December 2006

 

Dear Colleagues and Friends,         

     The Winter Season is upon us. I hope you enjoy this period of reflection and please include your personal and professional growth. Please give thanks to all you connect with - family, community and work.

     I thank you all for the opportunity Dona Dei and I have had the past four years to serve the Virginia AWHONN Section. We welcome Emily Drake as Section Chair and Annita Palmer Nelson as Secretary –Treasurer for 2007-2009. 

    I thank the Chapter Leaders for all their diligent efforts to coordinate activities on the Chapter “grassroots” level. Please check your CHAPTER site and contact your CHAPTER LEADERS for local activities. Browse through the other Chapters for their activities. Volunteer to be a speaker at a Chapter Meeting or recommend someone!

Mark your calendars: the 2007 Virginia Conference will be held October 26-28, 2007 in Fredericksburg and the AWHONN Convention 2007, “inspired to excellence” will be held June 23-27^th in Orlando, Florida.

Congratulations to Barbara Moran from the Northern Virginia Chapter as AWHONN President –elect!! Barbara has served AWHONN in many roles, most recently as a member of the Board of Directors. We all applaud her accomplishments.

Please see applications for educational Scholarships and NIWI scholarships.

Thank you again for all your support with Virginia AWHONN!  Have a wonderful Holiday Season.

 Warm regards,

Mary Lou Reed, CNM, MSN, RNC
Chair, Virginia Section
AWHONN
mlureed@yahoo.com

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2007 Virginia AWHONN Educational Scholarships

Two $1000 scholarships will be awarded to Virginia Section members who are pursuing an * advanced degree in nursing and/or pursuing Certification in an area of Maternal Infant Nursing. The scholarships can be used for tuition, books, certified prep course fee and examination fee.

Criteria for scholarship award:

1. Must be a member of AWHONN in good standing for a minimum of one year.
2. Submit a letter of intent and what how this scholarship will benefit your professional career. Submit a copy of your current CV.
3. Submit a letter to the VA Web newsletter and share how this scholarship was beneficial.
4. Submit to address below or email prior to March 1, 2007. Notification of scholarship recipient will be will made by April 1, 2007. Recognition will be noted at the 2007 AWHONN Section Meeting.

Address inquiries and criteria submission to:

Emily E. Drake RNC, PhD
Assistant Professor/BSN Program Director
University of Virginia School of Nursing
McLeod Hall, Office 4057
202 15th St. S.W., P.O. Box 800782
Charlottesville, VA 22908
(434) 924-0126
eje@virginia.edu

* Advanced degree refers to BSN, MSN, PhD

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2007 NURSE IN WASHINGTON INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The Virginia Section of AWHONN will sponsor TWO members to attend this exciting program.

Past recipients include Jan Botkin and Mary Lou Reed. It is a wonderful opportunity to ignite nurses to start or renew their political activism. The four day intense program historically has exceeded the objectives including exploring the connection among practice, policy and politics and discussing the power of nursing to influence policy. A description of historical and current forces that impact health economics is also presented. Visits to Capital Hill are definitely part of the program!

So, are you interested?? See below for the information. The 2007 NIWI dates have been set for March 11-14.This is a golden opportunity for ALL members to be considered for this scholarship.

Please check out the Alliance website for program details @ http://www.nursing-alliance.org/niwi.cfm
A scholarship will be awarded to two members of Virginia Section AWHONN. This includes registration fee, hotel and travel expenses and meal allowance.

Criteria for scholarship award:

1. Submit a letter of interest and what attendance at this program would mean to you personally, in practice and what you can do to make a difference in women’s and newborn” health issues and the practice of Nursing.
2. Submit a copy of your current CV
3. Commitment to share your experience at the 2007 Virginia Section Meeting, Fredericksburg, Virginia, October 26-28, 2007. (Exact date and time to be determined).
4. Assist Virginia Section Legislative Chair in activities.
5. Submit to address below or email prior to January 15, 2007. Notification of scholarship recipient will be will made by January 30, 2007.

Address inquiries and criteria submission to:
Emily E. Drake RNC, PhD
Assistant Professor/BSN Program Director
University of Virginia School of Nursing
McLeod Hall, Office 4057
202 15th St. S.W., P.O. Box 800782
Charlottesville, VA 22908
(434) 924-0126
eje@virginia.edu