Dear aspiring midwives/women’s health advocates: RNs, student nurses, doulas, health educators, etc.!

A great opportunity to learn about midwifery is happening soon right here in the DC/Maryland/N. Virginia area. The American College of Nurse-Midwives is sponsoring a free “Become a Midwife” workshop for women and men who would like to become midwives to experience some hands-on activities with midwives from across the country and  student midwives using  simulation models and other educational activities. At each station you will learn about midwifery education opportunities, how to determine a mother’s due date, measure a growing baby in utero and listen to the heartbeat, use special techniques to relieve pain in labor, help a mother give birth on a birth stool, learn how to keep a newborn healthy and assist mothers with breastfeeding, do a pap smear, and receive a speculum to take home, along with other midwifery goodies. You will learn how to advocate for better birthing at the state and federal levels of government. The Become a Midwife forum will take place on June 13 from noon to 3pm at the Marriot Wardman Park, Balcony A, 2660 Woodley Park, NW ,Washington, DC 20008. Please contact Lily Fountain fountain@son.umaryland.edu or Elaine Germano  egermano@acnm.org for further information.

National Nurses Week is one of the nation’s largest health care events, recognizing the contributions and commitments nurses make and educating the public about the significant work they perform.  The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports and encourages National Nurses Week through state and district nurses associations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions.  The week-long celebration is designed to accommodate the variety of schedules nurses are required to work.

Activities during National Nurses Week typically include banquets and recognition dinners, state and city proclamations, continuing education seminars, and other community events.  Nurses are typically honored with gifts, dinners, and flowers by friends and family members, coworkers such as doctors and administrators, and patients who want to show their appreciation.

The history of Nurses Day can be traced back to 1953 when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year.  The proclamation was never made, but the following year National Nurses Week was observed from October 11 – 16, marking the 100^th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea.

In 1974, President Nixon proclaimed a “National Nurse Week.”  In 1981, a resolution was initiated by nurses in New Mexico to have May 6^th declared “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”  This proposal was promoted by the ANA Board of Directors and in 1982, with a joint resolution, the United States Congress designated May 6^th to be “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”  The proposal was signed by President Reagan, making May 6 the official “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”  It was later expanded by the ANA Board of Directors in 1990 to a week-long celebration (May 6-12) known as “National Nurses Week.”

National Student Nurses Day is celebrated each year on May 8^th.  At the request of the National Student Nurses Association, the ANA Board of Directors designated May 8^th as National Student Nurses Day beginning in 1998.  And as of 2003, the ANA has declared that National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week.

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on May 12^th of each year.  The International Council of Nurses (ICN) commemorates this day each year with the production and distribution of the International Nurses’ Day Kit which includes educational and public information materials for use by nurses everywhere.  The ICN has celebrated International Nurses Day since 1965.

Florence Nightingale Pledge

I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.

The form that needs to accompany each request can be found either on the SU website or outside of KH 205 (lavender form).

http://ssc.stevensonuniversity.org/files/2008/12/ltreval.pdf

Best of luck!

Stevenson University announces the appointment of Denise Seigart, Ph.D., RN as the new Associate Dean for Nursing Education for the institution. Seigart has more than 29 years of experience in nursing practice, nursing education, and academic administration. She starts July 15.

“Denise brings a wealth of background to the position, from teaching to the evaluation and preparation of programs for accreditation,” said Paul Lack, Dean and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “This will be invaluable to Stevenson as we grow our nursing program.”

Seigart previously served as a Professor of Nursing at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania where she has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels since 1992. In addition, she has served on many committees and in administrative roles, including Program Director of Women’s Studies, Interim Associate Provost, and Chair of the Graduate Studies Council. She was a recipient of a Pennsylvania Canadian Studies Consortium Research Award and a Pennsylvania State System Diversity Grant for the development of a summer leadership academy for minority youth to foster confidence, academic skills, and career exploration. She also received a Visiting Professor Fellowship to Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia, to study school-based healthcare. She has twice received the Mansfield University Faculty Mentor Award.

Seigart holds a Ph.D. in Human Service Studies from Cornell University, an M.S. in Nursing from Binghamton University, and a B.S. in Nursing from Niagara University.

“I am very much looking forward to joining the fine administrative team at Stevenson University, to maintaining the excellence of the nursing programs, and to facilitating growth in a profession that is desperately in need of more quality providers,” Seigart said.

Jean Wilson brought the Brain Injury Association of Maryland to speak to Stevenson students about brain injuries during our Alcohol Awareness Day.

Jean has been a spokesperson for this organization for many years.  Every year, she continues her efforts to raise awareness with the promotion of their yearly bike ride.

August 2010
14th Annual Eat A Peach Challenge Bike Ride
Carroll County Agricultural Center, Westminster, MD

To learn more about the ride or about the Brain Injury Association of Maryland, please go to http://www.biamd.org/

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Call  the Wellness Center at

443-352-4200 to make an appointment.

The Associated Italian American Charities of Maryland, through the generous funding from the Saint Agnes Hospital Foundation announces a scholarship opportunity for those seeking a baccalaureate degree in nursing.  The award for this scholarship is in the amount of $10,000 annually ($5,000 each semester) and is intended to be used during the traditional academic year (fall through spring), for purposes such as tuition, fees, room, board, and/or books.  If you are an interested candidate, please contact Andrea Bechtel-Mathias for an application.  The application must be postmarked by April 1, 2010.

Please call 443-352-4200 to schedule your appointment!