Other Titles
From Academy to Action: Gamma Psi at-Large Chapter Global Advocacy & Sustainable Development Goals Initiative
Abstract
Background. Nurses are well positioned to translate global priorities into local education, service, leadership, and policy advocacy. Sigma has special consultative status with the United Nations and encourages members and chapters to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Sigma Virtual Mini-Academy: Global Advocacy provided a structured opportunity to strengthen advocacy knowledge and apply the SDG framework within a professional nursing organization. This chapter-based model uses global advocacy through the adoption of selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and related service activities. Gamma Psi at-Large is establishing its own Sustainable Development Goals Initiative to integrate Sigma’s global advocacy priorities into chapter programming, leadership, education, service, and community engagement.
Purpose. To describe the development and initial chapter approval of a Sustainable Development Goals Initiative for the Sigma Gamma Psi at-Large Chapter, designed to make global advocacy visible, practical, and sustainable within chapter programming.
Methods. Following six weeks of Global Advocacy Mini-Academy learning, an action-plan proposal was prepared and presented to the Gamma Psi at-Large Chapter Board on May 28, 2026. The proposal outlined a standing chapter focus or committee, leadership structure, initial priorities, potential activities, and a plan for annual impact reporting. The initiative was framed as chapter-level work aligned with Sigma's United Nations and SDG engagement, without claiming a separate United Nations chapter designation.
Results. The Board unanimously approved the establishment of the chapter Sustainable Development Goals Initiative and designated Joy A. Bliss, PhD, RN, as Committee Chair to lead implementation. The initial priorities are SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities; and SDG 13, Climate Action. Planned activities include SDG education during chapter meetings, student-led advocacy projects, environmental and climate-health education, community-based health promotion, collaboration with student and community partners, and annual documentation of chapter outcomes.
Conclusion. This action plan demonstrates a feasible pathway for translating global nursing advocacy into sustained chapter action. The initiative creates an organizational structure for members and students to connect nursing leadership, health equity, environmental health, community partnership, and scholarship with the SDGs. By beginning within a professional nursing chapter, nurses can create measurable local contributions that support broader global health and sustainability priorities.
Notes
References:
Sigma Nursing. (n.d.). Nurses can influence global healthcare and policy. https://www.sigmanursing.org/docs/default-source/rnl/influence-global-health-and-policy.pdf
Sigma Nursing. (2026, March 4). Nurses invited to join Sigma's eighth Global Advocacy Virtual Mini-Academy cohort. https://nursingcentered.sigmanursing.org/news/stti-news/2026/03/04/nurses-invited-to-join-sigma-s-eighth-global-advocacy-virtual-mini-academy-cohort
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
United Nations. (n.d.). The 17 goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
This abstract reports the approved chapter action and planned implementation activities; it does not report completed outcome data beyond the May 28, 2026 Board approval.
Sigma Membership
Pi at-Large
Lead Author Affiliation
Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Global Advocacy, Sustainable Development Goals, Nursing Leadership, Health Equity, Climate Action, Professional Nursing Organizations
Recommended Citation
Bliss, Joy A., "From Academy to Action: Establishing a Sustainable Development Goals Initiative in a Sigma Chapter" (2026). Global Advocacy. 26.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/ga_series/26
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Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Faculty/Mentor Approved: Sigma Academy Participant Poster
Acquisition
Self-submission
Date of Issue
2026-09-14
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This Global Advocacy Action Plan describes the establishment of a Sustainable Development Goals Initiative within Sigma Gamma Psi at-Large Chapter. The initiative integrates Sigma’s global advocacy priorities with selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 13: Climate Action. The action plan highlights chapter board approval, student climate-health scholarship, environmental health advocacy, the ANHE Fellowship connection, and proposed chapter programming, service, education, and community engagement activities.