OSU Nursing Leadership Program

Designed for emerging and experienced nurse leaders

to provide advanced business and leadership education

Launching Fall 2025, this visionary program leverages expertise from across the OSU system in a first-of-its-kind collaboration between academic and industry leaders from OSU Nursing, the Spears School of Business, the Center for Health Sciences and the Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA).

Meet the Team

High-impact program equips nurses

with practical, immediately applicable leadership skills

The OSU Nursing Leadership Program offers two innovative learning opportunities to help nurses bridge the clinician-to-executive gap. Both are aligned with American Organization for Nursing Leadership™ competencies and can be taken independently or in succession to build upon previous knowledge.

The Nursing Leadership Program is the catalyst for creating long-term relationships across OSU colleges and between OSU, the ONA and Oklahoma's hospitals and healthcare employers. These collaborations will have a positive impact on Oklahoma's nursing workforce and healthcare outcomes. OSU's game-changing partnership with the ONA will establish OSU as the state's premier authority on nurse leadership and management training.

Nurse Empowerment Series

Track 1

This is a micro-credential program that equips nurses with essential nursing leadership skills, including administrative leadership, workforce and financial management, and innovation. Learners acquire nursing leadership competencies in a time-efficient and cost-effective way, through both online and in-person experiential learning opportunities that foster networking with peers.

The Nurse Empowerment Series is accessible to nurses with or without an undergraduate degree.

Nursing Leadership Graduate Certificate

Track 2

This graduate certificate provides a more in-depth experience in advanced leadership training and can serve as a springboard to a master’s or doctorate, or as a valuable, standalone achievement that facilitates professional growth.

The Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA) is the professional association for nurses in Oklahoma, representing more than 50,000 nurses. ONA works across all specialties and practice settings to address the issues that face nurses on a daily basis by engaging nurses to make a difference! OSU and the ONA have partnered with Upskill Oklahoma, a program of the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education, that forges partnerships to tailor education to Oklahoma’s market needs and aims to elevate the state’s talent pipeline through targeted learning with micro credentials. ONA and OSU earned two grant awards totaling $30,000 from Upskill Oklahoma to support the creation of the program.

Contact

Diane Cannon, DNP, MHA, RN Assistant ProfessorCommunity Health Sciences, Counseling and Counseling Psychology200 Scott-Parker-Wentz405.744.9035 diane.cannon@okstate.edu

“Because nurse leadership demands a diverse skill set - including managing personnel and finances, overseeing clinical care and compliance, and driving strategic improvements - nurses often seek training from multiple sources,” Erdmann said. “Our approach brings together experts from ONA and across OSU to consolidate the best leadership practices into a single, streamlined micro-credential or graduate certificate.”

- Marjorie Erdmann
Center of Health Systems Innovation, Director