Sigma Theta Tau
International Honor Society of Nursing
THE DELTA REPORT
DELTA OMEGA CHAPTER
Editor – Marcia Cornell
Fall 2010
Delta Omega Officers
President – Barb Brunt
[email protected]
President Elect – Kathy Rose
[email protected]
1st Vice President – Marlene Huff
[email protected]
2nd Vice President – Karen Mascolo
[email protected]
Immediate Past President – Dina Dornack
[email protected]
Treasurer – Peg DiMarco
[email protected]
Corresponding Secretary – Linda Shanks
[email protected]
Counselor – Lori Kidd
[email protected]
Archivist – Dina Dornack
[email protected]
Research Grants & Recognition Chair – Elaine Fisher
[email protected]
Leadership Succession Committee Chris Graor [email protected]
Externs –
Alicia Woo-Clark [email protected]
Allison Sabo [email protected]
Newsletter Editor – Marcia Cornell
[email protected]
The Delta Report is published three times yearly for Delta Omega
Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, Inc. The Delta Report welcomes
information about members’ accomplishments in research,
promotion, publication, and/or presentation. Correspondence to the
Delta Report should be sent to the editor Marcia Cornell via e-mail
[email protected].
Sigma Theta Tau, International www.nursingsociety.org
Delta Omega http://www.uakron.edu/nursing/about-us/stti
Message from the Chapter President:
Barb Brunt
As I start my second year as
president, I want to encourage each
and every one of you to get involved
in some way with chapter activities.
There are many opportunities for all
levels of involvement. You can
attend our programs, help with our
community projects such as buying
and/or wrapping Christmas presents for a family we
adopt, serving lunch at OPEN-M for members of the
community, or serving on a committee. We also have
opportunities for reporters for the various hospitals
and universities. We are your organization and want
to provide activities and programs to meet your needs,
so please feel free to contact me with any suggestions
or ideas. You can reach me at (330) 375-3075 during
the day or (330) 388-1620 in the evenings.
The Delta Omega chapter has
won nine key awards, which is an award
for excellence in leadership, knowledge,
service, community, and sustainability.
Many members sent us information
about activities they were involved in that helped
document what our members and chapter have done,
but I know we are missing many accomplishments of
our members.
Areas included in the key award criteria are
listed below:
 Members presented at national or
international professional nursing meetings,
conferences, or forums (Need name of
meeting, title of presentation and date
presented)
 Members presented at interdisciplinary
professional meetings, conferences or forums
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 Members or chapter provide at least one
program/activity/project focused on increasing
community awareness of health promotion
and prevention of illness. Examples include:
participation in local health fair, sharing
information with elementary/high school
students (Need name and nature of activity
with date presented)
 Provide expertise or consultation to the
community. Examples include doing
presentations to the community through
Speaker’s Bureaus, providing screening to
community members. (Need name and nurse
of activity with date presented)
 Collaborate at the local level for health
promotion and/or prevention of illness
projects with community partners. Examples
include: volunteer at Special Olympics
events, cough etiquette kits for local shelter,
collaboration with other health care
organizations on specific issues. (Need to
know who the collaboration was with and
what was done with the date of activity if
applicable.
Please take a minute now and send us information
about your accomplishments so we can include that
information in our key award.
Another way that everyone can get involved at
the national level is to be aware of activities taking
place at the national level in regards to health care
reform. With more than 3 million members, the
nursing profession is the largest segment of the
nation’s health care workforce. Working on the front
lines of patient care, nurses can play a vital role in
helping realize the objectives set forth in the 2010
Affordable Care Act (ACA), legislation that
represents the broadest health care overhaul since the
created of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The
Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released the
“Future of Nursing” report (IOM, 2010). This report
acknowledges the need for nurses to take a leadership
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role in all settings to meet the demands of our
changing health care system. Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation sponsored this initiative on the future of
nursing. Among the report’s recommendations
1. Nurses should practice to the full extent of
their education, training, and licensure.
2. Nurses should achieve higher levels of
education and training through an improved
education system that promotes seamless
academic progression.
3. Nurses should be full partners, with physicians
and other health professional, in redesigning
health care in the United States.
4. Effective workforce planning and policy
making require better data collection and an
improved information infrastructure.
http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/
The-Future-of-Nursing-LeadingChange-Advancing-Health.aspx
According to ANA President Karen
Daley, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
(ANA, 2010) the IOM
recommendations, along with the
adoption of the ACA, serve to
create a unique opportunity to restructure our current
health care system into one which emphasized
collaboration and a commitment to quality. Key
stakeholders will reconvene at a meeting November
30 – December 1 to begin discussing the
implementation of the IOM report.
The United States has the opportunity to
transform its health care system, and nurses can and
should play a fundamental role in this transformation.
However, the power to improve the current regulatory,
business, and organizational conditions does not rest
solely with nurses; government, businesses, health
care organizations, professional associations and the
insurance industry all must play a role. Working
together, these diverse parties can help ensure that the
health care system provides seamless, affordable,
quality care that is accessible to all and leads to
improved health.
~ Barb
Induction of New Officers
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At the June Board meeting the newly elected
officers were sworn in to their offices.
opportunity for leadership is about the organization,
not for personal gain.
Several students were attendance. The speakers
offered information that should help the students
succeed. Other topics included, Advanced Practice
roles, leadership strategies to create a healthy work
environment , and strategies to promote evidencebased practice. Chapter operations were a topic of
one session. We were privileged to tour the Sigma
Theta Tau International headquarters. Recognition
of nursing achievements is throughout the beautiful
building.
Barb Brunt President of Delta Omega is reading the
Charge of Duties to induct new officers.
New Officers: (left to right)
Chris Graor – Leadership Succession Chair
Lori Kidd – Counselor
Peg DiMarco – Treasurer
Kathy Rose – President Elect
Leadership Summit
Indianapolis, IN September 24 and 25, 2010
Submitted by Marlene Huff & Linda Shanks
The Opening Plenary session, by Karen Morin
focused on leadership and qualities of a leader.
Leadership is an intensely personal journey and we
make choices along the way that affect future
leadership opportunities. A leader must be aware of
professional needs, organizational needs, societal
needs, personal needs, and innovative technology.
Perhaps the most critical element is our personal
interactions. We must redefine failure as an
educational opportunity, be humble, and realize the
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Poster viewing
was available
throughout the
conference.
Marlene Huff
and Linda
Shanks
presented a
poster “Teaching Leadership Through Service
Learning.”
The second Plenary session was given by Angela
Barron-McBride. The importance on nursing
leadership is greater today than it has ever been.
Nurses from across the country was in attendance
which provided many opportunities for networking.
Leadership Summit
Arlington, Tx October 15 & 16, 2010
Submitted by: Kathy Rose, RN, MSN
I attended the Leadership Summit in
Arlington, TX on October 15 and 16, 2010. The
keynote speaker Friday evening was Dr. Beverly
Malone, CEO for the National League for Nursing.
Her address, “Diversity: The Cornerstone of
Health,” part of the Endowed Hispanic Lecture,
gave insight into the many facets of diversity.
A full schedule for Saturday began with the
CEO of STTI, Dr. Patricia Thompson who gave her
address on “STTI: Opportunities and Initiatives.”
Dr. Thompson spoke of her own leadership journey,
giving insight to new leaders to develop their own
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strategies for chapter leadership. Following her
address, the breakout sessions began. For my first
STTI conference, I chose to attend “Little Known
Facts about Chapter Operations” and “Aligning
Your Budget with Your Strategic Plan.” Both
sessions were guided by Erin Hurst, Chapter
Training Specialist, from STTI headquarters. Her
energy during the sessions stimulated questions and
good discussions for new chapter leaders.
Following the sessions there were many who had
further questions for Erin. She offered her guidance
through the website and also personal telephone
calls to STTI headquarters.
“Perceptions of Registered Nurses
Sanctioned by a Board of Nursing: Individual,
Health Care Team, Patient, and System
Contributions to Error were presented by Mary Beth
Thomas, Ph.D. Mary Beth is the DON for the Texas
Board of Nursing. Her research discussion covered
why and what errors occurred to identify how those
errors resulted. I found this to be the most
interesting of the discussions presented.
A special birthday party honoring Dr. Billye
Brown’s 85th birthday was celebrated during the
lunch hour. Her favorite cake, chocolate, was served
for dessert. Special guests helping her to celebrate
the occasion were her nephews and their families.
Dr. Brown is a retired Professor Emeritus of The
University of Texas. She served as past president of
STTI from 1989-1991. Dr. Brown also gave the
closing address which served as an interview. In the
interview she shared many memories of students,
colleagues and many dignitaries she has met over
her career.
Overall, there was much information shared
and learned during the sessions. I also had the
privilege of speaking with many leaders from the
Arlington, Dallas/Fort Worth area and learned how
they are reaching out to the nontraditional students
to get those interested in the nursing profession.
One such interaction involved “Second Learning” in
which the graduate students from The University of
Texas were conducting research. This research
involved modern technology, i.e. computers, and
how technology could reach out to the
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nontraditional students. The University of Texas is
very interested in growing their student numbers
and since the research has started, the University
has doubled their student enrollment. Many good
works are coming out of the graduate programs at
UT and I intend on keeping in contact to see how
their projects are progressing.
Delta Omega Hosts Germany Students
and Celebrates Global Health
The Delta
Omega chapter
sponsored a
reception (pizza
party) for a
group of nursing
students visiting
from Germany
on August 1st.
Delta Omega has
sponsored students to go to Germany for numerous
years, and this year students from Germany visited
the University of Akron. At the reception, students
were given a presentation and information about the
Honor Society for Nursing Sigma Theta Tau
International. The chapter offered to help them
develop a chapter in Germany.
Fall
Program
“Celebrating Nursing Contributions
to Global Health”
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Wednesday October 6, 2010 at Children’s Hospital
of Akron.
Our Fall program was held in
conjunction with Children’s
Hospital of Akron as the PreConference / Evening
Program of Kids 2010:
Diversity in Pediatric Nursing
17th Annual Pediatric Nursing Conference. We had
over 38 in attendance for the program.
The purpose of the
program was to
showcase and
discuss what
Greater Akron Area
nurses are doing to
promote Global
Health. As part of
the focus on Global Health Children’s Hospital of
Akron Celebrated Pediatric Nurses Week with table
top posters describing nursing in a variety of
cultures and countries. These were displayed for
viewing at the conference. Many participants
enjoyed learning about nursing in different cultures.
The program was kicked off by a poster
session showcasing what Delta Omega Members
are doing to support global health. Listed here is an
overview of posters presented.
Germany with that of the United States. Lectures
on campus and visits to clinical agencies are the
primary means of learning about Germany’s health
care system.
This year, for the first time, their students came to
The University of Akron, College of Nursing to
learn about the United States health care system.
When we were in Germany this past
summer, the students who were coming here
provided us with a warm welcome…so we did
likewise when they came here. The second poster
(with the same title as the first) included pictures
International Connection: The University of
Akron College of Nursing Welcomes the Catholic
University of Applied Sciences, Department of
Nursing – Freiburg, Germany
Submitted by Mary Agnes Kendra
Dr. Therese Dowd and Dr. Mary Agnes Kendra
have been the primary contact persons for the last
seven years.
The College of Nursing has partnered with
the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in
Freiburg, Germany for seven years. Throughout
these years, nursing students have travelled to the
university where they have studied International
Health Care – comparing the health care system of
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that were taken during their visit here – both
classroom and clinical agency visits. Delta Omega
continues to support several students per year as a
means of defraying the cost of travelling to
Germany. Two students who received financial
support this year presented a poster based upon their
trip to Germany.
Sigma Theta Tau International Delta Omega
Chapter scholarship: Poster Presentation
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Submitted by Kacy Robertson & Katie Grieve
on into our practice and help us to become more
well-rounded nurses.
Global Health: MedWish International
Submitted by Jacqueline Guhde
Our trip to Germany was the experience of a
life time. During our time there, we had the
opportunity to experience many great things and
learn a lot about the differences between our health
care and the health care in Germany. Although
overall there were many similarities between two
cultures, there were a few key differences we noted.
The main difference in nursing was education. The
program German nurses go through to become a
nurse is very different than here in the United
States. For example, there is no license obtained in
Germany, but rather a certificate that never needs to
be renewed. We also noticed that in the hospitals,
there was less of an emphasis on germs and
sanitation. For example, on many floors it was not
uncommon to see nurses wearing open toed shoes.
Also, the duties of the nurse varied and German
nurses have fewer responsibilities than nurses in the
States. For example, nurses in Germany are not
permitted to start IV’s that is only done by Doctors.
Another thing we found interesting was report is
often given in the room of the patient.
After spending a few weeks in Germany, it
opened our eyes to what other cultures are like. We
got to experience and see things that made us
realize in some aspects, how lucky we are to live in
America, but also how naive we can be as well. Our
trip made us realize the importance of accepting
other people's values, beliefs and culture even if
they are different than our own and this will carry
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The poster described the work of MedWish
International which collects medical equipment and
supplies that hospitals and other healthcare facilities
discard. These supplies are sorted and shipped to
third world countries. The dual mission of the
organization is to improve health care to
underdeveloped countries and secondly to decrease
the amount of waste in landfills. I presented
the different volunteer opportunities of the
organization which includes collecting supplies,
sorting supplies, donating money or materials, and a
yearly medical mission. I also presented slides of
the organization and of a medical mission I
participated in, in Honduras.
Linking Culture, Knowledge and Practice:
Impacting Global Health by Developing a
University of Akron Chinese Nursing Education
Partnership
Submitted by Shequ-Huey Chiu, Elaine Fisher, &
Kathleen Ross Alaolmoki
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Nursing Response
to Haitian
Earthquake – Ryan
Wells
Participants
were given a
reminder that
Nurses are Key
to Global
Health.
Behind the Scene Response to Haiti Disaster: An
Interprofessional Response
Submitted by Emily Njus & Elaine Fisher
Nursing Mission Work: Haiti
Submitted by Carol Powell
Speaker
Presentations
included:
Celebrating the
International
year of the Nurse and Global Health – Marcia S.
Cornell
Impact of HIV/Aids on Children in Zambia –
Penny Frese
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Silent Auction Results
As a result of contributions of 18 Delta Omega
members who either donated or purchased silent
auction items at the October 6th program, Delta
Omega raised a total of $227.00, which will be
donated to ACCESS, a women’s shelter in Akron.
ACCESS is dedicated to addressing the plight of
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homeless women and children in our community.
The agency encourages the development of selfesteem and the attainment of self-sufficiency
through its commitment of providing a holistic, safe
and supportive environment, and through its
programs of housing, advocacy and empowerment.
Community Corner
Delta Omega supported University of Akron
College of Nursing’s Celebration – Cameos of
Caring by purchasing a table and program ad for
$800. The monies for this donation go towards
advancing nursing and nursing scholarships.
Peg Dimarco, Dina Dornak, Barb Brunt, Lori Kidd
Lisa Aurilio, Barb Brunt, Sally Hartline, Dina
Dornak & Pam Baker
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Beverly Bokovitz, Dina Dornak, Cherie Guster,
Debbie Pisciotta, Lisa Love
Research Corner
The Sigma Theta Tau International 21st
Research Congress Report
Submitted by Raouth R. Kostandy,
PhD, MSN, RN, CKC
This yearly meeting gathers
researchers, scholars, and
practitioners from around the
world to share their experiences, knowledge, and
research findings. During this meeting, attendees
learn more about global research projects and its
applications. This meeting provides excellent
opportunities for networking with experts in their
field and exchange ideas to create and advance
current research, education, and evidence-based
practice.
The 21st Research congress meeting was conducted
from July 12th -16th, 2010 in Orlando, FL. The
theme this year was “Global Diversity through
Research, Education, and Evidence-Based
Practice”. There were more than 550 oral and poster
presentations presented during those five days. The
congress objectives were:
1. Explore innovative strategies to enhance and
sustain nursing research collaborations in
global, diverse communities.
2. Promote the exchange of knowledge and the
translation of evidence into practice through
research, education, and practice.
3. Discuss international health care concerns
and the implications for nursing research.
The sessions that I attended were very interesting
and I will discuss couple of them. The first was
about the use of innovative technology in research,
there were three presentations in this session. Dr.
Norris discussed using interdisciplinary team in
building computer games that aimed to support
adolescence girls in resisting peer pressure in
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regards of sexual activities. She also discussed the
process of this research and some findings. Dr.
Aroian study was about the parent-child relationship
in discrimination situations in the Arab Muslim
population, especially what does the parents advice
their kids to do or how to handle these situations.
Finally, Dr. Allred talked about interdisciplinary
team developing in nursing research. The second
session I would like to mention here is the one by
Dr. Johnson, her study was about the impact of a
bereavement intervention on levels of grief in
women who experience pre-twenty week pregnancy
loss. This was very motivating presentation, she
talked about how those women cannot show a prove
of their pregnancy/loss of in this matter so they
usually do not get the support in dealing with the
situation and how to go though the grieving process
for the loss of that baby and how this program made
a huge difference in this hospital to the point all
nurses adopted and are using this program now in
their hospital.
There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer during
the meeting such as helping with registrations and
mediating sessions. I volunteered to help with
registrations on Wednesday and Thursday and I also
was asked to help in the hall of fame induction
ceremony on Friday. I meet a lot of people who
came to register those days and as much as I liked
to meet those conference participants and chat with
some of them in regards of their topics and specialty
area, I really liked meeting the STTI working staff.
I had the opportunity to meet and know so many of
the staff members and I will just mention a few just
to give an example. I met Ms. Patricia Thompson
(Pat), the chief executive officer; Mr. Eric
Vermeulen, the director of constituent services; and
Ms. Janell Jackson, member and volunteer
speciatist, they all made feel welcomed, appreciated
my time spent with them, and we talked about
different topics such as the organization of the
conference. I was really happy to meet Ms Jackson
because we talked so many times on the phone or
by email during the process of submitting my
presentation materials and forms. She is a pleasant,
helpful, knowledgeable, and full of energy.
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The last day of the conference’s main event was the
induction ceremony of the STTI Nurse Researcher
Hall of fame. The Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame
honors the STTI nurse researcher members who
achieved long term, national and/or international
recognition of their work, and their research has
made an impact on the profession as well as on the
people it serves. This year there were 22 honorees.
Karen Morin, STTI president, conducted a casual
roundtable question and answer session with the
honorees. She asked them about their experiences in
conducting research, their road to success, and
obstacles and how did they overcome them. The
massage is the researcher’s road is not lined with
roses but it has its rewards when you come to an
end of a stage and you can see and feel the
achievement and the impact of that stage then you
look for the coming one. Learning taken the
research process one day at a time, there are no
going back, having a problem means looking for a
solution not giving up. The honorees gave some
examples of what they faced in their road, it was
really inspiring. At the end, I learned a lot by
attending this conference, I meet so many people
and learned many new things in conducting
research. Memories of this conference will stay with
me for the rest of my life, some of what those
honorees said still ringing in my ears and when I
face a hard day I recall these words back for
encouragement.
Raouth R. Kostandy, PhD, MSN,
RN
Area of research presented:
Neonates, full-term and
preterm, faces many painful
procedures as part of their routine
care. Healthy full-term neonates
undergo numerous acute painful procedures such as
injections, heel sticks, and circumcision in their first
two days of life or before discharge. Pain in
neonates (birth-28 days) is now substantiated, and
its detrimental short and long term effects are now
being studied. Although tremendous progress has
been made over the past two decades in this field,
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there remain the issues of how to recognize and best
manage neonate’s pain. Currently there are many
tools to assess and measure neonate’s pain. In
managing these acute painful procedures
pharmacological interventions often are not used
which leaves the use of non-pharmacological
interventions. Sucrose, non-nutrient sucking
(pacifier), and skin-to-skin contact are examples of
the non-pharmacological interventions used to
manage neonate’s pain.
I investigate the effects of Skin-to-skin
contact on managing neonatal pain responses from
acute painful procedures in healthy full term and
preterm neonates. In the STTI 21st research
congress I presented a topic titled “Skin-to-skin
contact effect on cry time in preterm and full-term
neonates: A report of two studies”
Crying is one of the most common
responses to pain in both full term and preterm
neonates. Skin-to-skin contact, in which a mother
holds her diaper clad neonate prone and skin-to-skin
on her chest, is an intervention that may help in
minimizing a neonate’s cry response to pain.
The first study was a randomized controlled
trial which included 36 healthy full-term neonates
aged birth to 2 days old, conducted to investigate
the effects of skin-to-skin contact on cry time
during and after hepatitis B vaccine intramuscular
injection. Neonates were randomly assigned to two
groups: Intervention, skin-to-skin contact (n = 17)
and Control, standard care (n = 19). Cry time was
continuously tape recorded before, during, and after
the injection. During injection, intervention
neonates had a mean cry time of 23 seconds
compared to 32 seconds for control neonates.
During recovery, intervention neonates had a mean
cry time of 16 seconds compared to 72 seconds for
controls.
The second study included 10 preterm
neonates aged 2 to 9 days old was a prospective
randomized cross-over study to investigate the
effects of skin-to-skin contact on cry time during
and after heel-sticks. Infants were randomly
assigned to two sequences A and B. Sequence A,
day 1 the neonate was given the heel stick while
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being held skin-to-skin and day 2 the same neonate
had heel-stick while in incubator on standard care,
sequence B reversed sequence A. Neonates were
videotaped before, during, and after heel-sticks. Cry
times were scored from the videotapes. When in
Skin-to-skin was compared with incubator, cry time
was less during (p = .001) and after (p = .01) heelsticks.
The findings of these two studies provide
evidence on the effectiveness of skin-to-skin contact
in managing neonate’s cry response to injection and
heel stick pain. It is one of the most promising nonpharmacological pain management interventions
because it is safe, effective, easy to use, and
affordable.
News from the University of Akron
College of Nursing
Reporter: Linda Shanks
Many faculty from the College of Nursing, and
members of our Delta Omega chapter, have been
busy writing grants, conducting research, and
publishing. Some of the key funded research
programs from 2009-2010 are listed below. Along
with these significant accomplishments are many
publications! Congratulations to these individuals
for all of this important work.
Key Funded Research Programs:
PTSD, Diurnal Cortisol Immune Function with
Battering Over Time. Stephanie Woods, Principal
Investigator. National Institutes of Health/National
Institute of Nursing Research & National Institute
of Child Health & Human Development, RO1
NR009286-01A1.
Improving Oral Health of Poor and Low Income
Pregnant Women, Mothers, and Children Up to
Five Years Old: A Pilot Intervention at Urban and
Rural WIC Program Sites in Northeastern Ohio.
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Diana L. Biordi, Principal Investigator. Co-PIs:
Marlene Huff, Evelyn Taylor, Marguerite DiMarco,
Deborah Marino, Peter Leahy. Kellogg Foundation.
Nursing Inquiry: Generation of Gut CO2 Under
Dysoxic Conditions in Rats. Elaine Fisher, Principal
Investigator. Mentored Scientist Research Award,
NIH-NINR, KO1 – NR009787-01, support for
training and bench research.
Identifying Obstacles of Traditional Diabetes
Education to Change Dietary Habits in African
American Women with Type 2 Diabetes. Carolyn
Murrock, Principal Investigator. Co-PIs: Deborah
Marino, Evelyn Taylor. American Nurses
Foundation (ANF).
Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Immune Function,
Inflammatory Markers, Physical and Mental Health
in Women Who Experienced Intimate Partner
Violence. Stephanie Woods, Principal Investigator,
Co-PIs: R.J. Hall and D.M. Angott. Allstate
Foundation.
News from Summa Health System
Reporter: Barb Brunt
Summa Health System was recognized by
Northcoast 99 for the seventh consecutive year as
one of the best workplaces in Northeast Ohio.
S. Peshek, K. Cubera, and Linda Gleespen, BSN,
RN had an article on “The Use of Interactive
Computerized Order Sets to Improve Outcomes”
published in the July 2010 issue of Quality
Management of Health Care Journal
Debbie Smith, BSN, MA, RN, CHCR was invited
to speak on “Out of the Box Retention: Innovative
Strategies that Work” at the National Association
for Health Care Recruitment conference in Las
Vegas in July.
Carolyn Holder, MSN, RN, Kim Kousaie, BSN,
RN, Dr. Radwany and Dr Allen presented a session
on “Palliative Care, Geriatric Medicine and
Community Models Across the Continuum” at the
Developing the Care Continuum: Innovative
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Models to Meet the Unique Needs of
Patient/Families Conference in Boston in August.
Kathy Wright, MSN, GCNS-BC, PHMCNS-BC,
Dr. Allen, and Dr. Gong presented a session on
“Care Management Models for the Chronically Ill”
at the Developing the Care Continuum: Innovative
Models to Meet the Unique Needs of
Patient/Families Conference in Boston in August.
Kathy also was one of eleven nurses in the country
to be selected as a 2010-2012 John A. Hartford
Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing
Capacity (BAGNC) Scholar.
Tony Sterns, Susan Hazelett, MSN, RN, G. Lax, H
Sterns, and Dr Allen presented “Improving Chronic
Care Management: An iPhone Application for
Post-Stroke Recovery” at the International Society
for Gerontechnology 7th World Conference in
Vancouver in May of 2010.
Tiffany Kenny, MSN, RN, C-EFM presented a
session on “OB Traceview: A Tool for EvidenceBased Practice” at the National OB Tracevue User’s
Group conference in FL in June.
Jodi Padrutt, MSN, RN, CDE, Jane Tapp, MSN,
RN-BC, Eileen Fleming, MSN, RN and Denise
Kropp, BS presented a poster on “Assessing the
Nurses’ Actual and Perceived Knowledge of
Diabetes Management Before and After
Implementation of an Educational Intervention” at
the NNSDO Convention in San Diego in July.
Barbara Brunt, MA, MN, RN-BC, NE-BC had an
article on National Priorities Partnership published
in the September issue of the Ohio Nurse. She was
appointed as an accreditation appraiser for the
American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Tara Snyder, BSN, RNC-EFM presented a session
on “In Situ Simulations” at the Premier
Breakthroughs convention in Washington DC in
June and received the AEIX Risk Management
Awards for best practice, where Summa Health
System received a $10,000 grant.
Fall 2010
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Summa had four posters at the AWHONN
Convention in Las Vegas in September. They were:
• Jocelyn Davis, DNP, CNM, RN, C-EFM, Nancy
Wigle, RN, Tiffany Kenny, MSN, RN, Jennifer
Doyle, MSN, WHNP and Donna Copeland, RN –
“Using Peer Review to Measure Competence in
FHM Practice”
• Jocelyn Davis, DNP, CNM, RN, C-EFM –
“Screening for Postpartum Depression on an
Inpatient Unit”
• Tara Snyder, BSN, RN, Dr. Drake, Jennifer
Doyle, MSN, WHNP, Robbie Pettit, RN, Tiffany
Kenny, MSN, RN, Theresa Strecker, RN and Ava
Kerekes, BSN, RN – “Stimulating Simulations,
Developing Meaningful Insitu Simuations in a
Level III Perinatal Center”
• Jennifer Doyle, MSN, WHNP, Theresa Strecker,
RN, Rebecca Austin, ARN, and Tiffany Kenny,
MSN, RN – “Tackling Tachysystole! A
performance improvement process.”
Summa Akron City Hospital has been recognized as
a 2010 Laureate by the Computerworld Honor
Program. Linda Gleespen, BSN, RN, Lead Quality
and Clinical Analyst represented Summa as the
2010 Honoree during the Annual Laureates Medal
Ceremony and Gala Award in June in Washington
DC.
Jocelyn Davis, RN, CNM, DNP was asked to be an
expert reviewer for AWHONN’s Postpartum
Moods and Anxiety Disorders book. She will also
be the editor for a new edition of AWHONN’s book
titled Templates for Protocols and Procedures for
Maternity Services, to be published in 2011.
Jennifer Doyle, MSN, WHNP-BC has been elected
to a second term as the Ohio Section Chair of the
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and
Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN): 2011& 2012.
Summa’s Palliative Care and Hospice Services
received the Circle of Life Award Citation of Honor
for its innovation in improving the care of patient
near the end of life or with life-threatening
conditions. As one of 8 organizations honored this
year by the Circle of Life Award Program, Summa
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was recognized for its research, achievements in
medication education and work with long-term care
facilities.
The Cameos of Caring Alumni board, with Vickie
Wells, MSN, RN, CAPA representing Summa
Akron City and Cinderella Menhart, RN, CCRN,
CMC and Deborah Jone, BSN, RN representing
Summa Western Reserve, along with
representatives from Akron Children’s Hospital and
Akron General Medical Center, presented a poster
From Cameo of Caring Ambassadorship to Cameo
Alumni Association at the Nursing Leadership
Congress 2010 in Grapevine Texas in September.
Local News Reporters
As the new editor of the Delta Report I am seeking
reporters who are willing to provide updates about
nursing and their organizations. The Delta report
comes out three times a year and is published on the
Delta Omega website.
Reporters are needed for the following:
Barberton Citizens Hospital
Akron General
University of Akron
I currently have listed the following reporters:
Children’s Medical Center of Akron Anne Marie
Brown
Robinson Memorial
Jan Balhe
Summa Health System
Barb Brunt
If any of the information is incorrect or if you
would like to volunteer as a reporter, please contact
Marcia Cornell at [email protected]
Fall 2010
THE DELTA
REPORT
Event

Sigma Theta Tau International
Delta Omega Chapter
Calendar of Events 2010-2011
Date
Time
Winter Program
January-To be
Determined
Board Meeting
January 24, 2011
5:00pm
Information Session
Research Grants
Deadline
To be Determined
February 15, 2011
12:00 noon
Board Meeting
Awards Deadline
February 28, 2011
March 15, 2011
Location
MGH 101
Newsletter deadline
5:00pm
MGH 101
March Program
To be Determined
MGH 306
Board Meeting
March 28, 2011
Induction /Awards
April – To Be
Determined
Board Meeting
Spring
Program\Business
Meeting
April 25, 2011
5:00 pm
May – To Be
Determined
5:30pm
5:00pm
MGH 101
Board Meeting
May 23, 2011
Newsletter deadline
5:00 pm
Transition Meeting
June 27, 2011
5:00pm
MGH 101
MGH 101
TBA
MGH 101
MGH 209
Visit the Calendar of Events on our website for important deadlines and upcoming events:
http://www.uakron.edu/nursing/about-us/stti
Sigma Theta Tau, International
Delta Omega Chapter
Page 13
Fall 2010
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Guidelines for Submission Of Nursing Research Proposal
05-2010
The Research Committee of Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Omega Chapter is committed to assisting researchers
to develop quality proposals that contribute to the body of nursing science. Should you have questions
regarding proposal development, we extend an invitation to contact the research committee chairman to
discuss ideas and issues related to the proposal development process. Please refer to the website to
determine the current committee chairman.
The research proposal is to follow the format described below.
1. Submit the original and five copies to the Chair of the Nursing Research Committee of Delta
Omega Chapter by the dates designated on the website (Fall & Spring submission) for
consideration.
2. The research proposal should not exceed 5 single-spaced typed pages excluding references. Use
only letter quality print in Font Style Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, font size 12. Margins
are to be 1 inch. Use APA format for references.
3. Cover Page should list the following:
a.
Title
b.
Name, position, and contact number of the Principal Investigator (PI).
c.
Health care facility/research institution with complete address.
d.
Identify whether the research proposal is a full scale or pilot project.
e.
For the remainder of the proposal, follow the format and incorporate the
subheadings specified:
4. Abstract: Provide an elementary review of the proposal content (significance and relevance to
practice, specific aims, design, & method). The abstract is to be 200 words or less.
5. Specific Aims: Summarize the objectives of the planned research, including questions to be
addressed and/or hypotheses to be tested.
6. Background/Preliminary Studies: Discuss the relevant background studies and if available, any
preliminary studies that support the proposed study.
7. Significance: Describe the significance of the proposed research to nursing and the health care
system including patients.
8. Methods:
a. Describe the study design. Provide rationale for why the design is appropriate to answer
the posed research questions. Identify the dependent and independent variables if
appropriate. Address protection of human subjects, informed consent, and IRB approval
information.
b. Describe the sample and if appropriate provide sample justification information (power
analysis). Include inclusion and exclusion criteria.
c. Describe data collection methods. Include a description of instruments. Printed copies of
the instruments are to be included in the appendices.
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Fall 2010
THE DELTA
REPORT

d. Plans for analysis of data described in enough detail to give the reader an understanding
of how you will answer the study questions or test the hypotheses.
9. Eligibility.
a. To be eligible for support under this solicitation, the PI must be a nurse and a current
member of Sigma Theta Tau, International.
b. Funding preference will be given to members of Delta Omega Chapter.
10. Investigator Qualifications.
a. Create an abbreviated curriculum vitae (CV) or resume for each investigator of no more
than 4 pages per investigator.
b. Describe in detail each investigators contribution in grant development and the role each
investigator will play if the grant is funded.
c. Include a personal statement briefly describing why your experience and qualifications
are particularly well suited for your role in this project.
d. Include in the CV/resume: educational information; no more than 5 publications where
possible relevant to your proposed research.
e. List current grant submissions to other funding agencies and status of these applications.
11. Budget.
a. Provide an itemized budget with a detailed justification for items listed.
b. If funding has been requested from multiple sources, identify how SST funding will be
distinct from other budgets submitted.
c. Note: Usually funding for grants ranges between $500 and $2500. Budget requests in the
past have covered reasonable travel costs pertaining to data collection, consultant fees,
and specialized computer software that is directly related to the project. Equipment that is
not readily available from other sources and supplies related to the research are also
covered. What has typically not been covered by funding are costs related to research
dissemination, e.g., travel to conferences and materials needed for poster and paper
presentation, transcription fees, equipment that is commonly available from other
sources.
12. Attachments. Attachments include: references (APA format), support letters, and study
instruments.
13. IRB Approval. Prior to funding, a letter of approval from the appropriate Institutional Review
Board (IRB) must be submitted.
14. Investigator Responsibility. Investigators are to complete an annual report until the study is
completed describing study progress and dissemination of findings. At the end of the study, a
final written abstract is to be submitted to the Chair of the Research and Awards Committee.
Page 15