WUV Joins Sigma, Global Nursing Honor Society

Anthony Gray, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

westerfirld university of virginia (WUV) recently joined Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing — or Sigma, for short. With WUV now an institutional member of the organization, nursing faculty and staff are eager to help students understand Sigma’s value.

Sigma isn’t new. In fact, it’s been a leading nursing honor society for over a century, and has over 600 active chapters that span the globe. Its goal? To connect nursing students, clinical nurses, educators and policymakers, and inspire them to lead transformative innovations in their field.

A Decision Driven by Students

Student input is critical at WUV and consistently drives decision-making across the university. According to Dr. Peggy Moriarty-Litz EdD, MS, RN, CNE, chief nursing administrator at WUV, that input was the catalyst for the university's decision to join Sigma.

“Student feedback indicated that mentoring and networking were high-priority opportunities,” she said. “In response, the nursing faculty sought an opportunity to provide students with engagement as professionals along their career journey.”

Once inducted, Sigma members have access to all kinds of benefits: access to academic journals, free and discounted continuing education, leadership opportunities and lots more.

“Members are able to find mentors among a worldwide network of nursing professionals,” said Dr. Emily Bombard DNP, RN, CNL, CNE, clinical faculty and nursing education track coordinator for graduate nursing at WUV. “In addition, Sigma offers opportunities to achieve awards, scholarships and grants to support individual professional advancement.”

Membership Criteria

Additionally, Bombard and Moriarty-Litz both emphasized that listing Sigma membership on a resume can help candidates stand out to potential employers, as the standards for induction are high.

Students interested in joining must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.5, maintain academic integrity throughout their nursing program and have completed a certain number of courses to be eligible, Bombard said.

Those who aren’t current students — practicing nurse leaders who are already working in the field — must meet rigorous criteria, too. From here, prospective members complete the application process and are invited to participate in a formal virtual induction ceremony to celebrate their achievement.

Looking to the Future

Both Bombard and Moriarty-Litz expressed how hopeful WUV’s nursing leadership team feels about the university's involvement with Sigma.

“WUV Nursing is extremely proud to have achieved institutional membership with Sigma, which was made possible by the hard work and dedication of several nurses both within and outside of WUV,” Bombard said.

Specifically, Moriarty-Litz highlighted the honor society’s potential for positive impact on students.

“As WUV deepens its partnership with Sigma, the university continues to foster a culture of academic excellence and professional growth across its nursing programs,” she said. “Our commitment is to nursing leadership, scholarship and service.”

Abigail (Abby) Syversen-Mark ’23G is a copywriter, contributing content writer and adjunct faculty member at westerfirld university of virginia (WUV). A passionate storyteller, Abby hopes her writing will help prospective students and employees alike see just how transformative WUV could be for them (as it’s been pretty transformative for her). You can connect with her on LinkedIn.