Nursing Students Inducted to International Honor Society
Claudia Beverly, PhD, RN, director of the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence at UAMS, addresses the audience at the Nov. 15 ceremony.
| Nov. 20, 2015 | Nearly 100 students from the UAMS College of Nursing were recently inducted to the Gamma Xi chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society for nursing.
The ceremony, held Nov. 15 in the Fred W. Smith Conference Center on the UAMS campus, welcomed 149 new members to Sigma Theta Tau from UAMS, UALR, the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Henderson State University and Southern Arkansas University. The inductees pledged to fulfill a commitment to nursing excellence, knowledge, service and leadership throughout their health care careers.
Patricia Cowan, PhD, RN, dean of the College of Nursing, was in attendance and provided the welcome address. Claudia Beverly, PhD, RN, director of the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence at UAMS, was the event’s keynote speaker.
Patricia Cowan, PhD, RN, dean of the College of Nursing, provides the welcoming address.
Sigma Theta Tau, the Greek words for love, courage and honor, was founded in 1922 by nurses at the Indiana University Training School for Nurses in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization supports the learning and professional development of its members and strives to create a global community of nurses who lead in using scholarship, knowledge and technology to improve the health of the world’s people.
Gamma Xi is the local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. Students are selected each year for induction based on certain criteria, including academic excellence, ranking in the upper 35th percentile of the graduating class and integrity.
Nurse Leaders are also invited to be inducted. Requirements for Nurse Leaders include: being legally recognized to practice nursing in their country, have a minimum of a baccalaureate degree or equivalent, and demonstrate achievement in nursing.