Leadership Scholarship 2021

The Florence Nightingale Foundation has an enviable and well-deserved reputation across the UK for its bespoke leadership scholarship programmes. Our programmes are designed to build competence and confidence in our scholars that will enable them to contribute to policy and practice at local and national level thus improving patient care and health outcomes.

The Foundation is outstanding at developing innovative curriculum for nurses such as in the leadership scholarship. The inspiring curriculum pushes people, grows skills and it is at the edge of contemporary leadership education.

Eamonn Sullivan

Chief Nurse at Royal Marsden Hospital

Scholarships

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Leadership Scholarship overview

Our leadership development programmes create opportunities for scholars to explore and discover their own leadership style and develop the essential skills to be a courageous and confident leader. Nurses and midwives registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) are eligible to apply for our fully funded scholarships. However we also welcome applicants outside the UK with an independent funding source.  For more information on our leadership scholarships please view our brochure FNF Leadership Development Opportunities Brochure

We focus on facilitated and experiential learning that challenges leaders to think differently about their personal approach to leadership. All leadership scholars complete an improvement project and are required to publish or present this at the end of their scholarship year. The maximum funding available for each scholar is £10,000 to fund both the core and bespoke programmes. We offer four levels of leadership scholarship programmes and two digital leadership opportunities:

Senior Leaders Scholarship

Available to senior nurses or midwives at Executive Board level or very senior manager level.

Aspiring Director of Nursing/Midwifery Scholarship

Available to nurses and midwives with the potential to secure a Board level position within the next two to three years.

Emerging Leaders Scholarship

Available to Band 7 or 8 (or equivalent) nurses or midwives in a leadership role.

Digital Leaders Scholarship

This programme is suitable for those on track to CNIO’s/Senior digital leaders in the next two years or for those already leading digital change and aspiring to take up systems system leadership roles. These scholarships are available to nurses and midwives working in England and Wales only. For more information click here.

Digital Fellows

As an exciting development for 2021, the FNF scholarship scheme is extended to include a funded fellowship element enabling established and experienced digital leaders to undertake supported work based learning within the National team. Funding has been secured for two full time fellows to work on NHSX led programmes. These fellows will work on projects prescribed by the CNIO that align with both the CNO’s priorities, the Long Term Plan and the NHSX Tech Plan. This opportunity is available to nurses and midwives working at a senior level in a digital leadership role in England only.

North West of England Scholarship

For attention of Nurses and Midwives working in the North West of England. There are 8 Leadership Scholarships available to senior nurses with expertise and experience at a strategic level in the following areas.

  • Leadership development needs of midwives aspiring to hold board level positions
  • Education and professional development
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of International nurse recruitment
  • Clinical Commissioning in the context of an Integrated Care System (ICS).
  • Developing Nursing leadership in a Primary Care Network (PCN).
  • Mental Health or Learning Disability – developing alternative models to in hospital services for children and young people
  • Developing a vision for Nursing research in the North west.

If you are interested in one of these scholarships please select North West England from the drop down menu and ensure your application is tailored to one of the above priorities.

Nurses working in the North West who do not meet this criteria are encouraged to apply to the general scholarships.

Sponsors

Our scholarships are funded by a range of sponsors enabling nurses and midwives to apply from across the UK.


If you are successfully shortlisted we will identify the scholarship that is most suited to your application based on the criteria identified by our sponsors. The specific Scholarship may include:

  • Health Education England Windrush Scholarship for Nurses or Midwives
    This scholarship is for nurses and midwives who may be a descendant from the “Windrush generation” or who are from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background, working in the NHS in England.
  • Burdett Trust for Nursing
    This scholarship is for Emerging Leaders only working in any sector across the UK.
  • The Company of Nurses Leadership Scholarship
    This scholarship is available to nurses and midwives working in England and is funded by The Company of Nurses Charitable Trust, The Ann Campbell RBNA Memorial Fund.
  • Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service Leadership Scholarship
    Two scholarships are available to nurses working in The Royal Air Force at OR6 (Sergeant) – OF3 (Squadron Leader). (Employers Contribution not required).
  • Needlemakers Scholarship
    This scholarship is available to all scholarship levels working in all sectors across the UK.
  • Duke of Devonshire Charitable Trust & University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust Scholarship
    Available to all nurses and midwives working at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.
  • Michael Clift Scholarship
    To improve the care of vulnerable Children and Young People. To implement an innovation model of care in an acute hospital setting. To influence policy and practice and local, national and International levels.
  • Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)
    This scholarship is available to nurses and midwives who aspire to be systems leaders across NHS in Wales
    For more information click here.
  • GNCT A nurse from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background working in England or Wales
  • CNO BAME                                                                                     This scholarship is available to nurses and midwives from a BAME background working within NHS England

Benefits for you

Be part of a 'life-changing' experience

Scholars report the “life changing” experience and the profound professional and personal impact. Scholars report feeling more confident to speak out and influence policy and practice improvements at local and national levels thus improving patient care and health outcomes.


  • Career development

    Approximately 80% of our of scholars are promoted into more senior roles within 2 years of the scholarship.

  • Impact policy and practice

    Scholars report the positive impact they have on leading teams and improving patient care and health outcomes. In a recent survey, 82.5% of leadership scholars identified that they made an impact to health and social care policy and practice.

  • Support from the Foundation

    The Foundation are on-hand to support you throughout the scholarship process. You will also have an experienced mentor and have access to your fellow scholars for support.

  • Network with like-minded nurses and midwives

    Scholars are now part of a growing Alumni network (over 600) providing on-going support and in some cases, friends for life.

  • New knowledge through evidence-based approaches

    Like Florence, scholars will work on evidence-based approaches and use and share their new knowledge to impact patients and lead changes in policy and practice. Like Florence, scholars will generate new knowledge and use this to impact on improved patient care and health outcomes.

Benefits for employer

  • Improvement in patient and health outcomes
  • Retention of staff – scholars stay in healthcare
  • Positive impact on the team and beneficial for staff engagement
  • Recognition of employers commitment to leadership development and succession planning

Programme structure

The core scholarship programme for all leadership scholar levels includes:
  • Individual assessment of leadership strengths and areas for development. This will be undertaken very shortly after a scholarship has been awarded. This will be followed by 2-hour personal feedback session.
  • An experienced mentor is allocated to each scholar for the duration of the scholarship. Our mentors are from central government, the corporate sector, NHS and other care organisations. The mentor will work with the scholar in advising the selection of development programmes.
  • Welcome day – a briefing day for all FNF leadership, travel and research scholars. We will; 1) Establish individual cohort learning communities, 2) Define the core elements and expectations of the scholarship, 3) Introduce personal leadership opportunities
  • 3-day residential with unique cohort of peer scholars designed to: 1) Facilitate scholars to build a learning community and a robust network of peer support throughout their scholarship and beyond, 2) Facilitate discussions on current leadership challenges and opportunities and other contemporary topics, 3) Introduce scholars to co-consulting, a simple process for giving and receiving help, 4) Introduce scholars to digital leadership concepts
  • 2-day “Personal Presence & Impact” Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) Programme
  • Access to leadership development opportunities to suit individual development needs including options to travel overseas for example: 1) Windsor Leadership 2) Kings Fund 3) Ashridge 4) Harvard 5) Roffey Park 6) Cranfield 7) Leadership Trust
  • Optional - 'Lifting the Lid on the Westminster Village': People, whether working in the public, third or private sector, may have little first-hand experience of how Government actually works. The day programme is designed to help scholars understand this. The day includes a visit to the Houses of Parliament. (Not scholars from Southern Ireland)
  • The core programme for Digital Nurse/Midwife Leadership Scholars also includes a bespoke 3-day digital leadership residential programme as part of the CNO Sponsored Scholarship. All other Leaderships Scholars may undertake this as an optional extra.
  • Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service, Westminster Abbey, London - a unique opportunity for nurses, midwives, health care professionals, family members and guests to celebrate their professions and at the same time give thanks for Florence Nightingale’s extraordinary legacy to healthcare
  • Nightingale2021 Conference - TBC
  • High profile award ceremony to celebrate the success of our scholars at end of their scholarship year

Key Dates:

Applications are closed.

Shortlisting will take place in w/b 11th January 2021

Interviews will take place between February and March 2021

Successful applicants will begin their scholarship year in April 2021

 

Emerging Leaders:

Welcome day: 11 May 2021

Digital Leadership: 20 May 2021

Residential: 18-19 May 2021

RADA: TBC

Westminster: TBC

Mid Programme; Nightingale2021 Conference: TBC

Celebration day: TBC

 

Aspiring Nurse Directors:

Welcome day: 11 May 2021

Digital Leadership: 05 July 2021

Residential: 08-09 July 2021

Westminster: TBC

RADA: TBC

Mid Programme; Nightingale2021 Conference: TBC

Celebration day: TBC

 

Senior Leaders:

Welcome day: 11 May 2021

Digital Leadership: 12 July 2021

Residential: 14-15 July 2021

RADA: TBC

Westminster: TBC

Mid Programme; Nightingale2021 Conference: TBC

Celebration day: TBC

Eligibility criteria

Our scholarships are open to nurses and midwives who are seeking to advance their personal development as credible leaders. Nurses and midwives registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) are eligible to apply for our fully funded scholarships. However we welcome applicants outside the UK with an independent funding source.

Emerging Leader:

  • Registered Nurse or Midwife
  • Band 7 or 8 or equivalent
  • Chief Executive or Director of Nursing level of support letter confirming time available to complete scholarship activities
  • Confirmation of 10% employer contribution (£1,000)

Aspiring Nurse/Midwife Director:

  • Registered Nurse or Midwife
  • Band 8 and above or equivalent
  • Chief Executive or Director of Nursing level of support letter confirming time available to complete scholarship activities
  • Confirmation of 10% employer contribution (£1,000)

Senior Leader:

  • Registered Nurse or Midwife
  • Executive level role or very senior manager
  • Chief Executive level of support letter confirming time available to complete scholarship activities
  • Confirmation of 10% employer contribution (£1,000)

Application process

Nominator Form for Chief Nurse

Nominator Form for Line Manager

  1. Apply online
  2. Successful applications are selected for a panel based interview

Information for applying online:

Upon application, you are required to upload the following information:

  • Personal, employment and education information
  • A copy of your NMC registration documentation
  • Chief Executive or Director of Nursing level of support letter confirming time available to complete scholarship activities and confirmation of 10% employer contribution (£1,000)
  • Details of your employer and finance department for authorisation for scholar to join the programme.
  • Signed terms and conditions

Please note the following:

  • Incomplete applications will not be accepted
  • Applications without confirmation of 10% contribution will not be accepted
  • Applications without Chief Executive or Director of Nursing support will not be accepted



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