SPECIAL SESSION: Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy: Mentored Leadership Development in Three Domains

Description/Overview: A rigorous international leadership development experience, the Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy (NFLA) is designed to facilitate personal leadership development; foster academic career success; promote nurse faculty retention and satisfaction; and cultivate high performing, supportive work environments in academe. The NFLA is designed upon a behavioral philosophy of leadership development which is integrated throughout all components of the academy. Developed for aspiring leaders in nursing education, the NFLA employs a triad mentoring structure as the foundation for the Scholars’ academy learning milieu. Composed of an experienced Leadership Mentor, an academy Faculty Advisor, and the Scholar participant this learning triad meets regularly throughout the experience to implement the application of curricular activities, to guide reflective exercises, and to provide a framework for the leadership development process. Constructed upon the Kouzes-Posner “Leadership Challenge” model, the twenty month leadership development curriculum is constructed upon three domains: individual leadership development, advancing nursing education through leadership of team projects, and the Scholars’ expanded scope of influence within their sponsoring academic institutions, the community, and the profession. Two immersion leadership development workshops, two Site Visits, and monthly Scholar Community Conference Calls are conducted during the academy. Triads meet several times each month for guided conversations. The intense nature of the academy requires intentionality and commitment from all members of the NFLA community. Faculty from the NFLA will describe the leadership development philosophy and approach, history of the academy design and aggregate progress, curricular elements and composition, mentoring roles and responsibilities, and the impact of the NFLA on the future of leadership in nursing education. Scholars will present their leadership development experience through description and storytelling of activities and outcomes from the three domains. Assessment processes, analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation components will be included for each of the domains: individual leadership development, advancing nursing education through leadership of team projects, and the Scholars’ expanded scope of influence within their sponsoring academic institutions, the community, and the profession.