News


Today on the 19th March 2024, Upsilon Xi at large hosted a virtual induction ceremony. The ceremony commenced with a presentation by Dr Marie-Louise Luiking, the Sigma regional co-ordinator for Europe who spoke about Re-imagining Sigma European Region in an Uncertain World. The presentation highlighted the work and activities of the European Region and the twelve, soon to be thirteen chapters in Europe. A new chapter Alpha Gamma Alpha at Navarro University, Pamplona, Spain will be chartered on the 22nd April 2024.


The Induction ceremony was presided over by Emeritus Professor Joy Merrell, President of Upsilon Xi at large Chapter. The presentation commenced with the vision and mission of Sigma and an explanation of the insignia. This was followed  by a brief history of Upsilon Xi at large chapter before introducing and inducting seven new members.  The new members inducted:

  • Dr Alison James – Reader in Healthcare Leadership at Cardiff University, Wales
  • Mike Palmer, third year nursing student on the BSc (Hons) Mental health nursing programme at Swansea University, Wales
  • Alison James, Nurse Director, Acute and Emergency Medicine, Sheffield teaching hospitals, England
  • Dr Sergej Kmetec , Habilitation candidate for Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of Maribor, Slovenia
  • Dr Małgorzata Nagorska, University teacher, and Head of  Department of Social Sciences at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Medical College of Rzeszow University, Poland.  
  • Abigael Omowumi Emikpea, lecturer at the Department of Nursing, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana
  • Joseph Shadudu Issifu, Assistant Lecturer at the department of Nursing  at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.

Two Chapter officers were installed namely Dr Dominika Vrbnjak and Dr Alison James as Co-chairs of the Governance committee and as Faculty counsellor for Cardiff University. All new members were warmly welcomed to the chapter and the benefits of membership and the organisational call to action to `Represent’ were explained. Professor Joy Merrell stated `I am so  delighted to be inducting new members from Wales, from across Europe and from Ghana to Upsilon Xi at Large Chapter. We are one of the most diverse chapters in terms of our members in Europe. We value such diversity and the many opportunities it provides to learn about nursing and healthcare in all its aspects from across different countries and continents Congratulations to all new members and  chapter officers’.

                                                                                      

Dr Dominika Vrbnjak, PhD, RN,

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences,

University of Maribor, Slovenia 

Dominika was visiting teaching assistant at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, a visiting PhD Student at South East Technological University, and visiting higher education teacher at the University of Rijeka Faculty of Health Studies. Her research interests include caring, safety, and quality in nurse education and practice. In addition to several bilateral projects, she has experience with international projects related to pedagogical approaches and technology in nursing education. She is co-leading two EU4Health projects The Dynamic Digital Resilience for Medical and Allied Professions in Health Services (DDS-MAP) and Digital TRANSition and dIgiTal resIlience in ONcology (TRANSiTON) and has co-led Student Stress Training e-Mobile Management (SSTeMM) Measuring and Comparing Achievements of Learning Outcomes in Higher Education Phase 2 (calohE2), Erasmus Mundus Design Measures (EMDM): Design and Implementation of Master Degree in Palliative Care (DSGN-PALL-CARE) and has worked on several other national and international projects (e.g. Erasmus+ projects RELATE, EU Structural Reform Support Service (grant agreement SRSS/S2019/020): Support for the development of the primary care system in Hungary, EU Menu: Support to National Dietary Surveys in Compliance with the EU Menu methodology fourth support). She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, Honour Society of Nursing, the European Academy of Nursing Science and International Association of Human Caring. Her presentation will be on:

"Testing an international model of nurse job satisfaction: a cross-sectional study"

Wednesday 4th October 2023,

  4.00 pm (BST)

To access via Zoom and for further information please contact Prof Joy Merrell at j.a.merrell@swansea.ac.uk