Give yourself the gift you have earned!
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEDear Colleagues,
Twenty years have passed since we added the word “International” to Sigma Theta Tau’s name. I have thought a lot about what this means. It is more than having members living and working around the globe. It means cultivating a global sensibility in our members that will help us maximize our potential for improving the health of the world’s people. For many of you, this is the only international organization in which you have membership. In our daily lives, we may not always think of ourselves as world-citizen nurse leaders, but it is truly important to consider ways we can personally and collectively make a difference in the larger arena. At last year’s 23rd Quadrennial Congress of the International Council of Nurses, held in Taiwan, a colleague remarked that the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International has, as members, the most educated nurses in the world. She believes that much has been given to us by virtue of our education and stature in the nursing community, and that we must think about how to give back in the same measure. Kate Baldor, a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who is often involved in service projects, put it this way: “Privilege is full of potential.” How do you want to make a difference? Our new strategic directions and my presidential call to action address this larger vision by adding service and community building to our goals of advancing knowledge, leadership and sustainability. The board of directors has charged the Chapter and Community Building Task Force with exploring new models of community, such as communities of interest that cross national borders. Community building could include clinical scholars examining patient safety agendas cross-nationally; linking people and resources to support initiatives such as health promotion projects, maternal child health, or nursing education across industrialized and developing countries; or a group interested in exploring ways to support victims of the Pakistan earthquake. Some of the best ideas will come from you, our members. I have already heard from people interested in building communities that support new nurses in their professional development, and I have shared these ideas with the task force. Members of the task force will examine the resources needed to create these kinds of communities and investigate the potential of our technology infrastructure to support such linkages. I hope that members looking toward retirement will find this a new direction of interest. I believe we can tap the wisdom of our seasoned members and be inspired by the hope and energy of our newest inductees. We are also exploring possibilities to link service and travel for members. We want you to be connected to your honor society! In his book Building the Bridge as You Walk on It, Robert Quinn writes that a flourishing organization has members who are deeply connected to its mission and vision. He believes that, through thorough self-reflection combined with clarity of values and potential to contribute, people can face uncertainty and make their best contributions to an organization. Please take some time to let us know how you would like to connect and contribute! RNL Best regards,
Carol Picard, RN, PhD |
Worn
as a symbol of your honor and pride, your selection signifies
your personal commitment to nursing excellence. 
