Nurse Leadership Institute

Nurse Leadership Institute

Applications for the 2024 - 25 Nurse Leadership Institute are now open. Apply by May 22, 2024.

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Maryland needs nurses who will lead changes to enhance health outcomes for its residents.

Nurse Leadership Institute

The NLI is designed to:

  • build leadership capacity within Maryland nursing faculty and clinicians
  • facilitate partnerships between faculty and clinicians for developing strategies that shape effective health care systems
  • prepare a nursing workforce to assume roles within these evolving systems.

The Nurse Leadership Institute (NLI) is a yearlong leadership development program that strengthens new and experienced nurse leaders. NLI nurses aim to become full partners in developing health care delivery models that improve health outcomes for Maryland residents. Nurses selected for this program demonstrate the leadership potential needed for this challenge.

As an NLI Fellow, you will:

  • become a member of an NLI cohort
  • develop your personal strengths, identify and strengthen your leadership competencies, and create an individualized plan for continued leadership development
  • hear from national health care leaders and NLI alumni
  • take part in psychometric self-assessments with professional coaching
  • complete on a leadership collaboration activity that translates your skills into action
  • earn Nursing Continuing Professional Development (CE) contact hours.

The program includes:

  • yearlong, one-on-one mentorship with a mentor you select
  • monthly virtual leadership meetings (third Wednesday of each month) covering a variety of leadership topics
  • three in-person sessions, including a two-day intensive leadership training

Each year, the program offers grant-funded support for up to 50 Maryland nurses.

The program is funded by Maryland Higher Education Commission through the Nurse Support II program. This funding allows us to offer the NLI program to selected fellows at no cost to them.

Applications are welcomed from eligible nurses employed in Maryland within either:

  • academia
  • a health care system
  • a public health/community health organization

Program Overview

The NLI is a competitive, yearlong multi-pronged leadership program for both nascent and seasoned nurse leaders in academia and practice.

NLI Fellows are seen as the future leaders who will collaborate on and coordinate efforts to improve health care delivery in Maryland. Nurses selected for this program must have demonstrated the leadership potential to meet rising health care and academic changes and challenges.

The program curriculum is designed with Maryland nurse leader input and aligns with many of the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL) competencies. The program builds skills in nine categories:

  1. leadership
  2. effective communication
  3. relationship and team management
  4. shared governance
  5. finance
  6. health economics and policy
  7. community engagement
  8. crisis and risk management
  9. diversity and inclusion. 

Selected candidates, their mentors, and organizations must commit to full participation over the one year period. Developing Maryland Nurse Leadership Capacity and Launching Leaders

Our Origins

NSP: Nurse Support Program II logo

In July 2015, the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission approved and awarded $2.5 in Nurse Support Program II (NSP-II) funding for the Nurse Leadership Institute at the University of Maryland School of Nursing to Patricia Franklin. This five-year, statewide initiative was designed to build Maryland’s nursing leadership capacity.

Read: "Building Maryland's health care leadership capacity: The Nurse Leadership Institute at the University of Maryland School of Nursing," published in Nursing Outlook, Sept.-Oct. 2020.

A previous Maryland NSP II grant, awarded to the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, supported a two-year leadership consortium among five Maryland schools of nursing. Building on the success of that project, this grant-funded program administered through the Commission expands the size, scope, and funding of the original grant.

In 2020, a second, $1.7 million five-year grant was awarded to Yolanda Ogbolu to continue building the next generation of nurse leaders. From 2020 - 2025, the NLI will provide training for 200 practice and academic leaders and their mentors.

To date, 269 nurse leaders and an additional 242 nurse mentors have completed the NLI program.

Our Goal

The NLI’s ultimate goal is to develop nurse leaders that are well prepared to improve the health of Maryland's population. Coordinated and collaborative practice is essential to the development of effective health delivery systems in the state. The program provides nurses with the leadership expertise needed to actively address the changing landscape of health care and academia.