December 2006 Spotlight on Rho Omicron

Members of the Rho Omicron Chapter, which represents Mt. Carmel College of Nursing, Columbus, Ohio, have been busy this past year with several activities.

New Member Luncheons - Rho Omicron’s induction was held in November 2006, and the chapter was intent on keeping the new members focused on their honor society membership. Two pizza luncheons, held during various semesters with the help of the president-elect, allotted time for an open forum for new inductees to discuss their membership in the Rho Omicron chapter. The main focus for community involvement was the Race for the Cure, along with various other community activities. During these luncheons, three inductees were awarded US $500 scholarships and Sigma Theta Tau International door prizes. Both of the luncheons were a success, with over 50% of the new inductees attending.

Scholarships - New inductees followed the application process to determine if they were eligible for scholarships from the Rho Omicron chapter. The board reviewed the applications to determine if inductees were eligible. Jeffrey Doner, a board member and former recipient, says “The Rho Omicron scholarship is particularly important to me because it is presented by a professional organization committed to clinical excellence, leadership and evidence-based practice.”

Race for the Cure - 11 new inductees participated in the Race for the Cure in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Over 37,000 people were there to run or walk in support of finding a cure for cancer. The role of the new inductees was to ask participants questions based on a “What you need to know” fact sheet. As participants answered questions, they were given key chains with metal circles representing the size of breast lumps found in mammograms. Attached to the key chain was a card depicting the correct procedure for self breast exams.