2026 NCNA Leadership Academy

All interested NCNA members are invited to apply for the NCNA Leadership Academy. A select committee of NCNA members will review applications and name up to 20 participants for the 2026 NCNA Leadership Academy Class. Efforts will be made to balance participants according to nursing specialty, geography, gender, etc.

State eligibility: North Carolina

Applicants are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and ethical responsibility when using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools during the application process. Publicly available applications driven by artificial intelligence (AI), such as chatbots or image generators, have become widely popular due to their ability to streamline work functions and increase efficiency. While we remain committed to adopting new technologies to aid our mission, when possible, we also understand the risks and limitations of generative AI platforms and want to ensure responsible use. The following guidelines must be followed:

• No AI-generated content may be submitted without full transparency. Do not claim work generated by AI as being your own original work.

• Use of AI must comply with all applicable state and national regulations, including those governing data protection, privacy, and intellectual property.

• AI tools are intended to supplement—not replace—human judgment and originality.

• Examples of acceptable use to help guide ethical and responsible integration of AI tools include improving language mechanics (grammar, punctuation, spelling), detecting plagiarism, and generating citations and attributions for sourced work.

• Any misuse, including failure to disclose AI involvement or submission of fully AI-generated content as your own, may result in disqualification, termination of NCNA membership, and may result in legal action. All violations will be treated in accordance with NCNA’s Disciplinary Action policy, as well as the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses.

All participants selected for the program will also be required to pay an all-inclusive, one-time tuition fee of $2,035. Attendance at all workshops is mandatory, and NCNA will provide training sessions, overnight accommodations, meals, and instruction materials for three retreats. Costs for lodging, meals and materials are included in the $2,035 tuition fee.

All applications must be received by August 29th, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

All participants will be provided with a hotel room for each retreat which will be shared with another member of the Leadership Academy. Room assignments will be made by NCNA Staff and roommates will be changed every retreat to allow for networking with other Leadership Academy participants. Each participant is required to stay onsite at the host hotel. Participants with special considerations that desire a private room may request NCNA to arrange for this. Please note that the participant will be required to pay the difference in room rates if requesting an individual room. No participant(s) shall make reservations independently.

The NCNA Leadership Academy is open to all members of the North Carolina Nurses Association. The committee will be seeking representation from a cross-section of the profession. These leaders and potential leaders will be active either in business, education, the arts, religion, government, community-based organizations, ethics or minority groups, or nursing specialty areas, and will reflect the diversity of the organization.

ELIGIBILITY: At least 2 years of experience in a leadership role (work, volunteer, or other setting), NCNA membership, and employer commitment to support time away from work required to complete the program.

To graduate from the NCNA Leadership Academy, a participant is required to attend all sessions. Participants are also strongly encouraged to attend NCNA meetings and events.

• Orientation Conference Call: February 17, 2026 @ 12:00 pm

• Retreat One: April 16-17, 2026 - Winston-Salem, NC

• Retreat Two: May 14-15, 2026 - Wilmington, NC

• Retreat Three: August 6-7, 2026 - Chapel Hill, NC

• NCNA Annual Convention: September 17-18, 2026 – Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Concord Golf Resort & Spa, Concord, NC