Future Nursing Leaders Earn Honors
Sigma Chapter Based at Touro is Led by Several School of Nursing Program Alumnae, Serves Bay Area Region
Alumnae from the Touro University California School of Nursing came home to campus this fall to extend honors to those joining Sigma's local chapter and later to socialize with one another and with current faculty and students of the Nursing Program.
Sigma's Omega Alpha Chapter is led by several School of Nursing Alumnae.
Jennifer Veler (Class of 2019) is the current president, Vivian Chu (Class of 2020) is the secretary, Jennifer Tudor (Class of 2015) is the founding president and current Governance Committee member, Rasika Cunningham (Class of 2017) is a Governance Committee member, and Nikitia "Niki" Hardwick (Class of 2021) is a Leadership Succession Committee member.
Veler is the Critical Care Services Clinical Nurse Manager of the ICU at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield. She's been a nurse for 20 years and joined the Omega Alpha Chapter in 2018 while working to complete her Master's degree through Touro's School of Nursing.
Her term as president was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now scheduled to end June 30, 2024.
Benefits to Nursing Students, School of Nursing, Touro
Veler said the Sigma honor society benefits students in the School of Nursing program for two primary reasons: networking, and the chance chapter involvement affords for working nurses to get involved in activities outside their organizations – both in the community and internationally.
Joining a Sigma honor society chapter also serves to recognize the hard work done by nursing students.
Veler said local chapters in the past couple of years have raised money to support humanitarian efforts to Ukraine since Russia invaded its Eastern European neighbor, Veler said. Local chapters are now raising money to send to Maui to help in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that raced through Lahaina on Aug. 8 and claimed 100 lives.
Dr. Prabjot "Jodie" Sandhu, Director of the School of Nursing, said the relationship between the chapter and Nursing program benefits the University as well.
The chapter, Sandhu said, recruits Touro's "academically established, Master's prepared nurses" and provides them "the resources, opportunities, and platform to launch themselves in leadership, global humanitarian care, and advanced research, education, and practice.";
"The University Alumni relationship with these nurses provides resources back to the School of Nursing as faculty, presenters, motivators, and influencers," Sandhu said. "We are living our mission to serve, lead and teach."
An Infant and Child Mortality prevention campaign in Kenya includes members of local chapters.
"There's also opportunities to serve as a Sigma nurse with the United Nations," Veler said.
Chapter Origins Driven by Students Who are Now Alums
Dr. Ann Stoltz, now a Professor Emeritus in the School of Nursing program, was Director of the program when the Touro chapter got its start.
"The Omega Alpha Chapter of Sigma is the direct result of the interest and commitment of three students in our first ADN to MSN cohort," Stoltz said. "The students created an honor society with guidance from Dr. Julian Gallegos, the faculty adviser. After one year, the honor society met all of the financial and member qualifications to become a chapter of Sigma in the School of Nursing."
The three students were Tudor, Amy Ciraulo (Class of 2016), and Michelle Kahrimanian (Class of 2017). Tudor was the founding and longtime president of the new chapter. Ciraulo was the founding vice president while Kahrimanian served as treasurer.
"It really was a remarkable feat and demonstrated the need for a professional nursing organization in our local area," Stoltz said. "The benefits of the involvement with our alumni are invaluable and their leadership sets an example for current students, provides networking, and connections to the community."
Alumni Connection Remains Strong
Chu is a Registered Nurse at John Muir Health. Tudor is Director of the Nursing Magnet program at NorthBay Health. Cunningham is a Doctor of Nursing Practice in San Ramon. Hardwick is a Public Health Nurse with Solano County Health and Social Services.
All but Cunningham were present Sept. 14 at Touro as seven members were inducted into the local chapter:
- Anastasia Crampton, a Registered Nurse and Unit Manager at Vacaville Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center.
- Maria Rosario Gasacao, a neuro-telemetry Registered Nurse at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
- Mariel Lontoc, an infection preventionist Registered Nurse at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
- Camryn Wentworth, a Clinical Registered Nurse III at NorthBay Health in Solano County.
- Jessa Velarde, a Registered Nurse.
- Nora Fey, a transfer with dual membership and a Clinician Registered Nurse II at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield.
- Philip A. Long, a transfer with dual membership and a Registered Nurse and Service Director for The Permanente Medical Group in the Greater Southern Alameda Area.
Fey and Wentworth are students in the School of Nursing's Master's program. Both were recipients of scholarships this year funded collaboratively by NorthBay Health and Travis Credit Union, and administered by Touro University California.
The Sigma mission is to develop nurse leaders anywhere to improve health care everywhere. The local chapter is based out of Touro University California's School of Nursing.