Shortly after new inductees have been introduced to the nursing program, hold a welcome night where new members of the nursing program can meet veteran members. Invite new members to participate in the nursing club by joining a committee, helping with service projects or planning future events for the club. Incorporate get-to-know-you activities during the welcome night such as icebreakers and introduction games. Include food in your welcome night so people will linger and chat as they eat.
Planning and holding service projects can help members of nursing student clubs to get to know one another better and serve the local community. An added benefit of holding service projects is that nursing students may discover latent talents, make networking connections with medical professionals and build organizational and leadership skills. Plan a blood drive, a rummage sale, a food drive or a service project for a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
Any athletic coach will tell you that spirit wear builds a team's morale, and the same holds true for a nursing student club. Design a T-shirt or sweatshirt with the name of the nursing student club printed on it, and sell the shirts to members of the club. Encourage members of the club to wear their shirts when the club works in the community or when the school celebrates spirit week.
Successful nursing student clubs keep their members informed of all upcoming events. If your club has a small budget, skip printing newsletters and publish a blog instead. Include a calendar on your blog, and verify that members have contact information for each other so they can keep in touch easily. Facebook groups also help members of nursing clubs stay informed of meetings, deadlines, job opportunities and important announcements.