177 - Professional Development and Leadership Academy

Description: The University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health Professional Development and Leadership Academy is a pioneering initiative designed to address the critical nursing workforce shortage and cultivate a new generation of nurse leaders. Recognizing the critical need for skilled healthcare leadership, the Academy provides an innovative curriculum that provides essential leadership skills and bridges the gap from clinical nursing to nursing leadership.
At the heart of the Academy's mission is the commitment to fostering a diverse group of healthcare professionals who already demonstrate leadership qualities in their respective environments. The program offers theoretical knowledge and practical experience, emphasizing mentorship, collaboration, and engagement. Cohort members engage in interactive learning opportunities, develop mentoring relationships with other leaders in the organization, and complete Performance Improvement projects that empower them to strengthen their advocacy skills. Through the PI projects, nurses demonstrate how to effectively identify gaps in workflows/clinical practices/policies, how to research potential interventions to address those gaps, what proper data collection entails, and how to develop sustainable actions that improve patient care.
Through this comprehensive approach, the Leadership Academy seeks to create a sustainable pipeline of nursing leaders who will champion innovation, quality patient care, and inspire future generations of nurses.