MEMBERSHIP

Membership Criteria

Qualifications for Membership
a. Candidates for all categories of membership shall be considered without regard to race, age, gender, creed, color, national origin, disability or other legally protected categories dependent upon jurisdiction.
b. Regular Member
1) Students in Basic Program
Basic program is defined as a baccalaureate or higher degree program which leads to the first professional nursing degree. Students shall have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent, i.e. “B” or the second highest grade of the institution as indicated by the official record of grades and shall have completed at least one-half of the required nursing component of the baccalaureate curriculum. Basic students who are elected shall rank not lower than the highest 35 percent of their class in scholarship. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the chapter’s eligibility committee when a student has a qualifying grade point average in the nursing major, has demonstrated consistent progress in academic achievement, and meets, to a high level, the other qualifications for membership. When grade averages are not available, the use of a reliable and valid measure, such as a rating tool, shall be used to determine scholastic achievement.

2) Students in Graduate Programs
Candidates shall be elected from students enrolled in accredited programs of graduate study in nursing including master, post-master, doctoral, and post-doctoral. Students in graduate programs shall be eligible for membership if they have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, and have completed a minimum of one-quarter of the required graduate curriculum. Candidates shall have demonstrated superior academic achievement, academic integrity, and professional leadership potential.

3) Nurse Leader A nurse leader, who is a registered nurse, legally recognized to practice in his/her country with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent in any field, and who has demonstrated achievement in nursing, shall be eligible for membership.