medicaid rules. From the age of 16, Pendergrass knew she wanted to have a positive impact women’s health so she worked her way up through the ranks from CNA to LPN then she went on to receive her BSN at Weber State and her Masters and DNP at the University of Utah. In 2012 she opened her business, Eastern Utah Women’s Health, to meet the needs of the local community in and around Price, Utah. She says connecting with other women, knowing that they are all in it together, and that she can have a small positive influence in their lives has been the most rewarding factor for her. However, Pendergrass’s impact goes far beyond Eastern Utah. Her efforts to change Utah’s Medicaid rules paved the way for nurse practitioners all over Utah to be able to serve Medicaid patients. Prior to that, nurse practitioners could not be reimbursed by Utah Medicaid and so could not serve that population of patients. Her efforts on this garnered her the Breakthrough award in 2014. In addition, Pendergrass has a vision for the future of nursing, both locally and nationally, that can change the face of healthcare. As the nation’s largest workforce, some 3 million strong, she says nurses have the power to make their voices heard. With the Affordable Healthcare Act, the nation is rethinking how healthcare is accessed and delivered and nurses have a unique opportunity to be a major player in shaping that future. But in order to do that nurses need to come together and speak as one. Right now, she says nursing groups in Utah exist in silos, individual groups that have little or no interaction with others. She is pushing for a united front, where all nurses in Utah come together to push for common causes. As part of the effort to get nurses voices heard, she also works with the Utah Action Coalition for Health in carrying out the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for nursing, one of which is to get 10 thousand nurses on boards nationally by 2020. She says nurses taking more leadership roles; roles on boards, roles on committees, administrative roles in hospitals, and other roles where real impacts can be made will put nurses on the forefront of decision making. She believes the holistic perspective that nurses have makes them some of the best candidates to help create a healthcare system that meets the needs of the future. Join Danielle Howa Pendergrass and Gamma Rho May 4th for the induction ceremony. Go online to http://nursing.utah.edu/sigma-theta-tau/calendar.php for more information.

Gamma Rho Induction

Ceremony May 4th, 2016 We would love to see you

there!

Danielle Howa Pendergrass

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This quarter’s member focus is actually split three ways between three generations. In 2014 Sigma

Theta Tau Gamma Rho Chapter inducted Julia Beynon and Katie Tyler. Katie Tyler was a top student

graduating from the University of Utah with her BSN. Julia Beynon was a nursing leader at University

Hospital. The two were inducted for their individual efforts but they represent a tradition of excellence in

nursing not just within the Gamma Rho family but within their own family as well. Beynon and Tyler are

mother and daughter. Furthermore, Byenon’s mother, and Tyler’s grandmother, Carol Bowcutt, was also

a proud Gamma Rho member.

Carol Bowcutt graduated from the University of Utah in 1961 with a bachelors in

nursing. She spent her a 30 year career at the University where she held several

leadership roles including nurse manager of the operating room, nurse manager

of the rehabilitation unit and finally the last 10 years of her career were spent as

the nurse manager of the Clinical Research Center. She also served in the 328th

General Hospital Unit of the Utah Army Reserve. She retired from the University

in 2002 and Beynon says her mother was proud to be a Gamma Rho member.

Julia Beynon was inspired by her mother’s career and received her BSN from the

University of Utah in 1985. She followed in her mother’s steps and has built her

career at University Hospital where she too has made a name for herself in

leadership positions. She currently serves as

Clinical Operations Director for Critical Care,

Airmed, and Emergency Nursing.

Katie Tyler has some big shoes to fill but is well one her way. After

graduating in 2014 with a BSN from the University of Utah, she now

works as a clinical nurse in the Surgical ICU at the University Hospital.

She says she initially didn’t think nursing was for her after she spent a

day with her mother in 7th grade and almost passed out in the ICU. But

after starting at the University as a business major, she realized all of

the women in her life that she admired were nurses, so she changed

majors and followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother.

Bowcutt passed away in 2007, so was not there in April of 2014 to see her daughter and granddaughter

inducted to Gamma Rho. Both Beynon and Tyler says they are proud to be part of the tradition that

raises the bar and shows commitment to the nursing profession.

Calendar of upcoming events

The American Nurse: Film presentation and panel discussion- Thursday April 21st

Hospice Awareness Fun Run/Walk - Saturday April 9 with early registration by March 11th. http://runningintheusa.com/Race/View.aspx?RaceID=131246

STTI Gamma Rho Induction Ceremony Wednesday, May 4th.

Dementia Dialogues coming up Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Carol Bowcutt

Katie Tyler and Julie Beynon

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On February 20th Gamma Rho members

showed up to support the National

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation at the 17th

annual Women on the Move luncheon.

The event featured a fashion show and

silent auction to raise money to help raise

awareness, and support research programs

and services.

You’re Invited! STTI Gamma Rho Board Meetings The 3rd Tuesday of every month at 5:00pm in the University of Utah

College of Nursing Building

There are opportunities to serve! Email Tamara at

tamara.ekker@nurs.utah.edu to get involved in STTI Gamma Rho!

STTI NEWS

Did You Know? STTI can help you find a job, move your career forward, or even help you continue your education. STTI has tools that can be personalized to help you achieve your goals. The STTI job board has thousands of jobs, a resume section to help you create and store your information, and a job alert function that alerts you to jobs that fit you your personalized job search criteria. STTI also provides you with volunteer career advisors, scholarship opportunities, and a network of resources to help you build the career you have dreamed of. STTI also has publications, a leadership institute, philanthropic activities, and much, much, more. Visit online to find out about STTI.

Sigma Theta Tau Website http://nursing.utah.edu/sigma-theta-tau/.

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Current Gamma Rho Board Members 2015 – 2016

President Sue Chase-Cantarini

President-Elect/Governance Chair Nanci Mcleskey

Past President Madeline Lassche

Secretary Alison Eldredge

Treasurer Stevi Gire

Finance Chair Cheryl Walsh

Faculty Counselor Denise Reeves

Leadership Succession Committee Sharifa Al-Qaaydeh & Grace Gardner

Publicity/Newsletter Chair Linda Gorton

Electronic Delegates Sharifa Al-Qaaydeh & Valerie Flattes

Convention Delegates Madeline Lassche & Amy Hartman

Awards Recognition Chair Barbara Wilson

Philanthropic Committee Linda Edelman & Lynn Hollister

Archivist Valerie Flattes

Research/Scholarship Chair Nancy Ann Allen

Web Master Jia-Wen Guo & Debbie Boulter

Membership Involvement Chair (Induction and

Member Activities)

Membership Committee

Tamara Ekker

Alison Eldredge

Stephanie Gire

Denise Reeves

Joanne Tuero

Marc Wirtz

We welcome your ideas for membership engagement activities