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Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing & Gamma Phi Chapter at RUSH

Cathy Catrambone, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate professor Cathy Catrambone, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a past president of Sigma Theta Tau International

The mission of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.

STTI membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing. Here are some additional facts about our membership: 

  • STTI has more than 135,000 active members.
  • Members reside in more than 90 countries.
  • 39 percent of active members hold master’s and/or doctoral degrees; 51 percent are in staff positions; 19 percent are administrators or supervisors; 18 percent are faculty/academics; and 12 percent are in advanced practice.
  • There are roughly 515 chapters at more than 700 institutions of higher education throughout Armenia, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon​, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
  • STTI communicates regularly with more than 100 nurse leaders who have expressed interest in establishing chapters globally, including those in Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Israel, Germany, Jamaica, Jordan, New Zealand and Spain.

Gamma Phi Chapter at RUSH

RUSH University College of Nursing established a local honor society in 1976, one year after the graduation of the first class of baccalaureate nursing students. Faculty members who were already members of Sigma Theta Tau International chapters led the campaign to establish a Sigma Theta Tau chapter at RUSH University. With support from Dr. Luther Christman, our dean at that time, members of the honor society established a steering committee whose charge was to start a Sigma Theta Tau International chapter at Rush.

On Oct. 22, 1977, the House of Delegates of Sigma Theta Tau voted to grant a charter to the Rush College of Nursing Honor Society. The RUSH College of Nursing Honor Society became the fifth chapter in the state of Illinois. Our chapter name, Gamma Phi, is a result of us being the 91st STTI chapter with the names given sequentially based upon the Greek alphabet. The chartering ceremony took place on May 19, 1978. During the ceremony, 30 transfer members and 110 new members were inducted. Andrea Barsevick was elected the first chapter president. Since then, over 1,400 nurses have been inducted into the Gamma Phi Chapter.

Visit the RUSH chapter of STTI on the Gamma Phi Chapter page.