[4][5] The organization's foundation was based on concerns, at that time, which regarded restrictions in the employment of black nurses to segregated facilities and hospitals, and menial positions where there was little to no chance of advancement in the profession.

[4] The charter chapter, Alpha, was founded and organized by Ailene Carrington Ewell, RN, with the assistance of eleven other black registered nurses, collectively known as the "Jewels".

[12] Today, Chi Eta Phi is a professional organization, rather than a sorority, and its membership is no longer restricted by race or gender.

[4][6] Its journal, The Glowing Lamp, connects to the symbol used to represent Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

[8] The organization's crest is topped by the glowing lamp and features the Cadueceus, the staff carried by Hermes, the herald of the Greek gods who oversaw art of healing or medicine.

[4] Chi Eta Phi's publications include:[15] Charles Dawson, artist and residence at the Tuskegee Institute and curator of the George Washington Carver Museum designed the cover of The Glowing Lamp.

Over 101 graduate and 41 undergraduate chapters have been formed across the United States, in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and in Monrovia, Liberia.