The Department of Nursing and Midwifery at Stellenbosch University's (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) recently hosted an induction ceremony for new members in the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nurses (Sigma). Sigma is an international society of more than 135 000 nurse leaders, with over 600 chapters in more than 100 countries, including South Africa. The new inductees joined the Alpha Beta Beta Chapter that includes members from SU, University of the Western Cape (UWC), University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Western Cape College of Nursing and nurses in clinical practice in the Western Cape public and private sectors. In addition, the chapter has members from the University of Namibia and University of Rwanda.

In this prestigious ceremony, 15 members were inducted into the chapter, including Ms Vanessa Scheepers from SU's Department of Nursing and Midwifery, 11 members from UWC, and one member from UCT, CPUT and the University of Rwanda respectively. The event was attended by 46 guests in the in-person venue, and 10 more guests attending online.

The executive head of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Prof Portia Jordan welcomed the guests and congratulated the inductees on their achievements. Jordan further encouraged the new members to be actively involved in the chapter, and make use of the various opportunities for collaboration, networking, leadership and scholarship, as this will enhance their practice and improve patient care and outcomes.

Two nursing students also showcased their musical talents at the event, Ms Hannah van Stelten, a third-year nursing student at SU, and Ms J Losper, a second-year nursing student at UWC. Prof Wilson Majee from the University of Missouri and current Fulbright scholar at UWC was the guest speaker. Majee shared his experiences as a Fulbright scholar and gave insight into how to access and make the best of a Fulbright scholarship. He shared the various activities he has been able to participate in at different South African institutions and communities.

The new members were inducted by Prof Rugira Modeste from SU, who is the current Alpha Beta Beta chapter president. She shared some of the history, and the vision and mission of the organisation, and welcomed them into the chapter. She led the inductees as they took their oath, making a commitment to nursing excellence, knowledge, service and leadership. Modeste also elaborated on the various benefits of belonging to this organisation, encouraging members to build their own beneficial experience in the chapter. Furthermore, Modeste shared some of her personal experiences on how she has benefited and grown as a member of the chapter and organisation as a whole. Guests were also invited to register and attend the upcoming biennial convention in November.  In closing, Mr Tokwe thanked all the in-person and virtual attendees for their presence in celebrating the new members, as well as all the stakeholders including the various sponsors for the event namely SU, UWC, VanSchaick, Oxford publishers and Pathcare.​