The chapter engages members through a strong mentorship program. Through feedback from new members, we found that resumes, interviewing, and other job search skills were a need within the School of Nursing for undergraduates. Therefore, we developed a program to address this issue. This day-long drop-in program included such topics as resume writing, job search tips, preparing for interviews, getting the most from your preceptor, graduate school, working as a school or community nurse, and preparing for your first day on the job. The Career Development Camp welcomes all senior nursing students (members and non-members) to assist with interviewing skills, dressing for success, resume development, and graduate school. Volunteers including, faculty, talent acquisition specialists from local hospitals, graduate students, new graduates, and clinicians from various areas of nursing. This camp is scheduled around the students’ classes and lasts for 2-3 hours. Senior nursing students are welcome to stop by network with clinicians, revise their resume, and ask interviewing skills of the talent acquisition specialists. The senior nursing students are also very interested in hearing from the recent graduates who are working and what the hospital is like as a new graduate nurse. The day provides exposure to nurse leaders, other than faculty, and provides an informal way to network with nursing leaders...and includes snacks and lunch!
The chapter also offers a nursing skills camp for accelerated students prior to entering clinical. This event includes nursing faculty, simulation faculty, and clinicians who are members. The senior nursing students had the opportunity to enhance their clinical nursing skills through simulation. Various nursing stations are set up and students will rotate through each skill. Some of the nursing skills include health assessment, gastrointestinal tubes, chest tubes, safety, intravenous therapy, and proper documentation. Nursing skills camp benefits members and non-members and increases membership engagement. This event provides members who are clinically skilled the opportunity to teach and share their knowledge and provide service to the Chapter. This event was very popular and received positive feedback with 100% participation from the accelerated nursing students.
The chapter supports the next generation of nurses by offering an opportunity to present results of research/evidence-based projects at the annual end of year Evidence-Based Practice Spring Dinner Meeting. This meeting is a time for our members to shine and highlight their areas of research. Members who received any funding from the chapter are also asked to share their work with the chapter. This meeting provides nursing students and other members the opportunity to present their EBP/research projects, with the additional financial support to present their poster at a local conference. The publications of our members are highlighted in the Special Edition EBP newsletter and circulated via The Circle, as well as Facebook and Twitter. With the commitment to research and programming, the chapter has been proud to co-sponsor, with other regional chapters, universities, and local hospitals, a Regional Nursing Research Conference held at an area hospital. Many members are part of the planning committee and have been both poster and podium presenters for the past 11 years.
The chapter continues to offer a continuing education event for all members at a local dinner meeting. This past year, the chapter was able to offer the program virtually and other Sigma members were able to attend and obtain CEs. This event titled, “Simple Strategies for Inviting Self Care into your Life: Why? When? How?” was held on November 7, 2016. The chapter invited not only all its members, but also a chapter in New York to join this continuing education event virtually using Zoom. This was well attended and the chapter hopes to increase these events in the future.
All of these programs highlighted promote Sigma’s mission of excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Over the years, program development has evolved to a more comprehensive approach to meet the needs of its members and the community at-large.