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Engagement Committee


Committee Chair
Darlene Gondell, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CNRN, TCRN

Composition

The STN Member Engagement Committee reports to the STN Board of Directors. The Committee is comprised of the chair, co-chair, and 8-10 committee members. Each committee member can serve up to two, three-year terms. The chair will serve a three-year term with possible reappointment by the Board, not to exceed two consecutive terms.

Responsibilities

The STN Member Engagement Committee is responsible for defining and leading membership outreach and communication programs that support the STN mission, vision, values, and strategic plan. Committee responsibilities include the following:

  • Oversee the development and deployment of periodic member surveys and other feedback mechanisms to document member experiences with, and monitor member perceptions about the value of STN.
  • Oversee development and implementation of the STN Mentoring Program.
  • Provide input and feedback on STN communication and marketing strategies and the STN website.
  • Plan Journal Club webinars.
  • Plan, organize, and execute member recruitment and retention strategies.
  • Evaluate new and existing products, services, and programs to identify those that are best suited to meet the needs of STN members.
  • Analyze member demographics and recommend strategies for enhancing communication, expanding opportunities for networking and professional development.
  • Create an accessible, inclusive environment that encourages diversity, equity, and unity among STN members.
  • Collaborate with the STN Board of Directors, committees, and staff members to achieve assigned objectives and goals.

Requirements to Serve

  • Active or Associate STN member in good standing.
  • Passion for advancing opportunities for trauma nursing research and nurse participation in trauma research initiatives.
  • Availability for a one-hour monthly teleconference and the ability to allocate 1-2 hours per month of additional time towards assigned volunteer projects.
  • An advanced degree in nursing or research and a minimum of 2 years of research experience strongly preferred.
  • Knowledge of contemporary nursing and/or trauma research practices and current trauma research initiatives and opportunities preferred.

Rules and Expectations of STN Engagement Committee members.

  • 75% attendance rate for committee members to monthly meetings.
  • No term limit for members as long as they attend meetings and participate in at least one committee initiative.
  • Committee Chair term limit is 2 years.

Volunteer for an STN Committee

Darlene Gondell is the Director of Accreditation for the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF). Darlene joined the PTSF as the Manager of Accreditation in 2018 and was promoted to Director of Accreditation in 2023. She is responsible for leading the trauma center accreditation and deliberation process in Pennsylvania. She leads both the PTSF Standards Committee as well as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Committee, newly created in 2022. She is participating in PTSF’s creation of new trauma center software consisting of a trauma registry, performance improvement database, reports, interrater reliability program, application for survey, and site survey program. During the pandemic, Darlene volunteered with the Citizens Corps of Delaware County to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Prior to joining PTSF, Darlene was the Trauma Performance Improvement Coordinator at Lankenau Medical Center, Main Line Health, a Level II Trauma Center; the Assistant Patient Care Manager of the ICU at Paoli Hospital, Main Line Health, a Level II Trauma Center; and Staff Nurse in the Neuroscience ICU at Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Medicine. Darlene received both her Bachelors and Master of Nursing degrees at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Darlene is an active member of the Society of Trauma Nurses and is the Chair of the STN Member Engagement Committee. She also volunteers as a Mentor to STN members. She is also a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, where she serves on the Annual Meeting Planning Committee - Posters. Darlene has delivered multiple presentations on Trauma, Trauma Standards, Trauma Accreditation and Neuro-Trauma. In 2022, she co-authored the article “Virtual trauma center surveys, are they virtually the same?” published in the Journal of Trauma Nursing, concluding the benefits and challenges to the virtual site survey process.