Sharing Ongoing Success: Strategies for Submitting a Chapter Key Award Application

Chapters throughout the world struggle with developing a strategic plan and aligning activities with the chapter key award criteria.  Receiving the key award is an acknowledgement of chapter excellence, and this presentation will outline strategies used by one chapter that has received 12 key awards.  This presentation ties in with the theme of the conference, Influencing Change through Leadership by providing concrete ideas of how chapters can plan activities to ensure chapter excellence and promote the mission of Sigma Theta Tau International.  The information presented will help chapters examine leadership modalities that can positively influence change in organizations, demonstrate problem-solving strategies to achieve positive outcomes, and implement best practices in evidence-based interprofessional leadership skills.

The current key award criteria and chapter responsibilities (STTI, 2016) will be briefly reviewed, as well as how the criteria tie in with the Presidential Call for Action (STTI, 2015).  Strategies that have led to successful key award applications will be outlined.  This include, but are not limited to:  designation a responsible person or group to collect data, building the chapter strategic plan around the key award criteria, and continuing programs that help meet criteria.  This also includes developing new programs that address changes in the criteria, ensuring chapter activities are advertised and documented in multiple communication formats, and using available STTI resources.  Specific examples from previous chapter key award applications will be provided during the presentation.  All of the strategies will help chapters sustain their efforts to maintain excellence in their activities.

Pitfalls and potential stumbling blocks in the process will be discussed.  This includes not submitting the annual report or meeting some of the chapter responsibilities,  not following all the directions or providing sufficient detail in the narrative, using the same program or activity for multiple categories, or not responding quickly enough when the update criteria come out after the biennial convention.

The information in this presentation will be helpful to any chapter wanting to apply for this recognition, and could fall in academic, clinical, or leadership categories.