You’re already a senior leader. What comes next?
18 months to find your executive voice, lead change that lasts, and join the network behind today’s Chief Nursing Officers.
The Florence Nightingale Foundation Leadership Scholarship is for senior nurses and midwives ready to lead at board, system and national level. It is fully funded for you, with a £1,500 contribution from your employer.
Where it can take you
Scholarship alumni include the current Chief Nursing Officers for England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Ukraine. Next time, it could be you.
One of the most significant outcomes of my growth on the programme has been the confidence and courage to share my work on an international stage. I presented at a global nursing conference in Singapore as a keynote speaker, sharing my quality improvement project: “Yes You Can”: a solution-focused model for developing inclusive leadership and career progression for nurses and midwives from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. Overall, this programme has been a powerful experience of self-discovery. It has reshaped how I lead, reinforcing the importance of reflection, self-awareness, and leading with purpose, always keeping others at the centre.”
Gifty Markey, FNF Scholar Alumna, Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Mental Health, Learning Disability & Neurodiversity at Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust
What your scholarship journey will look like
Knowing yourself as a leader
Advanced psychometric profiling, one-to-one coaching around your goals, and a dedicated mentor to challenge and back you.
Finding your executive voice
Sessions with RADA Business on presence, impact and communication, so you walk into the boardroom, the ministry or the system meeting ready to influence.
Learning alongside the best
Two residentials in London covering systems leadership, AI and digital leadership, political acumen and inclusive leadership, with expert faculty and scholars from around the world.
Making change that lasts
You will design and deliver your own quality improvement project with measurable outcomes for patients/clients and communities and leave a legacy in your organisation.
Moments you will never forget
Taking part in the Florence Nightingale Commemorative Service at Westminster Abbey, present at the Scholar Conference, and graduate in London into a lifelong network of Florence Nightingale Scholars.
Is this for you?
This is for you if you are a registered nurse or midwife (NMC registered or international equivalent) working at Band 8d or above, or equivalent in the independent sector, military or internationally and you have the ambition to influence beyond your own organisation. You will need to have an executive (or equivalent role) who will back you.
Places are limited and competitive. We are looking for leaders with real potential to grow.
Making the case to your executive
Your development benefits your whole organisation: stronger teams, better services, improved retention, and a quality improvement project delivered in your own setting. The curriculum is mapped to Stage 4 of the NHS Leadership and Management Framework (Executive and Board-Level Leaders).
"The scholarship has had a significant and lasting impact on my confidence, leadership identity and career trajectory. It gave me the space and support to strengthen my voice as a system leader and to recognise the wider influence I could have in improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)."
Sally Newsome, FNF Scholar Alumna, Deputy Director Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), Childrens Continuing Care and Personalisation, Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
Key dates
Applications open
Applications open
Applications close
Applications close at Midnight (GMT)
Interview invitations
Invitations to attend an interview will be sent
Group interviews
Group interviews will be held virtually
Outcomes
You will be notified of the outcome of your application
Programme starts
The FNF scholarship 2027-2028 begins
As I look back on my time with the Florence Nightingale Foundation’s Global Leadership Programme, I keep returning to one simple realisation: this experience changed me in ways I didn’t expect. It pushed me to think differently, to speak with more clarity, and to lead with a deeper sense of purpose. It reminded me why I chose this profession in the first place and why I continue to fight for better care, better systems, and better opportunities for the people we serve.
Ralph Lauren T. Figueroa, FNF Global Scholar Alumnus, Section Head, Critical Care Units and Specialty Centers, Western Visayas Medical Center, Iloilo City, Philippines
FAQs
Who can apply?
To join the programme starting May 2027, you must:
- be a registered nurse or midwife with the NMC (or equivalent outside the UK)
- be working at NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d or above, or in an equivalent role in the independent sector, military or internationally
- have executive or ministerial support and sign-off, including a £1,500 employer contribution if you’re applying from the UK.
What does it cost?
There is no cost to you. Scholarship places are sponsored. UK applicants need a £1,500 contribution from their employer. We also offer a limited number of fully sponsored places for applicants from outside the UK, with no employer contribution required.
Accommodation and meals during the residentials are included for everyone.
How much time will I need
9 residential days in May 2027 and 7 in October 2028, plus virtual check-ins and co-consulting throughout the 18 months.
What will the application ask?
Alongside your personal, employment and sponsor details, you are required to write short answers (up to 350 words each) about your leadership experience, your approach to inclusive leadership and culture, and your proposed quality improvement project: the problem, who’s involved, and how you will measure impact. Start thinking about your project and talk to your executive sponsor early.
You can save your form and come back to it. Please do not name your employer in your long answers, so we can review every application fairly. You will also be asked to confirm that key answers are in your own words.
What happens at the residentials?
- May 2027: Hackathon, Systems Leadership, Presence & Impact, and the Florence Nightingale Commemorative Service at Westminster Abbey
- October 2028: Digital Leadership, Political Acumen, Equity and Diversity, Insights & Discovery, Scholar Conference and Graduation
Between the residentials, you’ll stay connected through regular virtual touchpoints.
