WSSU Nursing Honor Society receives international recognition for chapter excellence in outreach, leadership development
Winston-Salem State University’s Rho Lambda Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing was awarded the International Chapter Key Award for its excellence in service, community outreach and leadership development at the 47th Biennial Convention in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 15.
Chapter President, Dr. Kimya Nance, and Secretary Hartensia Davis-Bailey, accepted the award. The chapter is now a three-time awardee of the International Key Award.
The chapter has conducted several outreach projects throughout the region. In April 2023, the chapter partnered with Red Bank ministries to donate more than 200 blankets for patients in local hemodialysis centers. To address food insecurity, the chapter launched a Meals for Tots outreach project sponsored by Texas Roadhouse. The outreach project provided free meals for preschool-age children in the Winston-Salem community.
This semester, the nursing honor society partnered with the Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell Agency to support families of need with a Thanksgiving dinner, and it also collected coats to support the Piedmont Black Nurses Association efforts for WSOC TV Channel 9’s Steve Coats for Kids drive in Charlotte, NC.
The chapter offers its members funding for professional development and research, a mentoring program, leadership development apprenticeships, and student sponsorships for the NCLEX-RN, Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Educator Certification exams. Through its elevation series, the chapter has hosted research forums, webinars on racial inequity in healthcare, and seminars to support new registered nurses during their first year of practice.
Currently, the chapter has partnered with Stockton University’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee to offer a forum for pre-nursing and pre-health sciences majors titled, “A Day in the Life of a Multicultural Healthcare Professional.”
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing was established in 1922 at Indiana University School of Nursing. The six founders chose the name from the Greek words, storgé, thárros and timé, meaning love, courage and honor. The society has more than 100,000 members who reside in more than 100 countries. The honor society was the first organization to fund nursing research and continues throughout its 100-year history to recognize the value of scholarship and excellence in nursing practice. Sigma’s vision is connected, empowered nurses transforming global healthcare. The mission of the organization is to develop nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere.
