Description/Overview: There have been repeated calls for expansion of leadership in the transformation of health care. A cadre of gerontologic nurse leaders is a priority for building the workforce necessary to provide care for our aging population. These nurse leaders must be able to influence the practice of all health professionals in the delivery of care to older adults. Effective inter-professional leadership has been correlated with improved patient care outcomes, increased retention of personnel, and sustained system change in healthcare organizations. Through a rigorous intellectual and experiential learning platform, committed mentoring relationships, strategic partnerships with senior executives, and leadership of an inter-professional project team; the national Geriatric Nursing Leadership Academy (GNLA) has resulted in significant outcomes regarding the advancement of practice at the individual patient and family level, system and organizational changes including impact on market share, workforce development through education of geriatric resource nurses (GRN) and other health professionals in the care of older adults, leadership of national professional organizations, and involvement within regional and national policy arenas. Fellows from the GNLA have led practice improvement projects in acute care settings, community health agencies, and long term care facilities with exceptional outcomes related to the reduced use of psychotropic drugs, reduced staff turnover and increased retention, decreased length of stay, reduced re-admission rates, reduced falls, increased geriatric knowledge among nursing staff, implementation of new practice guidelines, improved staff professionalism, and additional practice advancements. Using evidence from the GNLA Fellows activities, outcome data related to individual leadership development, practice advancements through the leadership of inter-professional team projects, professional development, organizational impact and national influence will be presented.

Learner Objective #1: Identify three inter-professional practice advancements resulting from the Geriatric Nursing Leadership Academy team leadership projects and their associated impact on the care of older adults.

Learner Objective #2: Describe the mechanisms employed by the Fellows of the GNLA to lead healthcare systems change and to become actively involved in the national policy arena.