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Leadership Skills Development Program

The goal of the Leadership Skills Development Program is to provide leadership skills to aspiring, emerging, and current frontline pediatric nurse leaders. Participants will participate in a series of online courses to strengthen their leadership skills and enhance their ability to perform in their workplace. Annual cohorts have a minimum of 7 people and a maximum of 20 people. Throughout the duration of the program, participants will select and develop a leadership project under the guidance of a championing leader within their organization. Upon completion, a certificate of completion and 10 + NCPD contact hours will be awarded.

Program Overview pdf

Target Audience

The target audience of the SPN Leadership Skills Development Program includes aspiring, emerging, and current frontline pediatric nurse leaders with leadership experience between 0-5 years. Inquiring participants should be interested in enhancing their leadership skills in the following ways:

  • Demonstrating leadership skills in their practice by integrating new skills or strategies.
  • Integrating new experiences into their professional and leadership development.
  • Encouraging diversity in leadership roles.

SPN PROGRAM FACILITATORS

  • Program Lead – Tina Spagnola, MSN, RN, NE-BC, NPD-BC – SPN Director of Programs
  • Various subject matter experts according to topic

Program outline

The 2027 session series will begin with an orientation on Wednesday, January 7, 2027, and activities will wrap up by December 2027. The following items are expected or required of eligible participants:

  • Interactive 12-month course with ten, 60-minute live sessions focused on:
    • Developing Self-leadership 
    • Change Management
    • Project Management Tools
    • Developing Financial Acumen 
    • Communication
    • Leading Effective Teams
    • Virtual Nursing
    • Emotional Intelligence
    • Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Leadership
    • Just Culture 
  • Required access to video and microphone computer access to fully participate in Zoom meetings/interactive webinars
  • Participants must complete pre-work which may consist of the following:
    • Pre-reading 
    • SPN Leadership Podcasts
    • Additional assignments as determined by the subject matter expert
  • Required participation in live interactive webinars, adherence to the timeline, and engagement with the program leader to fully complete the program.
    • Pre-work is to be completed before the live session
    • Live session attendance is required to fully benefit from the program and receive contact hours
  • Completion of project showcased at SPN’s Annual Conference via poster presentation and/or podium presentation.

Expected outcome

  • Participants in the Leadership Skills Development Program will report that their leadership skills have enhanced their ability to perform in their workplace.

expectations

  • Participants are expected to participate in all classes and complete all session pre-work and evaluations.

2027 program fees are listed below:

SPN Member Price: $290
Non-Member Price: $370

Please note: SPN does not provide refunds of program fees after the initial start date of the program.

Session schedule

Session Schedule Subject Matter Expert Pre-Work Due Date Interactive Webinar Date
January - Orientation Tina Spagnola, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NE-BC  N/A  Wednesday, January 7 – 12:00 p.m. PT; 2:00 p.m. CT; 3:00 p.m. ET 

January - Developing Self-leadership (review leadership styles, determine self-leadership style, establish self-leadership goals)

Nichole Hackbarth, MSN, RN, CPN

  Friday, January 8  Wednesday, January 13 – 12:00 p.m. PT; 2:00 p.m. CT; 3:00 p.m. ET
February - Change management (understand components of change management processes and leading change)  Brandi   O'Dell, MSN, RN, CPN  Friday, February 19  Friday February 26 -       12:00 p.m. PT; 2:00 p.m. CT; 3:00 p.m. ET
March - Project Management Tools
 Amy Marks, MSN, RN, CPHQ, CPN  Friday, March 12  Tuesday, March 16 – 12:00 p.m. PT; 2:00 p.m. CT; 3:00 p.m. ET 
April - Developing Financial Acumen around budgeting, costs, and payer mix (reviewing budget terms and various types of budgets)  Melodie Davis, DNP, RN, CNP  Thursday, March 25  Tuesday, April 6 – 12:00 p.m. PT; 2:00 p.m. CT; 3:00 p.m. ET
May - Communication (active listening, encouraging direct and open discussion, effective feedback, initiating difficult conversations, and understanding and communicating expectations) Rhonda Cooper, MSN, RN, NEA-BC  Monday, May 17  Thursday, May 20 – 11:00 a.m. PT; 1:00 p.m. CT; 2:00 p.m. ET
June - Leading effective teams (developing teams, teamwork, and collaboration, motivating and engaging staff)

Maureen Chin, MSN, RN

  Friday, June 4  Tuesday, June 8 – 12:00 p.m. PT; 2:00 p.m. CT; 3:00 p.m. ET
July - Virtual Nursing  Allison Schlinkert, MSN, RN, NPD-BC  Friday, July 16  Tuesday, July 20 - 12:00 p.m. PT; 2:00 p.m. CT; 3:00 p.m. ET
August - Emotional intelligence (recognizing and positively managing emotions in yourself and others) Brooke Callahan, BSN, RN, PED-BC  Friday, August 13  Tuesday, August 17 – 10:00 a.m. PT; 12:00 p.m. CT; 1:00 p.m. ET
September - Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Leadership  Zhen Lin, PhD, MS, MB, RN, NI-BC, FAMIA  Friday, September 17  Tuesday, September 21 - 10:00 a.m. PT; 12:00 p.m. CT; 1:00 p.m. ET
October - Just culture (Framework for how to integrate just culture as a leader)  Stefanie Tanner, MSN, RN, CPEN  Friday, October 15  Tuesday, October 19 – 10:00 a.m. PT; 12:00 p.m. CT; 1:00 p.m. ET
November - Activity: Work on project      
December - Activity: Wrap up project to submit report
      

 

Measurement of success

    • Pre- and post-leadership skills self-assessment
    • Pre- and post-assessment of the learner by a leader in their organization
    • Follow-up survey regarding leadership opportunities
    • Project/goal achieved
    • Certificate of completion
    • 10+ NCPD contact hours awarded to those that complete all program components