Nurse Leadership Academy
Learn more about VNF's newest leadership development program.
About the Nurse Leadership Academy
The waitlist is open for the 2026 cohort!
The Nurse Leadership Academy is a nine month leadership development program spearheaded by the Virginia Nurses Foundation in partnership with the Virginia Nurses Association. Intended for new and aspiring nurse leaders across all healthcare settings, fellows of this robust program learn foundational leadership skills and demonstrate these skills through an applied leadership project within their organization. If you’re a new or aspiring nurse leader who wants to take your leadership skills and knowledge to new heights, consider becoming a fellow of the Academy’s next graduating class!
The first five months of this Academy program are dedicated to live VIRTUAL didactic sessions. During the subsequent months, fellows develop an applied leadership project with support from their individually identified mentor. If multiple leaders from an organization are participating, they can also choose to do a team applied leadership project! Learn more under “Curriculum,” below.
SECURE YOUR SPOT ON THE WAITLIST! The program is limited to 35 Fellows.
The curriculum will cover 5 Leadership Development Modules:
- Fundamentals of Effective Leadership
- Organizational Culture
- Facilitating a High Reliability Environment
- Influencing Change: Driving Outcomes through Strategic Action
- No Margin No Mission- Examining the Finances of Healthcare
- Applied Leadership Project Presentations
2024 Virtual Program Dates:
- February 2
- February 23
- February 29
- March 22
- April 12
- May 17
- June 7
Final Program Celebration: November 21st in Richmond, Virginia at the Hilton Short Pump
BONUS: All NLA Fellows will receive registration to the VNA & VNF Fall Conference November 22-23 in Richmond, Virginia at the Hilton Short Pump!
Months 1-5:
- 7 Live VIRTUAL didactic sessions
- Fellows will identify a leadership mentor
- Fellows will identify an organization-approved applied leadership project that will demonstrate a positive impact on their organization and showcase their leadership acumen (Fellows from the same organization can work on a team project!)
- Fellows will complete a leadership assessment to gain feedback on their personal leadership style
Months 4-9:
- Fellows will complete an applied leadership project
- A virtual Community will be provided for additional coaching opportunities with program leadership and peer-to-peer engagement
Month 9:
- Fellows will present a formal presentation on their applied leadership project.
Single registration: $1595 per registrant
Group registration: (If your employer will be paying for 3 or more registrants from your organization) $1495
per registrant
Fellows will learn foundational leadership skills and demonstrate this through successful completion of an applied leadership project within their organization.
The VNF Nightingale Legacy Fund was created as a tribute to nursing leaders who have made a difference and to help support the development of the Nurse Leadership Academy.
The Nurse Leadership Academy is a nine month curriculum where high performing nurses with less than five years of management experience can garner exposure and immersion in key topics while strengthening their leadership core competencies.
Monies donated will help support this leadership development program and provide donors with an opportunity to recognize and give tribute to those they are thankful for because of the difference
their leadership has made to us.
The nurse leader you recognize will receive an email letting them know you wanted to say thank you!
NLA Scholarships Available Through the Virginia Department of Health
Please check back in 2026, our next program year!
Click the button below to navigate to a separate webpage and view the work of each fellow or team of fellows from our inaugural 2022 program. We invite you to learn from their work and consider how you can transfer this to your organization!
Please direct any Nurse Leadership Academy questions to VNF & VNA's Director of Professional Development Ashley Henry at ahenry@virginianurses.org.
Interested in mentoring a Nurse Leadership Academy Fellow? Contact VNF & VNA's Director of Professional Development Ashley Henry at ahenry@virginianurses.org.