Bring powerful expertise to your skilled nursing facility as you deepen your understanding of how to manage staff, foster teamwork, navigate organizational change, and ensure high-quality resident care.
Professional Development (Non-Degree)
Online Study (12 Weeks) + 3 Days of On-Campus Workshops & Activities
Offering a professional development program exclusively for current directors of nursing (DONs), the academy combines online independent study with three days of opportunities to connect with peers and engage in on-campus workshops and applied activities that directly connect to your current role.
As a learner, you'll develop skills that are critical to enhancing your leadership abilities, empowering staff, and elevating your facility, including:
In Widener's Director of Nursing Leadership Academy, you'll complete a different asynchronous module weekly, each one focusing on a different aspect of your role.
The in-person experience will begin with an evening spent connecting with peers and faculty, followed by three days on our beautiful campus, where you'll engage in workshops and applied activities that directly connect to your current role. Please note, for cohort 1, the required in-person dates are June 9-12, 2026.
| Module Title | Topics |
| Leading with Emotional Intelligence: The DON in Action | Leadership style, emotional intelligence, development of an Individualized Leadership Development Plan (ILDP) |
| Strategic Problem-Solving and Leadership Decision-Making | Critical thinking, decision-making, problem identification |
| Navigating Difficult Conversations: Communication That Builds Trust | Feedback conversations, conflict management |
| Thriving in Change: Adaptive Leadership and Resilient Self-Care | Adaptive leadership, resilience, self-care, burnout prevention |
| Stronger Together: Work Ethic and Teamwork | Accountability, trust, team collaboration |
| Think Like an Administrator: The Business of Healthcare | Finance basics, reading budgets, estimating costs |
| Strategic Leadership and Systems Thinking | Strategic planning, systems thinking, organizational assessment tools (SWOT, Fishbone, RCA) |
| Mastering the Clock: Time Management and Organization | Prioritization, delegation, managing competing demands |
| Leading in the Digital Age: Technology and AI | AI for organization and efficiency, Microsoft Office tools |
| Leading People: Human Resources Essentials | Recruitment, onboarding, performance management, retention |
| Creating Belonging: Inclusion and Professional Culture | Inclusive leadership, cultural humility, belonging, professional culture |
| In-Person Capstone Workshop: Bringing It All together | Capstone presentations, ILDP reflection, change management |
Widener's Director of Nursing Leadership Academy is designed to provide you with knowledge and tools you can leverage immediately at your facility.
When you complete the program, you'll be able to:
The academy is offered exclusively to current directors of nursing. To apply, please submit:
Note: financial aid is not avaialable for academy attendees.
Don't miss a beat in your personal or professional life. All reading and assignments can be completed online, whenever they fit into your schedule. Over the final three days of the academy, you'll meet your professors and classmates on campus to engage in workshops and present your capstone project.
During virtual leadership coaching sessions, you'll work with students from our nationally recognized doctor of psychology program. They'll help you tap into strategies for enhancing your skills and performance, unlocking your full potential as a leader.
When you complete the academy, you'll earn 30 continuing education credits—helping you fulfill your annual requirement while gaining breakthrough expertise.
Our faculty are leading experts who bring years of healthcare and leadership experience to their teaching. They'll get to know you and your professional goals, offering invaluable insight that will fuel your nursing career.
Jack ’78 and Nancy Dwyer’s gift -- the biggest in Widener’s history -- will rename the nursing program and advance its mission of graduating nurse leaders.
When the Chester Community Clinic first opened in September 2009 its purpose was simple: serve the community and give students an exceptional learning experience. Years of dedication to quality care and strategic transformation have established the clinic as an anchor in the community and a celebrated national model for student-led pro bono care and education.
Undergraduate and graduate nursing students are gaining the leadership skills and experiences needed to advance their careers and transform the health care industry.
Tuition rates are subject to change.
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