SPECIAL SESSION: The Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy: Taking Clinical Leadership to the Next Level

Description/Overview: The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, in partnership with Johnson and Johnson, has advanced the leadership skills of maternal and child nurses and nurse midwives in its 18-month Maternal Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy (MCH). In the 12 years since its launch, more than 296 nurses and nurse midwives from six countries have taken part in the MCH Academy. During this presentation, faculty will discuss the MCH Academy model; this session will offer a synopsis of the MCH Academy goals, objectives, structure, learning activities and outcomes. These nurses and nurse midwives work with mothers and babies up to age five in a variety of health care settings across North America. Over the duration of the academy, Fellows are paired with Leadership Mentors and Faculty Advisors to plan and implement an interprofessional leadership project. MCH is designed to operationalize leadership skills and apply them in health systems for sustainable impact. This academy offers a unique mentorship model that provides the foundation for life changing leadership development. For example, leadership behavior scores for academy Fellows have increased, on average, by 11% and scores for academy Mentors have increased by 9%. At the conclusion of the 18-month academy the Fellows disseminate project results according to the principles of evidence-based research at an international conference. Based on the reports of the MCH participants, 90% of the academy projects are sustained at their institution because of policy changes and improved patient care. In addition, 50% of projects served as a catalyst for other projects aimed at improving the health and well-being of mothers and babies. For example, a Fellow’s project decreased NICU stay by 1.47 days during the academy. The MCH Academy experience strengthens individual leadership behaviors in nurses and nurse midwives, enabling them to expand their scope of influence, lead interprofessional teams and facilitate health care system changes to impact quality patient care outcomes.