How do I get more involved in the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN)? As I speak to many of our members, I have heard this question over and over. As a relatively young organization, we have now grown to a point where we have a number of people who are no longer satisfied just being a member. Whereas 5 to 10 years ago there may have been only about 20 to 25 members who wanted to do more, this number has increased markedly. This is a credit to the growth and vitality of STN. More and more members see it as an important group involved in valuable activities. It is also a credit to our members. Because our membership consists mainly of trauma nursing leaders, we have highly motivated, talented members who are driven to do more-people who do not sit on the sidelines for very long.
The fact that we have so many members who want to be more involved is great, and as the organization and its Board of Directors mature, we need to be able to easily respond to this question[horizontal ellipsis]how can I do more? For years, that small group of maybe 20 people did most of the work to keep STN running. We are now at a crossroads where we need to define and communicate the current opportunities and to continue to develop more ways to create these opportunities within the organization.
We are responding to this challenge in a number of ways. First, during the last couple of years, the Board has been looking at itself a little differently. The concept of serving the organization while also helping to grow new leaders to take our places is becoming the driving force, as opposed to just doing it all ourselves. Making this philosophical leap has been a big step.
Now, we are ready to move forward and take action. Communication to all of our members through this article is one way to achieve this goal. With the opportunities outlined in black and white, we have a baseline, making it easier to answer the question and allowing us to build on this foundation. It also ensures that the current leaders hold to the responsibility of inviting in new people with new ideas. Within a short period of time, STN will also have a new Web page with increased flexibility and control. The information contained in this article will be included on that page and will be updated regularly so that members have a ready source of information.
So, how can you, as a member, get more involved? There are a number of informal activities that any member can participate in. These include joining and participating on the STN Listserv, attending the annual conference, meeting and talking to people at the conference, and submitting an abstract for oral or poster presentation.
But this is only the beginning; there are a number of different groups and activities with which members can become involved.
Special Interest Groups
A special interest group, or SIG, is a large group of people with a similar interest. STN SIGs may have anywhere from 50 to 300 members. They all have leaders, usually a chair and a co-chair. There is usually 1 meeting per year held at our annual conference. Each has access to a Web page on the STN Web site. All SIGs are large and diverse and are managed somewhat differently. At times, it is a convenient group to query or to share information with. Special interest groups are also used as focus groups to help program our annual conference and other initiatives.
Because SIGs are so large, once you join, it is helpful to attend the annual meeting and develop a relationship with the chair and co-chair. Let them know that you are interested in helping out in whatever way they need. If you have ideas about projects that the SIGs should be involved in, let the SIG leadership know and then follow up with them routinely.
Refer to the list in Table 1 for the STN SIGs and their chairs and co-chairs. Log on to http://www.traumanursesoc.org/intgroups.html if you are interested in joining a SIG or contact the chairs.
Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses
Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) is one of STN's most frequently offered courses. They are given across the United States and the world. Many of the current leaders in STN either began their STN involvement or increased it through ATCN. Opportunities abound, including the positions of state and region ATCN chair, ATCN site coordinator, and ATCN instructors.
For more information, log on to http://www.traumanursesoc.org/edu_atcn.html or contact Richard Henn, ATCN committee chair, at [email protected] or Elizabeth Seislove, ATCN cochair, at [email protected].
State and Region Chairs
Over the last few years, STN has been working on appointing STN chairs and cochairs for every state and region. We have defined our regions to mirror the American College of Surgeons Regions. Although we have made great strides in this effort, there are still a number of states and regions without a chair or cochair. In addition, these positions rotate or are reappointed every 2 years. This role serves 2 primary purposes. It is a vehicle to spread the word about STN and to increase membership in the state or region. It is also a key role for STN to tap into to find out more about what the local membership needs or wants.
If you are interested in applying for a state or region chair position, log on to http://www.traumanursesoc.org/mem_state.html. If you would like more information or you need to find out who your state and region chair is, contact Janice DelGiorno, Membership Committee chair, at [email protected] to inquire.
Committees
STN has a number of committees that are needed to accomplish much of the work of the organization. Some committees are extremely active and can be fairly time consuming but are exciting and fulfilling. Examples of these are Conference Committees. Others may be short lived, with 1 or 2 meetings. These include the Awards Committee or Nomination Committee. All are important and need your input as a member. Table 2 gives you a complete list of the STN committees and their chairpersons.
Participating on a committee is an excellent way to do more and to begin to learn more about the organization and to network with an active group of members. In addition, many times, chairs of committees will recommend dependable, creative members for other positions in the organization or you may be tapped to fill a chair position if there is a need to replace the current chair.
Journal of Trauma Nursing
The Journal of Trauma Nursing is a vital and important component of STN. Articles are always needed. Whether you are an experienced writer or someone who has never written before but have a good idea or just an interest, there is a chance to publish in Journal of Trauma Nursing. Not only is this extremely beneficial to add to your curriculum vitae, but it also is fulfilling to know that you have published and shared your knowledge.
Another opportunity for the member with some writing experience is the role of Journal of Trauma Nursing section editor. Although these opportunities are limited, they do arise. If you are interested in this, the best thing to do is to contact the editor in chief and let her know of your interest. It is also possible to contact a current section editor to inquire about mentoring opportunities or a position as a co-section editor.
Board of Directors
Every year, in the fall, STN puts out a call for nominations for the Board of Directors. At that time, there is a process on the Web site where you can submit your self-nomination. As leaders in the organization, we try to identify active members whom we consider ready for this challenge; however, it is not uncommon for members to submit unsolicited nominations. If you are considering this, it is helpful to talk to someone currently on the Board to give you advise on the best way to proceed. To be most successful, it is important to have been involved in some of the other STN activities listed above. This helps you to learn more about the organization; it increases the number of people in the organization whom you know and who know you. As in all elections, name recognition and respect of the voters cannot be overemphasized.
SUMMARY
In summary, the future of STN depends on a steady stream of interested, committed members becoming active members of STN. As Board members, we have a responsibility to you to try to make this as easy as possible. But we also need you to get involved and to tell us when we are not doing a good job of making this possible and helping you to succeed. I hope that this article is one small step in helping you along this road.