As Melissa and I transition our roles as President and President Elect, I want to reflect on the past year and the accomplishments of the Society of Trauma Nurses under the leadership of Melissa Harte. Melissa has been on the Board of STN for 6 years. Her leadership has propelled our elite organization to new heights. Melissa's intelligence, tenacity, ability to challenge the status quo, and her ability to take calculated risks created substantial and sustainable change for this elite organization of trauma professionals. She led with passion, dignity, pride, and professionalism. Under her tutelage, we engaged in a partnership with the Board of Certification of Emergency Nursing to establish the feasibility of trauma certification, a distant but palpable vision of the organization. More than 50 nurses participated in a series of 3 focus groups over the past 2 months to provide insight into a potential trauma nurse certification. In addition, her leadership led to the creation of the Leadership Institute, which is under development and to the finalization of our E-Library educational product.
Melissa has been an extraordinary leader, and the members of STN are grateful for her service and commitment to our professional organization. We are proud of her significant accomplishments.
As we transition into the New Year for the Board, I want to welcome all of our returning and newly elected Board members. Your service, knowledge, and leadership are critical to the success of our organization.
It is a true privilege and honor to serve as your President of the Society of Trauma Nurses. Know that I value this role and will serve with pride, respect, dignity, and professionalism. In addition, I will strive tirelessly for excellence in all that we do and will work to make our vision-"To be the premiere global nursing organization across the trauma continuum"-come true.
Over the next year, you will witness a response to societal violence. We have been challenged to create position statements on both gun control and societal violence. Our deliberate strategy toward trauma certification will continue to progress and the Leadership Institute will continue to evolve. All the while, we will continue with our signature products of ATCN, TOPIC, and Optimal.
I believe that together we will make our vision a reality. I believe that this will happen because I believe in each of you. I believe that you are an elite cadre of nurses and together our collective actions, speaking with one voice, will make a difference.