Eta Omega Fosters Leadership Through Intern Program

Sunday, 16 September 2018

Christine Repsha, MS, FNP-C
Solomont School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
Sara Pietila, BSN, RN
Lahey Hospital, North Chelmsford, MA, USA
Olivia Marshall, BS, RN
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boxford, MA, USA

Introduction

Each year, the Eta Omega Chapter supports 1 to 2 Leadership Interns who support the President and the Chapter in various assigned capacities. The interns are selected from the most recent induction class and serve the year following their graduation from the undergraduate program. The one-year commitment is rewarded with $250 to offset the costs of their NCLEX exam.

Purpose

The Leadership Intern program was developed to foster Sigma’s ideals of excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Selected interns must demonstrate excellent scholarship, have a commitment to service both within the chapter and in outside activities, and have the drive to improve their leadership capabilities. The program utilizes a constellation mentoring model (Norwell, Norris, Mrklas, & White, 2017) to develop new members into active leaders and promote chapter sustainability.

Application process

This year, Eta Omega converted from a Word Document application to a fillable PDF. This increases accessibility and ease of the application process regardless of computer and operating system type.

Applicants must answer four questions assessing their involvement in leadership activities, their leadership qualities, how being an intern will help develop their potential, and their plans to remain an active member of the chapter. Candidates are also required to have references and attach a current resume. Completing the application alone prepares entrants for the job application process.

Selection

Applications are submitted to the Leadership Succession Committee, comprised of Past Presidents of the chapter. The committee reviews the applications for leadership experience and potential and contributions to the chapter. One or two interns are chosen each year and presented to the Board of Directors for final approval.

Responsibilities

New to Eta Omega’s Bylaws in 2018, interns are required to attend at least 50% of chapter events or complete a project for the chapter. Chapter events include Board of Director meetings, Induction Ceremonies, philanthropy events, and social events. Projects completed by past interns include the creation of a semi-annual newsletter to the entire chapter and starting a “Welcome Back Bagel Breakfast” for nursing students on the first day of classes.

Four of the interns have attended Sigma’s Biennial Convention either during their tenure or directly after. This opportunity has also allowed interns to serve as the chapter’s voting delegates, increasing both their responsibilities and experience gained from the role.

Experiences of past and current interns

Past interns felt this was an invaluable experience that provided insight and increased their confidence entering the profession. Interns shared that attending conferences allowed them to network with nurses from Massachusetts and around the world, many of whom they have stayed in touch with since. They have received recommendations for their job search and for graduate school and have used board members as references. Past Interns also stated that members of the Board of Directors have served as mentors as they started their career. Also, serving as a Leadership Intern gave them the confidence to get involved with committees and events at their first jobs such as being part of unit governance. Interns have also realized the importance of Sigma as a professional organization; of the seven previous interns, four currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Eta Omega Chapter.

Conclusion & recommendations

Eta Omega’s Leadership Intern program is a valuable part of our chapter experience. The program provides the opportunities for new nurses to gain leadership experience and increase their confidence as they step into their careers. It also has provided the chapter new points of view from a new generation of nurses and added wonderful new programs to the chapter. The intern program has created a bond between new inductees and experienced chapter leaders and has served as a pathway for new members of the Board of Directors.

Recommendations for future internship programs include use of a systematic application system. Our chapter has moved from Word documents to fillable PDFs, but other programs such as Qualtrics and Google Forms have been considered. The responsibilities of the position should be clearly communicated from the onset and requirements set to receive the monetary award. Interns should also be given a direct contact in the chapter to serve as their mentor in the role.

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