Sunday, 16 September 2018
Through a series of “Scholarly Conversations in Nursing,” Alpha Omicron Chapter has engaged its members, current students, and members of the community to come together to learn about and discuss topics relevant to current nursing practice. Since fall 2016, Chapter board and other members have planned and provided three events: Global Guidelines for Culturally Competent Care (October 2016), Medical Marijuana (February 2017), and Intimate Partner Violence (October 2017). Planning for the events is managed by a task force of Chapter volunteers. Publicity includes posting on our Chapter’s site on The Circle, invitations to clinical practice partner sites, and collaboration with the university’s Alumni Office to promote the event to a wider audience. All events included one or more speakers with expertise on the topic, including: the co-chair of American Academy of Nursing’s Global and Nursing Expert Panel; a nurse director of a cancer pain program; a panel of experts on intimate partner violence, including a SANE nurse, policy director from the Lifespan Center for Legal Services and Advocacy, Chicago Police Department Domestic Violence Operations Coordinator; a licensed clinical professional counselor; a doctoral-prepared mental health nurse faculty member; a representative from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Presentations were followed by opportunities for questions and further discussion. Admission to the events is free and includes a reception following the presentation and discussion. These events have proven beneficial to participants and to the Chapter. Continuing education (CE) credit is offered to RNs for a small fee. These events draw nursing alumni, and in some cases, Chapter members who have been inactive have been spurred to re-engage as a result of attending. Attendance has ranged from 40 for the first session to 122 for the most recent session. The fourth event, You Are Not Alone: Living with Mental Illness, will be held in March 2018.