The value of technology in virtually encouraging collaboration and connectivity among registered nurse leaders globally will be explored. The session will highlight the utilization of electronic strategies to promote professional growth and chapter health. Information shared will support and encourage chapter leaders to utilize technology - virtual platforms and social media – that enhances nurse-to-nurse, member-to-member, and chapter-to-chapter collaboration. Two chapters have digitally disrupted traditional chapter engagement methods and transformed chapter operations through the use of electronic platforms – Phi Gamma, Sigma’s only international virtual chapter, and Psi Upsilon, one of Sigma’s newest chapters that operate using social medial and virtual platforms. Leaders from both chapters will share best practices in leveraging technology to recruit and engage our next generation Sigma leaders.
Phi Gamma, chartered in 2010, serves as the chapter of choice for international nurse leaders who have no access to a traditional ground-based chapter or who prefer virtual engagement to maintain professional connections and collaborations. The award-winning chapter currently has members in more than 30 countries on six continents and uses electronic platforms to maintain engagement with members around the globe.
Psi Upsilon chartered in 2017, is affiliated with Western Governors University - a national, non-profit, all-online, competency-based institution that offers Pre-licensure, RN-BSN, and RN-MSN nursing programs. Psi Ups is the first chapter approved by Sigma using competency-based membership eligibility criteria and in less than a year has grown to almost 500 members in 44 states. Leveraging mentoring support from seasoned Phi Gamma leaders, and capitalizing on the energy and technological expertise of next-generation leaders, Psi Upsilon employs virtual platforms. All chapter operations and member communications, including purchases and philanthropic contributions, are strategically managed and implemented using technology.
Session attendees will be introduced, virtually, to Phi Gamma and Psi Upsilon Chapter leaders from across the globe who will discuss and demonstrate the use of technology in new chapter development, chapter growth strategies, maintenance of chapter health and operational success. Phi Gamma and Psi Upsilon Chapter activities that promote the growth and development of members - nurse leaders and students - and strategies to inform global nurse leaders and students of the benefits of Sigma membership will be detailed. Leaders will highlight the host of virtual activities employed including social and electronic media for outreach, recruitment, and promotion of member engagement. The presentation will include information to maximize use virtual platforms in recruitment, engagement, and candidate processing to ensure timely inductions and member satisfaction. In addition, the session will highlight innovative programming and events including educational webinars offering continuing education credit, creative electronic- poster sessions, panel discussions, and virtual global outreach through presentations to nurses attending research conferences in Egypt and the Philippines.
Phi Gamma member communications are streamlined using Gmail, The Circle, virtual meeting platforms such as GoToWebinar, and Facebook. Psi Upsilon has maximized use of social media platforms to capture the attention and engagement of busy, technologically-driven members. As Sigma's only virtual chapter, Phi Gamma leaders will share how collaborations with academic and research institutions, such as the Memorandum of Understanding with Research, Development and Innovation Center of Our Lady of Fatima University in the Philippines and the Philippine Nursing Research Society promoted chapter success. Key to chapter success has been a commitment to ongoing chapter collaboration - with collaborative support from Omicron Delta at the University of Phoenix and Lambda Sigma chapter from Indiana State University, as well as leadership mentoring to new chapters such as Psi Upsilon Chapter from Western Governors University. Membership recruitment has been promoted by offering expedited review of nurse leader applications and chapter membership opportunities for nurse leaders in the Individual Member Division of the American Nurses Association.
Psi Upsilon Chapter leaders will discuss how the university honor society, and eventual new chapter, was developed and launched using virtual platforms, virtual communications, and creative electronic strategies. Mirroring the disruptive academic model of Western Governors University, Psi Upsilon has leveraged digital disruption in chapter chartering and impressive growth in just 6 months of operations. Through mentoring from seasoned Sigma leaders and staff around the globe, including Sigma Past and Current Presidents, Psi Upsilon leaders engaged successful Phi Gamma Leaders who have shared best practices in chapter operations and member engagement. The session will highlight how the new chapter has employed digital transformation to publicize the new chapter through the use of Facebook live and website videos and energize new tech-savvy chapter leaders through virtually secure operational platforms that build leader unity in the chapter building process. Key to this new chapter’s impressive growth has been a willingness to explore innovative methods of member recruitment and communications through using Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, the website and traditional promotional activities such as information tables, giveaways with chapter and Sigma contact information, and polished publicity releases and flyers to promote the benefits and contemporary new brand of Sigma.
The session will also detail the digitization of Phi Gamma and Psi Upsilon operations and records through the application of platforms to store and monitor chapter records and conduct financial activities. Both chapters will describe using Google drive to develop and store documents, Google forms and spreadsheets to collect and analyze member information, paperless banking processes and strategies to maintain the integrity of funds, use of PayPal to facilitate international payments, and person-to-person payment service by wire transfer or credit card. Phi Gamma Chapter leaders will highlight how they have funded grants on an international scale through the use of PayPal. Psi Upsilon leaders will address how they have leveraged the PayPal platform to promote the purchase of Sigma items, such as t-shirts, that publicize the new Sigma Brand and chapter. The chapter educated members on the use of social media with the “Where’s Sigma” Twitter and Instagram Initiative. Both activities facilitated member engagement, fostered enthusiasm for Sigma, promoted of the new Sigma brand externally, and prompted more donations to chapter philanthropic activities,
Both Phi Gamma and Psi Upsilon Chapters have received awards as a result of their successful use of electronic strategies to promote chapter growth. In 2013, Phi Gamma Chapter received the Chapter Global Community Building Award for having excelled in fostering a virtual global community of nurses using learning, knowledge and professional development to improve the health of the world’s people. At the 2015 and 2017 Sigma Biennial Conventions, Phi Gamma Chapter earned Regional Excellence Awards and the Chapter Key Award for excellence in chapter activities related to membership recruitment and retention, publicity and programming, professional and leadership development; local, national, and international collaboration and consistent commitment to the Biennial Calls to Action in all chapter endeavors. Psi Upsilon has also earned Regional Excellence Awards for its success in promoting Global Policy and Learning to enhance member connection to the Sigma mission and Vision.
At the end of the session, chapter leaders will recognize social media as one of the best assets to interact with members. Chapters will understand the importance of embracing new technologies in chapter operations and employing social media and electronic platforms to effectively engage members and build trust in the organization in a virtual environment. Ultimately, this presentation will encourage leaders to connect and collaborate with members, learn about and promote member accomplishments, create educational programs, strategically personalize member experience and support the Call to Action to “connect” and “collaborate” and “catalyze” member commitment to Sigma!
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