RU nursing honor society inducts 2015 Class

Thirty five Radford University nursing students were inducted into the Epsilon Psi chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Honor Society of Nursing at a ceremony April 11 in Muse Hall.

"It is such an honor and a privilege to be a part of a community that serves as a role model for nursing excellence and integrity," said Cierra Falls, an undergraduate initiate into the 2015 class that represents nurses at various career stages.

Falls joined 30 other undergraduate inductees: Katelin Allen, Chelsea Anderson, Savanah Bane, Alyssa Bello, Chasity Campbell, James Cassidy, Kelsey Clay, Stephen Damme, Alexandra Berazis, Meredith Farmer, Susan Gibbs, Sarah Gray, Kristina Henry, Emily Horton, Emily Howland, Melissa Johnson, Kandice Kitchen, Devin Lambert, Regina Masters, Nicholette Paculan, Misty Queen, Karal Skidmore, Casey Tench, Kelsey Thomas, Sydney Trotter, Rebecca Upson, Rebecca Uren, Rachel Wiechecki, Heather Wilburn and Teresa Williamson. Undergraduate students must have completed at least half of their nursing curriculum, maintained a minimum 3.0 GPA, ranked in the upper 35 percent of the graduating class and met expectations of academic integrity.

In the Nurse Leader category, Meagan Arthur, Kemberly Campbell and Sheree Marilla were inducted and Amanda White was inducted in the DNP Graduate Student category.  Nurse Leader candidates are nurses who are legally recognized to practice, demonstrate achievement in nursing and have completed 12 credit hours with above a 3.0 GPA.  DNP and graduate students must have completed a quarter of their nursing curriculum, maintained at least a 3.5 GPA and met the expectation of academic integrity.

During the induction ceremony, candidates were presented with the traditional purple and white honor cord and entered their names in the chapter induction book containing signatures of every inductee since the chapter's inception in 1982.  Chief Nursing Officer for LewisGale Medical Center Loressa Cole was the keynote speaker for the ceremony that included more than 100 family, friends and faculty.

The RU initiates are now members of an organization whose mission is to support the learning, knowledge and professional development of nurses and improved health worldwide. STTI has more than 130,000 active members and 490 chapters in 85 countries.