Guide to Recruiting and Inducting Nurse Leaders into Your Chapter

"I have no idea where to start with our efforts to recruit Nurse Leaders."

Step 1: Create your recruitment a plan
Take an hour now to plan out goals and ideas for the years.

Resource: Nurse Leader Planning Worksheet; 300+ Ways to Help Chapters

Step 2: Identify potential candidates
Consider this: in 1975 Sigma Theta Tau had only 65 chapters; in 1985 only 192 chapters; today we have over 460 chapters and are still growing. Nurses who attended schools that did not have chapters during that time period were not eligible to join. This represents a large pool of tens of thousands of potential Nurse leader members whom we can recruit.

Resource: Prospecting Worksheet

Step 3: Determine required documents for consideration
- Chapters should determine which documents are needed to demonstrate achievement in nursing. Membership intent form, vitae and Nurse Leader achievement form are examples of items that the chapter may elect to require.
- Chapters should also decide the number and type (written or verbal) of endorsements that are needed to justify membership.
- The only form required by Headquarters is the Membership Application Form.

Resource: Nurse Leader Application

Step 4: Get resources from headquarters
In the season of your induction, your faculty counselor will receive a packet of induction and other materials. Included in this packet will be posters and brochures you can use to publicize the society to potential Nurse Leaders. If you need additional brochures, please contact Member Services at 888.634.7575.

Resource: Nurse Leader Membership Brochure

Step 5: Make contact
Send a letter and make personal phone calls to introduce the society to the candidate and invite them to consider membership. Invite them to participate in upcoming chapter activities even before they are inducted.

Resource: Invitation to candidates

Step 6: Determine if candidates are accepted

Meet with Governance Committee.

Step 7: Notify Nurse Leader of chapter decision

Resource: Acceptance letter

Step 8: Hold induction
Conducting an annual induction ceremony seems to be appropriate for inducting student members. Nurse leader candidates may be better served by employing one of the various options for an induction ceremony. If a candidate expresses interest in joining Sigma Theta Tau International, a chapter can capitalize on that interest by taking actions right away to get the candidate "approved" and "inducted." You want to capitalize on their interest while it is still piqued, waiting can sometimes make a candidate feel as if you don't care about his/her interest.

Consider one of the following options to get candidates involved as quickly as possible after they express an interest in joining the society:

• Induct candidates at a regular chapter meeting
• Induct candidates at a special, simplified induction ceremony at a time when the candidate is visiting the chapter
• Induct candidates at an annual or semi-annual induction ceremony
• Induct candidates at a Board of Directors meeting
• Induct candidates via video or teleconferencing
• Videotape an induction ceremony where candidates were inducted and send it to the individuals
• Accept nurse leader candidates throughout the year and get them involved immediately upon expressing interest in joining. Be sure to invite and include them at the next regularly scheduled induction ceremony.

Resource: Induction Scripts

Step 9: Retention
Involve your new members as much as possible - take hints from the following Resource.

Resource: 300+ Ways to Help Chapters

Resource: The Member-Get-a-Member Campaign: http://www.nursingsociety.org/Membership/Campaigns/Pages/getamember.aspx

"I just received this letter from headquarters about a nurse leader candidate and I don't know what to do."

Periodically, headquarters receives inquiries from interested candidates. When we receive notice of an interested candidate, our goal is to facilitate contact between the chapters and candidates. We request that each candidate complete an online nurse leader interest application. The application will be sent to the chapter suggested by the candidate for a decision. Once you receive this e-mail, start at step 3.