CONTACT - Volume 9, Number 2
Honor Society Research Day and Induction

Daniel Little
Lamda Chi President

Dr. Peter Buerhaus speaks out about the nursing workforce shortage

Peter Buerhaus, Ph.D., RN, Professor and Associate Dean of Research at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, was the keynote speaker at the March Research Conference. He discussed the nursing workforce and the ever-increasing shortage. His presentation was based on multidisciplinary research conducted in the United States and in Europe. Dr. Buerhaus is a scholar in nursing and in economics. The audience of more than 200 practicing nurses, administrators, faculty, and nursing students reported their collective satisfaction with the keynote presentation.

Dr. Buerhaus also presented discussion forums with nursing administrators and advanced practice nurses. There were also a number of concurrent sessions during which local and out-of-state nursing researchers reported on completed research covering such topics as use of computers in nursing education, treating patients with brain injuries, working with patients with HIV/AIDS infections, and patients with asthma.

The research day provided multiple opportunities for all attendees to meet together in collegial discussion. The Board of Directors of Lambda Chi wishes to thank all of those whose efforts resulted in such a successful conference. The Board also encourages Lambda Chi members to continue to support the organization and to attend our research day in 2003, our general meetings, and our social functions.

50 new members inducted

Lambda Chi celebrated another wonderful event in April, our annual induction for new members, at the Bayside Marriott Hotel in Miami. This was our twelfth annual induction. We inducted 5 new community members, 2 doctoral students, 10 graduate students, and 33 undergraduate students/graduates into membership. This brings our total chapter membership to more than 500 and makes our chapter one of the larger ones in the United States.

Our induction speaker was Dr. Zane Robinson-Wolf, Dean and Professor of Nursing at LaSalle University in Philadelphia. Dr. Robinson spoke about "Nursing Magic." According to Dr. Robinson nursing magic is the professional human caring that takes place in the nursing relationship, and that which is very difficult to articulate or describe, measure and quantify for anyone outside of professional nursing. The spirit and professional values on which quality professional nursing is based, were clearly articulated.

The opening ceremony included the presentation of colors as our new Sigma Theta Tau flag and U.S. flag, and the officers processed into the auditorium.

Induction is a solemn event because of the dignified ceremony but more so because, for nursing faculty, the event is the evidence and culmination of determination, scholarship, and accomplishment for our students. In deed the event is a "parent-like" celebration that marks the transition of our students to graduates and new levels of success as professional practitioners. The invitation to full membership in Lambda Chi/STTI is an invitation for our students to become our peers and colleagues in professional practice. Our new nurses celebrate a "coming-of-age" as they join the nursing veterans in the honor society of Sigma Theta Tau.