Upsilon Xi-at-Large Chapter

Chapter Newsletter: Issue 4: March 2011

Dear Upsilon Xi Chapter member, This is the fourth issue of our new newsletter, which is part of our new Chapter Communications Strategy and the last one that you will receive by direct email. Our new website (www.upsilonxi.net) is now up and running, and in future this will be the medium for ALL our communications, including news, events, newsletters (including back numbers), minutes of meetings etc. Do visit it regularly, but just in case you forget, part of the system is that whenever something new is put up, you will receive an email message directly into your email in-box to tell you that there is something new for you to read, with a link so that one click will take you directly to it. But to start the process, you MUST contact our webmaster, Gerry (gbolger@bojac.eu ) to register. He will need to know: Your name Your email address Your STTI number Because we are using a free web development programme which uses fixed template (Wordpress), the system will give you a password, which you can change; we recommend that you use your STTI membership number, which is also your password for The Circle (see below). We would also like you to sign up to the site notification box, in the top right hand corner, which will manage the alerts that will come directly to your inbox. You need to do this as well as registering (as described above) as these two functions are managed separately. You will only get an email if there is new material on the site, which you can then click and follow for detailed information. To begin with, all of the pages on the website are open to the public this is until all members are signed up and everything is going smoothly. When we are confident about that, the Members Only page will be limited to members only, and access to it will be only with the user name and password that you have registered. This page will give you access to the chapters business documents e.g. minutes of board meetings. Right now it contains the minutes and background papers from the Annual General meeting, which was held on February 18th. Meanwhile members who have already registered will be able to make comments. Log in by clicking the Chapter Member Log In flag on the right hand menu quarter way down, using your email address as your user name and your will receive a unique password which you will need to change to your STTI seven digit membership number as your password (Use the presentation in Site Help) Gerry Bolger, who has done a fantastic job in developing the website, has prepared a slide presentation which will take you step by step through the website and how to use it; you can access it from the Site Help page, but I am also attaching a copy with this newsletter. You can also email him direct at gbolger@bojac.eu. There are bound to be a few glitches at first, so if you find any, please contact him direct. He travels a lot so please give him some time to reply.
School of Health Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP in affiliation with the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, Cardiff University

Remember: Our intention is to use the website for ALL our communications so learning to use it is an essential investment! It is really important that you do register, so get your username and password now! The Circle: STTIs new online professional networking community The Chapter website will also provide a link to HQs latest and very exciting communications initiative called The Circle. You can also access it directly at http://thecircle.nursingsociety.org. Log in by clicking the Sign In flag in the top right hand corner, using your email address as your user name and your unique seven digit membership number as your password. The Circle is a bit like Facebook (to which STTI already belongs) except that it is for STTI members only, so it is focused on nursing and carries none of Facebooks risks. All active STTI members have already been entered (basic details only you need to visit it to put in your further details and specify with whom you are willing to share your details), so members will be able to connect with other members anywhere in the world, send messages, join in discussions, send messages, get information about events and resources. To find out more, go to http://thecircle.nursingsociety.org and click on Learn more about the circle and then take a look at the FAQs. To get started, sign in at at http://thecircle.nursingsociety.org . All you need is your email address as your user name and your seven digit membership number as your password. Edit your profile by clicking on Profile in the upper-right corner. Add a photo of yourself by clicking on Edit Picture. Add information (eg biography, specialty, location, education, interests etc) and click on My Preferences to specify how much of this information you want to be visible and to whom. Then go ahead and trace a colleague in your specialty in another country or start a discussion on a global issue! I am already connected with a nurse in India who is trying to introduce standardised nursing terminology (my special interest) into her pre-registration curriculum. Training sessions run by Erin Hurst (STTIs training manager) are available by webinar you can register by clicking on a date and time convenient for you (the times are given in USA Eastern Time, but there is a place to click to get it converted to GMT) or you can contact Erin direct at erinh@stti.iupui.edu . Gerry and Erin are working together to make sure that the two websites are complementary and key events are on both. Global news Our global influence just grows and grows! Following a successful year of associative status with the United Nations, we will be applying for consultative status in June 2011 for consideration during calendar year 2012. And we have also recently achieved formal affiliation status with ICN. New honor societies and chapters are currently under development in Armenia, Australia, China, Columbia, Israel, Philipines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and nearer home Hungary, Ireland and Czech Republic. The new chapters in England (based at Bournemouth) and Portugal (Coimbra) are now fully approved. New resources available for members via the website www.nursingsociety.org include: Nurse Faculty Leadership Development Program: Online applications for second cohort will open 1 April 2011. New books New Continuing Education programmes For details go to www.nursingsociety.org

STTI in Europe There are still places available for the first ever STTI Leadership Summit to be held outside the USA which will be held in Amsterdam April 1-2. Click here to register . The conference theme is Leadership in Influencing Key Stakeholders related to Healthcare. The Summit will be preceded by the fourth annual European Business Meeting at which representatives of the European chapters and Honor Societies will review progress on the European Strategic Plan and other developments across Europe. The first goal of the Strategic Plan is to increase members (individuals and chapters) in Europe. It is with great delight therefore that we report the approval of Chapters in England (based at Bournemouth) and Portugal (Coimbra). Congratulations! Home News The 2011 AGM was held on 18th February. You can read the minutes and the Presidents review of the past year on the website. The newly elected Officers and Board members are: President: Joy Merrell Vice President: Ann Tucker Secretary: Angela Kydd Treasurer: June Clark Counselor (Swansea): Julia Terry Counselor (Cardiff): Nicola Ryley Webmaster: Gerry Bolger Chair of Leadership Succession Committee: David Dawes Chair of Governance Committee: June Clark Chair of Finance Committee: Melanie Jasper. Events Co-ordinator: Carwen Earles Our thanks to those who have served their term of office without their hard work our Chapter would have died. There are still vacancies for members of all the committees, and we also need a Fundraising Co-ordinator. Could that be you? We have two big challenges for the coming year: getting more LOCAL members (paradoxically, most of our members live outside Wales), and fund-raising. We have to raise money to get our delegates to the Biennial Convention which will be held in October in Grapevine, Texas. We also are committed to providing some student awards our future nurse leaders. We have some ideas for events but we need someone to organise them. We still have Chapter Notelets for sale (contact j.clark@swansea.ac.uk ) and we need to raise more funds by holding local events such as cake sales and some book sales ( the first will be on Monday 11th April at Swansea Campus: please contact Joy at j.a.merrell@swansea.ac.uk ). We need donations of books and offers to bake or donate cakes. We also need people to help sell the cakes on the day. If you could offer just an hour of your time that would really help so please help support your Chapter so we can extend our activities. Dates for your diary Because this time of year is high season for conferences, and during April we have Easter and a royal wedding, there will be no scholarly meetings in March or April. There will be a cake and book sale on Monday 11th April, and there will be a Board meeting (open to all members) on 18th May at 12noon . in the videoconferencing room in the Glyndwr building, Swansea University. Teleconference and video conference facilities will be available for those who cannot be present in person contact Jean at j.c.phillips@swansea.ac.uk . But the big event is our Induction Ceremony on Friday 20th May......

We will be inducting new members at our Induction Ceremony which is being held on Friday, 20st May 2011, at 2.00pm, in Rooms 143a/143b, Glyndwr Building, College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University. As part of the induction ceremony this year our guest speaker will be Dr Jean White, the new Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, who is herself a STTI member. Her title will be Challenges, challenges... The Induction Ceremony is a very important event for STTI members. It is the formal occasion when new members are welcomed into the Chapter, where they receive their insignia of membership, and commit themselves to STTIs vision and mission. Family and friends (maximum two guests) are welcome We invite all new inductees to join us for a light buffet lunch which will be served at 12.30pm, in Room 143a, Glyndwr Building. Afternoon tea will be served following the ceremony. Fuller details are being sent to the new inductees, but all members are invited to give their support to the new members please let Jean know (j.c.phillips@swansea.ac.uk ) if you plan to come or if you wish your apologies to be recorded. After the ceremony the names of the new inductees and photos of the event will be placed on the website. Overseas events Abroad we have the first STTI European Summit in Amsterdam on April 1-2, There are still places available. Click here to register . Registrations are now open for the STTI Biennial Convention October 29-November 2nd in Grapevine, Texas. Grants are available to help with the costs Apply now! Full details at www.nursingsociety.org Who is interested in a city break (weekend) to Budapest (Hungary) in June or July? As part of our commitment to mentor the developing honor society in Hungary, we are planning to combine business with pleasure in a weekend trip to Budapest. We plan to combine a meeting/workshop on the Saturday with sightseeing on Sunday and perhaps Friday and/or Monday. Members and non-members welcome! But we need someone to organise it could that be you? Contact us The Editor would like some feedback about the Newsletters do you find them useful, and do you have any suggestions to improve them? Contact j.clark@swansea.ac.uk The webmaster (Gerry Bolger) wants feedback about the website Contact gbolger@bojac.eu The President wants help with co-ordinating events. Contact j.a.merrell@swansea.ac.uk The Treasurer wants someone to lead on fundraising. Contact j.clark@swansea.ac.uk Finally we need your ideas about additional activities you think the Chapter should be involved in. We aim to meet your needs but we need to know what your needs are!