All nurses are leaders.
Leadership is not limited to formal administrative or executive positions. Nurses lead through science, clinical judgment, research, education, policy, population health, innovation, and practice.
Aligning nursing’s brand image with the contemporary profession.

Dimensions of Leadership
- Practice
- Clinical Judgment
- Research
- Education
- Innovation
- Population Health
- Policy
The goal is not to diminish nursing’s highly valued reputation for caring. It is to create a more complete and accurate understanding of the contemporary profession.
Seven dimensions of nursing leadership.
Practice
Direct, expert care that integrates evidence, judgment, and advocacy at every point of contact.
Clinical Judgment
Complex, real-time decision-making that safeguards patients and coordinates care.
Research
Generating and applying evidence that advances the science of nursing and healthcare.
Education
Teaching, mentoring, and preparing the next generation of nurses and informed patients.
Innovation
Designing new models, tools, and workflows that improve care and systems.
Population Health
Leading prevention, equity, and community health beyond individual encounters.
Policy
Shaping the systems, standards, and legislation that govern health and the profession.
The goal is not to diminish nursing’s highly valued reputation for caring.
It is to expand the image to match the full reality of the profession.
See the Global FindingsRead the research behind nurses as leaders.
Explore the scholarship and join the international effort to advance nursing’s brand image.
