Membership FAQ
Who serves on the STN Board of Directors (BOD)?
The STN Board of Directors is elected on an annual basis and is composed of a dedicated team of officers and directors-at-large. These individuals are chosen by the membership to serve terms of no less than two years. Each term officially begins and concludes at the association’s annual conference, which is held each spring, ensuring a seamless transition of leadership and continuity in governance.
The Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in the strategic direction and success of the organization. They are entrusted with the responsibility of steering the association toward the fulfillment of its mission. This includes overseeing program development, establishing and executing long-term plans, and diligently monitoring progress to ensure goals are met. Through their leadership, the Board fosters innovation, ensures organizational stability, and upholds the values that define the association. Their commitment to serving the needs of the membership and advancing the organization’s objectives is central to the Board’s work.
Does STN have committees?
The society is supported by a robust framework of committees, each tasked with a range of responsibilities and strategic initiatives that are critical to advancing the organization’s mission. These committees address various aspects of the society’s operations, programs, and goals, ensuring a collaborative and comprehensive approach to meeting member needs and organizational objectives.
Members in good standing are encouraged to take an active role in the society’s work by applying to serve as committee chairs. These leadership roles are appointed directly by the STN President, reflecting a commitment to recognizing and empowering capable individuals within the membership. Committee chairs are instrumental in shaping the direction of their committees and coordinating efforts to achieve their designated objectives.
Additionally, all members in good standing are welcome to volunteer for committee service. Committee members, once nominated, are confirmed by the appointed chair to ensure that the group operates effectively and cohesively. This inclusive approach allows members to contribute their skills, expertise, and perspectives, fostering a culture of engagement and collaboration within the society.
The society’s current committees include:
- Advanced Trauma Care of Nurses (ATCN) Executive Committee
- Annual Conference Planning
- Awards Committee
- EAST Planning Committee
- Leadership Committee
- Membership Committee
- Nominations Committee
- Pediatric Trauma Nursing Committee
- Trauma Outcomes Performance Improvement Committee (TOPIC)
- Website Committee
What are Special Interest Groups (SIGs)?
STN is dedicated to supporting its diverse membership by offering resources, education, and opportunities designed to empower nurses in achieving their professional aspirations. Recognizing the unique challenges and goals within the nursing profession, the organization strives to deliver valuable tools and guidance that foster growth, knowledge, and career advancement.
One of the key ways STN fulfills this commitment is through its Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These groups serve as focused communities within the organization, providing members with tailored resources and support specific to their areas of interest or expertise. Each SIG offers a variety of benefits, including access to curated internet resources, recommended readings, sample documents, educational materials, and opportunities for active participation and networking. By joining a SIG, members can connect with peers who share similar professional interests, exchange ideas, and collaborate on initiatives that advance their practice.
To facilitate engagement and accessibility, STN has created dedicated web pages for each SIG, offering members a centralized platform to explore and utilize the resources available. Below is a comprehensive list of the current SIGs along with links to their respective web pages.
Does STN offer Nurse Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) credits (formerly known as continuing education hours)?
The Society of Trauma Nurses provides the following trauma focused continuing education courses and products.
Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN)
Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) is an advanced course designed for the registered nurse interested in increasing his/her knowledge in management of the multiple trauma patient. The ATCN course is taught concurrently with ATLS. The ATCN program has been operational for more than 25 years and has an excellent record of offering a superb trauma educational program, and maintaining a positive collaboration with the ACS Committee on Trauma State Chapters. The ATCN program is currently being offered in numerous states as well as internationally.
Trauma Outcomes Performance Improvement Course (TOPIC)
The STN TOPIC course is taught to all members of the trauma system team who participate in the on-going assessment, evaluation and improvement of trauma care. The Society of Trauma Nurses developed the course in response to the need for education and better understanding of the Performance Improvement process in trauma care. TOPIC focuses on the on-going assessment of the continuum of trauma care with a structured review of process and discussions of strategies to monitor trauma patient outcomes. The TOPIC course is taught in a one day interactive Modular Format, customized to best meet the needs of the individual trauma care provider participants who have varying levels of experience with trauma performance improvement. The course offers practical application for all Levels of trauma centers, from entry level to mature phase of program development. The Modules are taught with a focus on didactic, operational definitions, sample tools, case study examples and take home points.
Annual Conference
The STN Annual Conference is held each year in the spring and attracts over 500 nursing professionals working in the field of trauma. The program features multiple concurrent sessions, clinical topics, poster presentations, plenary sessions and committee/special interest group meetings. Additionally, each year a number of specialized preconference sessions are offered and provide opportunities for attendees to earn continue education contact hour on specific trauma topics. The STN Annual Conference includes over 60 poster presentations and industry vendors.
Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST)
Scientific Assembly The Society of Trauma Nurses partners with the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) to provide nursing education at their annual scientific assembly. Currently STN coordinates 1 workshop, 3 sunrise sessions and 1 plenary session.
The EAST Foundation and STN have also partnered to offer the STN EAST Foundation Nurse Fellow Program. The purpose of the program is to provide exposure of trauma nurses to the EAST Scientific Assembly and gain access to key leaders in trauma care.
The Nurse Fellow will be supported for travel, hotel and registration fees made possible by donations to EAST Foundation Nurse Fellow program. The successful candidate(s) will be assigned a mentor who will assist the fellow with designing a plan for programs to attend and interviews with leaders. Daily the Nurse Fellow will write a “news brief” highlighting programs and events from the day that will be sent out via electronic blasts.
The Nurse Fellow will also author an editorial that will be run in the Journal of Trauma Nursing (JTN) following the meeting to summarize the experience. Mentoring from the JTN Editorial Review Board will be provided. The Nurse Fellow will be introduced during the Scientific Assembly and at both the STN Networking Reception and the EAST Business Meeting. The call for nominations opens in April each year and closes in August with selected candidate(s) notified and announced in early September.
Electronic Library of Trauma Lectures
The Electronic Library of Trauma Lectures® (eLibrary) is a CD of trauma related presentations considered the pre‐eminent industry resource on trauma nursing care. The eLibrary is designed to serve as a complete educational program for training nurses across the trauma continuum of care. Each presentation contains the following:
- Learning objectives
- Detailed lecture format using MS PowerPoint including instructor notes
- Discussion questions
- Post-test with questions and answers for self-assessment
Senior Lifestyle Injury Prevention
The SLIP injury prevention program is designed to address the needs of older adults. Elderly persons are disproportionately at risk for poor outcomes following injury, and are rapidly growing in the overall population. The aging process affects visual, cognitive, and psychomotor skills, and even simple tasks of daily living can put older adults at risk for injury. These facts support the need for injury prevention programs like this one. SLIP was developed by the Michigan Trauma Nurse Council, which recognized the scarcity of injury-prevention programs that targeted senior adults. The Society of Trauma Nurses adopted SLIP as part of its strategy to promote independence through injury prevention.
Journal of Trauma Nursing (JTN)
The Journal of Trauma Nursing (JTN) is the official journal of the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN). Started in 1995, JTN is an international, multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, bi-monthly journal that publishes original articles that advance trauma center care across the trauma continuum, globally. The journal is published 6 times a year and provides 2 articles per issue that offer NCPD credits.
How do I login to the STN website to gain access to the members’ only information?
Username: STN usernames are the primary email address entered in with the contact information when a member joins the organization.
Password: Please click here to reset your password.
Member account information can be updated by choosing Member Profile from the Members Only menu. Please note that in order to update account information members must be logged in.
The STN website is designed so that once logged in members-only information is activated throughout the site. The site does not have a members only section rather members only information integrated into the site.
Please contact STN Headquarters at 859-977-7456 or email at
Does STN have a Membership Directory?
The STN Membership Directory is available online. After logging in choose Membership Directory from the Members Only menu. Members are able to search for other members by multiple criteria including name, state, title, organization, etc.
Please contact STN Headquarters at 859-977-7456 or via email at
Does STN publish a journal and if so, how often is it printed and is it available online?
STN publishes the Journal of Trauma Nursing (JTN) 6 times a year both in print and electronically. JTN online includes previously published articles as well as many more features that are designed to help you personalize your online subscription preferences.
My center is updating policies, forms, templates, etc. does STN provide resources I can reference and repurpose?
One of the many benefits STN offers for its members is an online Resource Library. The Resource Library is accessible under the Resources tab from the STN home page. The library includes forms, templates and articles in the categories of administration, clinical practice and guidelines, job descriptions, performance improvement, policies and procedures, registry and trauma activation.
If you have any resources you would like to share please email them to
Does STN permit job postings in the Online Community?
STN offers its members and the public access to a Career Center. Members can post resumes and search open positions. Additionally, institutions may browse member resumes and post open positions.
Institutions may also purchase the STN mailing address which can be used to publicize open positions as well as to marketing trauma publications, meetings, symposiums, etc.