Nurse Leader and Community Involvement

Chapter Leader Onboarding Series

PA R T 3

Nurse Leader and Community Involvement

Collaborating with community partners can have a tremendous impact on a Sigma chapter, helping to enhance the chapter’s exposure, influence, and program offerings. This helps make the general public more aware of the work the chapter is doing to enhance the nursing profession and increases access to potential members, especially those who may already be working in the community and can be inducted as nurse leaders. This educational piece will focus on helping new chapter leaders understand the benefit of establishing community partners, and will later explore the nurse leader candidate type.

Benefits and Ways to Partner Positive partnerships are beneficial for both the chapter and the community partner, helping meet the goals and aspirations of both groups. While combining resources, time, and money, they can provide new experiences and opportunities for all Sigma members, membership candidates, and other participants.

Member pride in their chapter and Sigma can also grow because of the community partnerships created. Through positive publicity and increased awareness, members can feel that they are recognized and valued in the community because of their membership. Chapters can even consider sending press releases to local news outlets detailing partnerships and the ways the chapter is working to benefit the community. Proud active members will be great assets to a chapter’s recruitment and retention efforts, both students and nurse leaders.

When exploring groups chapters can partner with, the possibilities are vast. Chapters should strive to find organizations that are aligned with their specific goals, and can start by consulting the chapter’s strategic plan to identify the initiatives that have the potential for community collaboration. Examples include: Partnering for continued education. Many chapter members find value in events that offer continuing education. Consider partnering with groups that can help the chapter expand its continuing education offerings. For example, reach out to a hospital or practice setting and ask them to help provide a highprofile speaker who offers nursing continuing professional development (CPD) hours for both Sigma members and the community partner’s employees. Partner with clinical settings for poster presentations or research events where employees and Sigma members can participate. Some chapters even choose to officially amend their charters to formally add a practice setting and become an at-large chapter.

Partnering for marketing and publicity. Many community organizations will be eager to trade marketing and publicity exposure. Chapters can reach out to a like-minded potential partner and ask if they will promote Sigma membership or information about the next chapter event to their audiences. In exchange, the chapter can provide information to members about the community partner’s next initiative, like hiring opportunities for local employers.

Partnering for cost savings. Including a community partner as a co-organizer for events and programs is an excellent way to save money and resources. Reach out to potential partners whose goal is in alignment with the event, and think about ways this partnership will benefit both parties and why a community partner would be interested in cost-sharing with the chapter.

Partnering for service opportunities. Engaging members in service opportunities that align with the organization’s mission and vision helps them connect to the chapter and its purpose. Luckily there is no shortage of community partners who are willing to accept help from volunteers.

Chapters can think creatively about the kinds of opportunities made available to members. Is there a local environmental group that needs help planting trees? In exchange, perhaps the group can provide an educational experience for members about how exposure to nature influences long-term patient outcomes.

Finding Community Partners After the chapter has identified the opportunities where a community partner can be beneficial, it can begin creating a list of organizations and companies that would be strategic to partner with.

A natural place to begin the search for community partners is with like-minded groups. Hospitals and other practice and clinical settings are obvious choices. Another option to consider is nursing programs at other universities in the area that do not have their own Sigma chapter. Both options can be a great way to make an introduction with potential members, and as mentioned, these partnerships can be made long-term by officially adding groups to your chapter through a charter amendment. Learn more about this process.

The university affiliated with your own Sigma chapter likely has many student and professional groups that would be eager to partner for an event or program, and chapters can look for other healthcarerelated programs and professional association groups structured similarly to Sigma.

Explore other groups or nonprofits in the community that have a stake in advancing global health.

Examples could be groups working to address food scarcity or working toward improving environmental conditions.

Other great potential partnering groups to consider are members’ workplaces. Because of the established relationship, members may be able to facilitate organization of the partnership and ensure the best outcomes for both parties. The member will feel supported knowing their employer and professional association are collaborating. Again, working with local employers can greatly increase the chapter’s exposure to nurse leader candidates, a powerful membership type.

Before developing partnerships with any group, chapters should ensure they are in good standing with the community they serve. Collaborating with a partner that has a negative reputation could impact the chapter through association.

To help secure community partners, chapters should be sure that they have picked partners strategically, help them see the value in partnering, and present all information accurately.

Provide the right details. The chapter should be specific and transparent about what it is looking for in a partnership. Is this a one-time partnership to help facilitate an event? Or is the chapter looking for a long-term partnership to last a year or more, or even join the chapter permanently? Are there financial expectations, or does the chapter expect to have direct communication access to the community partner’s audience?

Chapters should aim to convey what the chapter and members are doing to support the Sigma mission and values, and how this community partner can help contribute. Just like chapters will choose their partners carefully, the other group will vet the chapter the same way.

Ask the right person. The easiest way to begin these kinds of conversations is to find a personal connection that can help ensure the ask is being made of the right decision-makers. The chapter should look to its network of peers, members, and fellow professionals to make introductions. If a personal connection is not available at the place where the chapter wishes to partner, a staff person involved with program planning, community relations, human resources, or marketing and advertising will be likely to see the value in a partnership.

Protect the chapter’s reputation. Just like it is important for chapters to look for community partners with a good standing in the community, the chapter will want to ensure they are seen as a good partner.

If one organization has a bad experience partnering with the chapter, it could jeopardize the potential to attract other community partners. Ensure partners are benefitting as much as the chapter, and all parties involved are satisfied with the outcomes.

As we have explored, community partners are of great benefit to Sigma chapters and directly impact recruitment and retention efforts. In summary, successful community partnerships can: • • • • • • • •

Introduce the chapter to potential members Increase options for speakers at chapter meetings and events Help create career growth opportunities for members Save the chapter money through cost-sharing Provide the chapter with additional resources like venues, technology, and equipment Create more opportunities to provide continuing education Increase member pride and retention Increase positive publicity and exposure

Potential collaborating partners could include: • • • • •

Other schools of nursing where there is not a Sigma chapter Hospitals and other clinical settings Other Sigma chapters Student and alumni organizations Local nonprofit organizations

The Nurse Leader Candidate As discussed, partnering and networking in the community helps gives Sigma chapters exposure to clinicians who are already in the workforce, but may still be eligible to be inducted as a member. This kind of candidate is known as a “nurse leader,” and is defined in Sigma’s bylaws as: “A nurse leader, who is a registered nurse, legally recognized to practice in his/her country with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent in any field and who has demonstrated achievement in nursing, shall be eligible for membership.”

In other words, nursing professionals not previously inducted as nursing students can join Sigma as nurse leaders. This may also apply to graduate students. As long as they are legally recognized to practice in their country and have a baccalaureate degree or equivalent, they can be inducted as a nurse leader while finishing their graduate degree.

Nurse leaders are an excellent way to diversify a chapter’s membership, increase recruitment potential, and help ensure chapter health and sustainability. Many of these potential candidates are not already members simply because they did not have a chapter at their institution of higher education or did not accept the invitation to join when originally asked. This leaves a large, untapped group of potential new members eager to join Sigma.

There are many reasons why chapters should focus time and resources on inducting nurse leaders: •

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Nurse leader candidates are not dependent on an academic calendar and can be inducted yearround. Many chapters induct nurse leaders as soon as they are ready and formally recognize them during a regularly scheduled induction ceremony.

Because these candidates have already been practicing in the field of nursing, they tend to seek out continuing education, leadership opportunities, and other resources to advance their careers. Many of Sigma’s benefits provide exactly the kinds of opportunities they are looking for.

Because nurse leaders are likely to be interested in leadership opportunities, they make excellent volunteers and may be eager to serve within your chapter’s leadership.

Nurse leaders have already been practicing nursing and can serve as valuable resources or mentors to student members.

Chapters that are just getting started with nurse leader recruitment often have questions about how this process works. Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about nurse leader candidates: •

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Nurse leader recruitment is a responsibility of every Sigma chapter; it promotes growth and sustainability. Chapters should seek out nurses in their community and explain the benefits of belonging.

Occasionally, a nurse leader may apply on their own to join a chapter of Sigma, and often chooses one in their local area.

Chapters may not create additional eligibility requirements for nurse leaders. Chapters should follow the requirements established by Sigma and approve the application for anyone who meets them.

It is true that a nurse leader can have a baccalaureate/equivalent degree in any field, even one that is not directly related to nursing, to meet eligibility requirements. They will, however, still need to be legally recognized in their country to practice nursing.

As previously mentioned, nurse leaders do not need to wait until the chapter’s next induction ceremony to begin membership. They can be inducted using the “no-ceremony” option in the Online Induction System so they can take advantage of benefits right away.

Nurse leaders can apply for membership through the Sigma website by visiting Join.SigmaNursing.org, or by submitting an application directly to the chapter. Many chapters will instruct candidates they have developed a relationship with to apply online as it may be simpler than submitting a paper application.

In the application, candidates will be asked to: • • • •

Confirm they are legally recognized to practice nursing, have a baccalaureate degree or equivalent, and are able to demonstrate achievement in nursing.

Write a statement about their achievement in nursing in one of the following categories: scholarship, service, or practice and leadership.

Indicate how they learned about joining Sigma as a nurse leader.

Upload a resume/CV.

Once an application has been submitted, the chapter counselor will be notified via email and the chapter will have 30 days to approve or deny the application. If the chapter does not act on the application within 30 days, it is automatically forwarded to the International Review Committee and the decision will be made on behalf of the chapter. If your new role will be directly involved with reviewing nurse leader applications, please reference the document in the All Chapter Officers Workgroup library, “Nurse Leader Application Guidelines.”

Nurse leader candidates are everywhere, because almost everyone knows a nurse! In addition to networking in the local community, ideas to find these candidates include: •

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Are all of the university’s nursing faculty Sigma members? If not, create a campaign to let them know about the valuable resources they would receive as an educator and how their involvement will help their students. Download Sigma’s faculty recruitment flier.

Identify clinical settings that participate in the DAISY Awards program or other honorable nursing recognition programs. Recipients of these kinds of awards would almost certainly qualify to be inducted as a nurse leader. Download Sigma’s Nurse Leader recruitment flier.

Distribute chapter-branded products or hang posters in the breakrooms at hospitals, clinical settings, universities, etc. If possible, include a note that thanks them for their service and invites them to be supported through a Sigma membership. Visit SigmaChapterShop.com to see products for purchase, and view available posters in the All Chapter Officers Workgroup library.

Host a referral campaign for current members, asking them to identify and help recruit a nurse leader candidate in exchange for a small prize or chance to win something larger.

While your new role with your chapter may or may not be directly involved with establishing partnerships or nurse leader inductions, there are ways all chapter leaders and members can contribute to the success of the chapter. Think about your workplace or other organizations you are involved with – is there an opportunity for collaboration, and could you help make the introduction to your chapter?

Similarly, think about the nurses you know. Are they Sigma members, and would they benefit from being inducted as a nurse leader? Let the chapter know you may have a membership candidate in mind.

Questions? Contact us!

888.634.7575 (US/Canada toll-free) +1.317.634.8171 (International) chapserv@sigmanursing.org SigmaNursing.org/ChapterLeaders