SPECIAL SESSION: The Geriatric Nursing Leadership Academy: Sustainability in Influence and Impact

Description/Overview: The Geriatric Nursing Leadership Academy (GNLA) is designed to prepare and position a global cadre of nurse leaders to transform relevant practice and policy for older adults. The academy provides an intentional personal and professional development experience for Fellows who are mid-career geriatric nurse leaders. A behavioral leadership development philosophy is employed as the foundation of the design of all academy relationships, curriculum activities, faculty modeling, and reflective exercises. Currently conducting the fourth cohort of the international academy, the GNLA Fellows have achieved significant outcomes within three domains: individual leadership development; advancement of practice through leadership of interprofessional team projects; and expanded scope of influence at the organizational, community, and professional levels. Fellows engage in an eighteen month facilitated experience of rigorous leadership development through formal mentoring and faculty relationships, an integrated experiential and intellectual curriculum, development of interprofessional leadership knowledge and skill, and strategic partnerships with senior executives of healthcare organizations. Two immersion leadership development workshops, two site visits, monthly Fellow community conference calls, and frequent regular triad calls provide the framework for the fellowship experience. Designed upon the Kouzes-Posner “Leadership Challenge” model, the GNLA Fellowship provides the foundation for ongoing and sustainable influence and impact in leading policy and practice advancements in caring for older adults. Faculty, Leadership Mentors, and Fellows of the GNLA will present the history and design of the academy, curricular components and leadership development philosophy, exemplars of the mentoring and faculty relationship triad, interprofessional team practice outcomes, and expanded scope of influence within the field of caring for older adults. Former Fellows will describe their ongoing leadership development, relationship building, national networking, involvement in advocacy and policy activities, and sustainability of interprofessional advancements originated through their GNLA projects. The impact of the GNLA and its relationship to the future of global leadership and advancements in care of older adults will also be described.