Strong nurse leaders are essential to positive work environments, staff retention and safe, high-quality patient care. The WSHA Rural Nurse Leadership Program supports leadership and management skill development for nurse managers, charge nurses and clinical nurse educators in rural hospitals.
The curriculum covers delegation, supervision, problem-solving, assignment-making and team management. Developed by nationally recognized nursing leadership expert Ruth Hansten, RN, MBA, PhD, the training helps participants build the skills and confidence to lead effectively.
The results speak for themselves. Participants in the 2025 and 2026 cohorts showed improvement across all dimensions of workplace environment after completing the program, based on pre- and post-training results from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool.
The program is free for rural Washington hospitals and is delivered virtually over eight to 12 weeks, making it accessible statewide. The next cohort begins in spring 2027.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. on Sept. 1 through the WSHA website. Participants must log in with their member credentials to apply. Interested individuals can also sign up for a reminder when registration opens.
Chief nursing officers (CNOs) or equivalent leaders should work with interested nurses to review program details and determine readiness before applying. Sponsoring leaders and participants are expected to actively engage in the program and sign a commitment form outlining their responsibilities.
Download a flyer to share with your teams and help identify future nurse leaders in your organization.
For questions, contact Mitha Wardhani at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracy Wellington
WSHA Senior Director of Clinical Excellence
[email protected]