COLUMNS

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Carol J. Huston

Dear Colleagues:

It was a pleasure meeting and visiting with so many of you at the convention in Baltimore. I always leave the biennial convention inspired and confident that the organization’s leadership and member commitment has never been stronger and that the future of this organization could not be brighter.

This is such an exciting time for the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. I hope many of you had the opportunity to attend a Vision 2020 session at convention to hear more about the future of this organization and the opportunities and challenges we will face together over the next 13 years. In addition, “Leading Globally” was unveiled as the presidential call to action for the 2008-09 biennium. This call builds upon several of the key elements of Vision 2020 and includes four key goals.

The first goal is for the honor society to be an “intentionally global” organization. The honor society chartered its first chapters outside the United States 20 years ago, but is still working to become a truly global organization. For example, by 2020 we hope to significantly increase membership outside the United States. This will require the honor society to adopt a global mind-set in establishing organizational priorities and creating plans for action. Also, it will likely require creating new membership models that provide additional portals of entry and are globally relevant.

We must also continue to form partnerships and alliances with other global organizations and associations with similar missions and goals, such as the partnerships we currently have with the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Council of Nurses (ICN). We hope to pursue a partnership with the United Nations—first by applying for observer status, and then by attaining recognition as a nongovernmental entity in decision making related to global health and nursing issues.

The honor society also must begin implementation of a phased governance and operations model for global infrastructure development. Globally aware stakeholders will be required to meet the needs of a global organization. In addition, development of a physical presence of Sigma Theta Tau International in other countries must be explored. The ability of members to communicate and network in their own language and to access honor society services and products without language barriers must also be improved. In addition, more opportunities must be provided for international travel, student and faculty exchanges, international residencies and international service learning for members.

Furthermore, guidelines and programs must be created to help chapters develop a global mind-set and to raise member consciousness about global nursing and health care issues. Clearly, global health will remain a priority for research and development. Finally, this organization must continue to be involved in global nursing workforce issues through policy advocacy.

The second theme of Leading Globally is building the organization’s knowledge resources. The honor society aspires to be the premier knowledge repository in professional nursing by 2020. To achieve this goal, a technology-enabled global network is needed that allows users real-time, universal access to our knowledge resources. In addition, both the pace and degree of knowledge development and acquisition will need to be increased, likely through some means of open-source modeling or peer production.

Research grant and scholarship funding must also expand. Thanks to the good work of the Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing, grants and scholarships increased 25 percent in the past biennium. But, our goal should always be to do more. Finally, the honor society must continue to formalize pathways for development of new communities of interest.

The third theme of my presidential call is leadership development. This is not a new role for the honor society. The International Leadership Institute has long been a part of our organization, as have the Board Leadership Development Program and the Mentored Leadership Development Program. The Maternal/Child Nursing Leadership Academy, co-sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute and the honor society, and the Geriatric Nursing Leadership Academy, a collaborative effort by The John A. Hartford Foundation Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence and Sigma Theta Tau International, are two additional leadership programs.

Only a small fraction of our 138,000 active members, however, participates in these programs and takes advantage of the breadth and depth of existing programs. Comprehensive leadership programs across the career span are available or are under development—from programs that help staff nurses improve their personal leadership skills to programs that issue formal nursing management certificates to those that develop the skills needed to become a global health care leader. Partnering with other organizations dedicated to leadership development will be integral to achieving this goal. Sigma Theta Tau International should also develop templates for formal mentoring programs at the chapter level that are based on best practices, and the organization should continue to craft programs to keep retired members and new members fully engaged.

Finally, the last theme for Leading Globally is providing service. I personally feel that service may be the key to membership involvement in this organization, since service is what brought many of us to nursing. Many members and chapters are actively providing service locally, nationally and internationally, but that service should be more clearly linked with the honor society. The goal, then, is to provide more opportunities for meaningful and purposeful service by members and to have Sigma Theta Tau International more openly engaged in service projects that further our mission.

To achieve this, a Service Advisory Council (SAC) has been appointed to explore creating an international service brand for this organization. For example, the Lions Club provides eyeglasses to those in need. Establishment of such a brand for the honor society would give direction to the many members and chapters that want to know how to help. Perhaps a new service focus or goal could be established every biennium. These are all ideas the Service Advisory Council will consider.

Sigma Theta Tau International should also be more visible in responding to international disasters. We could do this by partnering with the International Red Cross or other global entities to mobilize trained member volunteers who want to respond. We could also establish a roster of nurse experts for consultation in natural and man-made disasters. The honor society should also develop further incentives at the chapter level to recognize service contributions.

I believe the goals of Vision 2020 and Leading Globally can be achieved if we work together. As the incoming president, I am blessed to work with an unbelievably professional, dedicated staff and a dynamic board of nursing leaders. I am also excited to work with Pat Thompson, our new chief executive officer. She is a proven nursing leader who has shown her commitment to this organization in so many ways, for so many years. During the upcoming biennium, I look forward to working with all of you in the global organization of choice for scholarship, knowledge and leadership for nurses. RNL

Carol J. Huston, RN, MSN, DPA, FAAN