title: Becoming a nursing faculty leader.
abstract: Academic leaders are one component of a well-prepared faculty that is required to achieve and sustain excellent educational programs. But what is it like to become an academic leader? How does one become a leader? These questions were addressed in an interpretive study in which nurse faculty leaders were interviewed about the experience of becoming a leader. Interview texts were analyzed hermeneutically by a research team to uncover three themes (common, shared experiences): Being Thrust into Leadership, Taking Risks, and Facing Challenges, which are explicated in this article. This study develops the evidence base for leadership preparation at a time when there is a strong need for nursing education leaders in academia.
authors.affiliation: Minessota State University, Mankato School of Nursing, USA. Patricia.young@mnsu.edu
authors.forename: Patricia K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pearsall
authors.forename: Kim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horton-Deutsch
mesh_terms: D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D033262:Narration; D024382:Professional Role; D014481:United States