Promoting Excellence in Nurse Leadership
The Shaughnessy Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Fellowship was created by the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy to enhance and expand the development of senior nurse executive leaders.
This innovative Fellowship program is designed to empower executive nurse leaders to make healthcare more patient-centered, cost-effective, accessible and quality driven. The Fellowship was launched in March 2021 and includes four sessions presented over a 12-month period. The curriculum includes sessions on executive presence, financial acumen, care coordination, quality and safety competencies, wellness, public communication and understanding and leading change.
A Unique Partnership
The fellowship program is a collaboration between the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy, the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, the American Nurses Association, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
This partnership brings together some of the most respected and influential organizations in healthcare, nursing, and organizational behavior, providing participants with access to a wealth of resources and expertise including individual coaching sessions with an executive coach.
The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and the Shaughnessy Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Fellowship program are also thankful to have the generous scholarship support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Experienced senior nurse leaders in healthcare delivery, academia, and industry.
Individuals interested in enhancing their leadership skills and expanding their knowledge in areas such as financial acumen, wellness, public communication, and leading change.
Nurse executives and academic leaders invested in making healthcare more accessible, cost effective, and enhanced quality.
The program includes five in-person, overnight sessions presented over a 12-month period.
The curriculum includes the following components:
- Strategic Leadership
- Financial Acumen
- Care Coordination/Delivery Quality and Safety
- Wellness
- Public Communication
- Understanding/Leading Change
- Executive Coaching
- Policy and Advocacy
- Organizational Excellence
- Global Issues in Health
- Philanthropy
- Value of Nursing
- Entrepreneurial Thinking
When are applications due?
Applications for the program are due in the fall, and interested candidates can contact fellowship program director, Stuart D. Downs at Stuart.Downs@gmail.com for more information.
Are there scholarship opportunities available?
Partial scholarship support is made available to each participant through the generosity of Arnold Coldiron.
Visit our "Meet the Shaughnessy Coldiron Fellows" webpage to learn more about those who have completed the Coldiron program.
For a list of publications by current and former Shaughnessy Coldiron Fellows, visit the "Publications and Media Mentions" webpage.
Applications for Shaughnessy Coldiron Cohort 6 are open now! Click the link below to submit your application.
Please have your CV, a bio sketch and a letter of recommendation to attach to your application. The application may take 30-60 minutes to complete. The application deadline for Cohort 6 is Nov. 1, 2025.
Stuart Downs
Program Director, Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
stuart.downs@gmail.com