Leading With Purpose and Courage
Abstract
This article offers practical guidance for aspiring nurses by examining how nursing capabilities align with strategic, operational, and interpersonal demands of today's health care chief executive officers role. Through qualitative interviews with nurse chief executive officers, 6 key themes emerged that characterize effective executive progression: nonlinear career development, competency alignment, business and financial acumen, authentic leadership, values-driven decision-making, and succession planning. Findings demonstrate that nurses bring differentiated strengths well suited to leading complex health systems. This article outlines actionable strategies to advance nurses into senior executive positions.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Nursing education and management
Nursing Education
Practice
and Leadership
Organizational Change and Leadership
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Nurse Leader
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 102687–102687
- Publication date
- 20 February 2026
- Language
- EN