environment, as well as develop nursing leaders who use their voices to advocate for quality patient care and the nursing
profession. A strong nursing presence that recognizes the vulnerability of populations, as well as socioeconomical and
political factors, is critical for the promotion of healthy communities throughout the world. Nursing leaders in nursing
education and practice are essential for fostering advocacy for access to quality care, inclusive of vulnerable populations,
and health prevention and promotion. Today’s health care climate necessitates a strong nursing presence that comes from
the empowerment afforded by solid educational foundations and perspectives. Effective nurse educators masterfully apply
leadership styles and have the necessary skills to drive policy and practice changes, while educating and supporting
students and/or staff to ultimately achieve quality patient outcomes. Nurse educators, in order to be successful leaders
and change agents, have the responsibility to strengthen and retain their leadership competencies in a rapidly changing
health care arena. In addition to the impact of nurse educators’ own leadership platforms, including programmatic
improvement, scholarship, or political activism, nurse educators have a unique opportunity to teach and develop
leadership abilities among their students. Nurse educators are charged to develop nurses who can function effectively and
competently in today’s health care systems, and act as leaders in nursing and health care. It is essential that nurse
educators possess the competency necessary to not only develop leadership skills in their graduates, but also to inspire
graduate voices in order to affect positive change in nursing and health care. Through nursing research and innovative
pedagogy and practice, leaders in nursing influence education, policy, and professional practice and health care, which
advances nursing practice, education and science. The purpose of this presentation is to outline identified themes in the
most recent, evidence-based literature related to leadership in nursing and nursing education. The themes in the
evidence-based literature spanning the last decade related to leadership in nursing education include: 1) advancing
personal leadership potential; 2) organizational success and change; 3) collaboration for best practices; and 4) advocacy
for change. In order to successfully foster future nurse leaders, it is incumbent upon nurse educators to advance their
personal leadership skills, as well as those of undergraduate and graduate students, through formal and informal
education. Ideally, the leadership competencies and examples exemplified by nurse educators will model leadership skills
for learners, and also empower nursing graduates to act as future change agents. Through their education, and by
engaging with nursing leaders, graduates can glean characteristics which can embolden them to lead by using their voices
to impact change in nursing and health care. Nurse leaders work to bridge gaps in communication and establish
relationships between nursing education, institutions of higher learning and health care systems to positively affect
graduate preparation, and ultimately patient outcomes and cost containment. Today’s complex health care delivery system
necessitates strong nursing presence which comes from the empowerment of current and future nurses. Nurses’
influential voices cultivate collaboration between nursing education and practice, as well as interprofessional collaboration,
which can lead to safe, effective and quality patient care. Leaders in nursing are often visionary thinkers, engaging in
opportunities in practice and education, and championing positive changes related to nursing and health care. The voices
of leaders in nursing are instrumental in the development of health policy, changing the delivery of health care to
consumers through board and committee membership, and taking on leadership positions in policy-making organizations.
These themes will be explored in the context of nursing education, nursing practice, and health care delivery and policy.
Insight into the current state of the evidence base, including suggestions as to how to impact change in the current health
care environment will be proposed. Recommendations to stimulate future research, gleaned from the search of the
literature and current evidence-base, are offered to enhance understanding of the nurse educator competency of
functioning as a change agent and leader.