A five year national initiative is being launched to identify, equip and empower a generation of nurse leaders to take the nursing profession into the future.

The College of Nursing Australia will launch its inaugural Emerging Nurse Leader program next year for nursing students at the end of their first or second year of their Bachelor of Nursing studies.

Selected students will be mentored for five years in areas including vision casting, financial management, public speaking and presentation, networking, research and writing, team leadership, communication and conflict resolution, project management and government lobbying.

The College of Nursing chief executive Tracey Osmond said the nursing profession now faces leadership challenges on a new scale.

“Over the next decade, large numbers of experienced nurses are retiring and former leaders within the profession are ageing,” she said.

“The loss to the nursing profession of many potential leaders will potentially have negative effects on the profession.”

Ms Osmond said there was demand nationally and internationally for nurses who can demonstrate leadership skills and participate in professional debates surrounding health care.

She said the program will provide participating nurses with opportunities to develop their skills, vital for their work while also advancing their careers.

“With the specialisation of nursing and a developing role for nurse practitioners worldwide, the college believes it has a responsibility to the profession to ensure that potential nurse leaders have access to the breadth of knowledge within the profession and health care generally, but more importantly support of those with inherent skills in leadership,” she said.

Under the program, participants will attend industry events, expos and conferences and have access to some of the country’s most impressive medical facilities.

Students will carry out research projects in their final years of the program and one participant in each intake will have the opportunity to visit an international medical facility.

Mentors will include current and former leaders from the nursing profession, along with successful leaders in business, education and government.

For more information visit www.emergingnurseleader.com.au