Organizational Fact Sheet

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International – In 1922 six nurses founded Sigma Theta Tau at the Indiana University Training School for Nurses, now the Indiana University School of Nursing, in Indianapolis, Ind, USA. The founders chose the name from the Greek words Storgé, Tharsos and Timé meaning "love," "courage" and "honor." The honor society became incorporated in 1985 as Sigma Theta Tau International, Inc., a not-for-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) tax status in the United States.

Nursing Knowledge International - Nursing Knowledge International was established in 2002 as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) subsidiary of the honor society to serve the knowledge needs of the global nursing community. Through its Web site, www.nursingknowledge.org, the organization delivers nursing knowledge designed to improve patient outcomes by enhancing the knowledge base of its nurse customers. More than 31,000 nurses have joined the Nursing Knowledge International community.

The International Honor Society of Nursing Building Corporation – The Building Corporation, incorporated in 1993 as a corporation with 501(c)(2) status, holds title to real and personal property for the benefit of Sigma Theta Tau International. The Building Corporation also manages and maintains the honor society’s 39,350 square foot building and grounds.

Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation of Nursing – The Foundation holds all permanent funds of the honor society. These assets are distributed over nine different endowed or restricted funds, each established for a specific purpose. Endowed funds contain donations made by members and friends of nursing, but only the interest earned from these funds are distributed. Restricted funds hold monies that are given to the honor society for a specific activity and distributed accordingly.

Organizational Mission

The mission of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is to support the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses committed to make a difference in health worldwide.

Society Vision

The vision of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is to create a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service and learning to improve the health of the world’s people.

Membership

Membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing. Here are some additional facts about our membership:

• More than 405,000 members have been inducted worldwide.
• More than 130,000 active members make Sigma Theta Tau International the second largest nursing organization in the United States.
• Members reside in more than 114 countries.
• Sixty-one percent of active members hold master’s and/or doctoral degrees; 26 percent are staff nurse/clinicians; 20 percent are nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, or clinical specialists; 16 percent are administrators or supervisors; and 23 percent are educators or researchers
• There are 463 chapters on college campuses in Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Wales, Kenya, Malawi and the United States.
• The honor society communicates regularly with more than 100 nurse leaders who have expressed interest in establishing a chapter in other countries and territories, including Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Israel, Germany, Jamaica, Lebanon, Lithuania, New Zealand, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Society History

Products and Services

From its inception, the honor society has recognized the value of scholarship and excellence in nursing practice. In 1936 the honor society became the first U.S. organization to fund nursing research. Today, the honor society supports these values through its numerous professional development products and services that focus on the core areas of education, leadership, career development, evidence-based nursing, research and scholarship. These products and services advance the learning and professional development of members and all nurses who strive to improve the health of the world’s people:

• The honor society, with its chapters and grant partners (corporations, associations and foundations), contributes more than $500,000 annually to nursing research through grants, scholarships and monetary awards.
• A number of education and research conferences are supported by the honor society, including a yearly research congress that presents the latest nursing research from around the world and a biennial convention that offers nursing’s best practices in clinical, scientific and leadership areas.
• Online continuing education offers peer-reviewed, interactive learning activities which are presented in a variety of learning formats including case studies, evidence-based articles and module courses. These activities are Web-linked to full-text articles and abstracts and are available for continuing education contact hours.
• The honor society’s career development programming provides resources for every stage in the career process, from selection of nursing as a profession to active retirement.
• Leadership programs include mentoring programs and global health care think tanks.
• Alliances with other leading providers of nursing knowledge products and services round out the honor society’s offering and provide added value to its members.   

The honor society produces a variety of publications that also support the learning and professional development of nurses:

• Journal of Nursing Scholarship, a leading, peer-reviewed scholarly journal with a global circulation of 125,000, is published quarterly and is available in both print and full-text, searchable online formats to members and subscribers.
• Reflections on Nursing Leadership is the honor society's award-winning, quarterly e-newsmagazine that communicates nurses' contributions and relevance to the health of people worldwide.
• Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing™, a quarterly periodical available in print and full text, searchable online formats to members and subscribers, is a leading global source of the best research and evidence available with applications to nursing practice, administration, education and policy.
• Chapter Leader Emphasis is a quarterly newsletter sent to more than 3,500 chapter leaders.
• Create the Future is a monthly electronic newsletter sent to all members.
• Scholarly books on a wide range of topics in nursing and health care of interest to members and other nurses around the world.

In addition, the honor society hosts the Registry of Nursing Research online database in its Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library. The emphasis of the library is on advancing the development, dissemination and utilization of nursing research.