Leadership scholarships for nurses and midwives
Florence Nightingale Foundation’s prestigious leadership scholarships are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: developing the future nursing and midwifery leaders needed to deliver complex health and care, across the UK and globally.
Scholars follow an 18-month in-depth personal leadership development plan with experiential learning, alongside a group of passionate and dynamic peers from a wide variety of roles, backgrounds and experiences.
Developing exceptional future nursing and midwifery leaders
As a result of our scholarship programmes, we equip nurses and midwives with:
- The mindset and tools to build confidence and leadership capability. Participants gain practical tools for influencing change, handling challenging situations, leading improvement initiatives, and managing difficult conversations.
- The skills and support to develop, deliver and evaluate innovative quality improvement projects. Many Scholars go on to publish their findings, leading to a ripple effect of learning and increased exposure for the individual and organisation.
- The tools and skills to develop ownership and performance within their teams.
- Professional networks – a community of excellence: Scholars develop lasting connections with peers: other like-minded, yet diverse, nurses and midwives, all aspiring to be brilliant. They will provide ongoing support and cross-pollination of ideas, helping sustain motivation during challenging periods, way beyond the 18-month scholarship.
- Career progression support: FNF scholarships provide exposure to the experience of senior leaders (including a dedicated mentor) and networking opportunities: fast-tracking participants’ career trajectory.
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, Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Mental Health, Learning Disability & Neurodiversity at Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust
Strategic Alignment: Developing Leaders for the Future of Health and Care
The FNF Scholarship Programme equips nurses and midwives with the transferable leadership skills needed to respond to the changing needs of health and social care – across all four UK nations and globally.
Our scholarships directly support strategic priorities by:
- Identifying and nurturing high-potential leaders to drive transformation in health and care systems.
- Providing personalised coaching and career development to support progression and retention.
- Enabling leadership in new models of care, digital innovation, and population health approaches.
- Supporting compassionate, evidence-informed decision-making and flexible, future-ready leadership.
- Championing nursing and midwifery leadership in policy and system-level decision-making.
Our approach ensures that every FNF Scholar is equipped to lead change, shape the future, and build a lasting legacy for the professions.
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
Clear Results
FNF scholarships deliver impact and value for Scholars and their employers. Findings from our impact data demonstrate that leadership development opportunities drive meaningful change that benefits patients and service users, while delivering strong returns on investment through workforce development and system-wide efficiencies.
Our Scholarships:
- Support intention to stay in the profession, providing immediate cost savings of up to £12,000 (UK data) per vacancy and broader longer-term impacts on patient safety and service quality.
- Address contemporary health and care challenges affecting organisations (such as workforce resilience and wellbeing, digital transformation and environmental sustainability).
- Result in cost savings as a result of the Quality Improvement projects.
- Fast-track career trajectory: up to 10% of our Scholars attribute the scholarship as a springboard to a major leadership role, many more share how it has led to career progression.
