FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15, 2006

Sigma Theta Tau International CEO Nancy Dickenson-Hazard
Announces Resignation

Nursing leader ready for next CEO to guide honor society's global expansion

( INDIANAPOLIS ) Nancy Dickenson-Hazard, RN, MSN, FAAN, chief executive officer of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, has announced she will end her 14-year term as honor society leader in November 2007. In her announcement, Dickenson-Hazard told the board of directors, staff and honor society members that she chose to step aside to allow the next leader to guide the honor society's global expansion.

“There are times in every organization's lifecycle when opportunities present themselves and new leadership makes sense,” said Dickenson-Hazard. “Such a time is before the society, with its renewed emphasis on global development—a strategic imperative that will require a long-term commitment of leadership. After much soul searching, I have decided not to take on this time requirement.”

Dickenson-Hazard will continue to lead staff and serve the world's largest nursing honorary through November 2007 and is committed to continue to build on the current business momentum the honor society is experiencing. With Dickenson-Hazard's assistance, the honor society's board of directors will conduct an organizational needs analysis and executive search during the next eight to 10 months.

“Nurses and communities around the world are indebted to Nancy for steering our organization through a period of phenomenal maturity and achievement,” said honor society President Carol Picard , RN, PhD, CS, professor at the School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst . “The board of directors accepted her resignation with sadness and immense gratitude for all she has accomplished and will continue to give to the honor society. She has made us all better nurses.”

Under Dickenson-Hazard's leadership, beginning in 1993, the honor society significantly expanded its membership and service offerings. Achievements and progress during her tenure include:

• Membership growth from 75,000 active members to more than 134,000 active members.
• Chapter expansion from 323 chapters in four countries to 446 chapters in 19 countries.
• Creation of the Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing, raising $11 million to support global health through nursing research, leadership and education. Prior to 1993, the honor society raised $5 million during the previous 70 years of its history.
• Transition from a governing/managing council to a board of directors.
• Development of a comprehensive online continuing education offering.
• Creation of six international communities of practice, in which members with similar professional interests meet and share knowledge.
• Establishment of three successfully operating corporate subsidiaries—Nursing Knowledge International, Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing and the Sigma Theta Tau International Building Corporation.
• Expansion of marketing and public relations capabilities into a comprehensive, award-winning corporate communications and business development division.
• Significant expansion of publishing offerings. Biennially, the honor society publishes 14 books and circulates more than a million copies of the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. The honor society also launched a new journal, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, and has received multiple awards for its member magazine, Reflections on Nursing Leadership.
• Development of the International Leadership Institute that prepares nurses for management, mentoring and service on national and international boards of directors.
• Increased attendance and participation at the honor society's International Nursing Research Congresses from 400 participants from 20 countries to 1,200 participants from 43 countries.
• Expansion of the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library from in-house access of 12,000 research studies to online access of 28,000 research studies and conference abstracts.
• Development and implementation of the first phase of global expansion. The next 10-year growth initiative commences in 2007.

Prior to leading the honor society, Dickenson-Hazard was a pediatric nurse practitioner and served for 12 years as executive director of the National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses. Well-known for her efforts to foster high standards in nursing, she has written extensively, served on numerous editorial, community and national boards and received several national awards for nursing leadership.

Dickenson-Hazard said she plans for life after serving as the honor society's chief executive to be “a renaissance, not retirement.” She will continue to share her wisdom and experience with the honor society as a member, and will pursue opportunities she postponed, such as consulting opportunities, while she focused on leading the honor society.

“The time and need for the honor society to be more visible and influential in helping nurses improve the health of people worldwide could not be clearer or more necessary,” said Dickenson-Hazard. “I look forward to supporting my successor and the honor society in taking our organization to the next level of global service.”

For media inquiries, please contact Leslie Flowers, 317.828.6925 or leslieflowers@sbcglobal.net .

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The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of people worldwide through leadership and scholarship in practice, education and research. Founded in 1922, the Honor Society of Nursing has inducted more than 400,000 members in 114 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and others . The honor society's 446 chapters are located at 543 institutions of higher education throughout Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania and the United States. More information about Nancy Dickenson-Hazard and the honor society can be found online at www.nursingsociety.org