About the Nurse Scholars Academy

The Nurse Scholars Academy is dedicated to advancing nursing excellence and leadership in pursuit of total health for our members and the communities we serve.

Janet Liang, EVP, Group President, and COO, Care Delivery

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About the NSA

The Nurse Scholars Academy (NSA) was launched in 2015 to ensure that our nurses play an integral role in leading health care reform. Our programs are focused on the intersection between quality of care and patient outcomes, as well as on workforce readiness, nursing leadership development, professional practice, and the educational advancement of all registered nurses.

Kaiser Permanente nurse scholars learn about the Quadruple Aim of ensuring quality and safety, enhancing the care experience, improving affordability, and prioritizing self-care. The integration of Unitary Caring Science Theory supports holistic health and well-being for self, systems, and the communities we serve.

NSA Goals

The current NSA and Future of Nursing 2030 goals include:

• Ensure that nurses practice to the full extent of their education and training.
• Increase the number of nurses with bachelor’s degrees to 80%.
• Double the number of doctorally-prepared nurses.
• Promote professional and specialty certification.
• Increase the number of trained nursing faculty.
• Advance the number of nurses on organizational boards.
• Recognize nurses as “the heart of health care” and full and equal partners, with physicians and other health care professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States.
• Improve workforce planning and policymaking through better data collection and information infrastructure.

NSA Programs

The NSA offers a variety of programs and resources to support nurses in their professional development, including:

• Leadership development programs
• Educational advancement programs
• Scholarships and grants
• Mentorship programs
• Networking opportunities
• Research opportunities

NSA Impact

The Nurse Scholars Academy (NSA) has had a significant impact on the nursing profession, helping to advance nursing excellence and leadership, and improving the quality of care for our members and the communities we serve.

The NSA’s innovative approach amplifies Kaiser Permanente’s longstanding commitment to advancing the development of front-line nurses and nurse leaders. We believe that by empowering nurses, we can create a more patient-centered and equitable healthcare system.

The NSA is committed to inspiring and promoting transformational leadership, clinical excellence, evidence-informed practice, and nursing research. The goal is to better align the current and future workforce to deliver on the promise outlined in Kaiser Permanente’s vision statement. The intent is to advance professional nursing, streamline the integration of best practices, and nurture future leaders at all levels of the organization.

The ongoing success of the Kaiser Permanente Nurse Scholars Academy has led to the creation of new academies modeled on the original NSA framework and program priorities. The expanded “Kaiser Permanente Scholars Academy” is comprised of the Kaiser Permanente Nurse Scholar Academy (NSA), Mental Health Scholars Academy (MHSA), Research and Innovation Academy (RIA), and the most recent Allied Health Scholars Academy (AHSA) launched in late 2022. The emergence and success of the Kaiser Permanente Scholars Academy are testimony to the core legacy and the 75-year-plus commitment to bold innovation established by founders Henry J. Kaiser and Dr. Sydney Garfield. This shared vision of “Total Health” lives on today through the legacy of nursing professional practice that emerged from The Kaiser Foundation School of Nursing in 1947 and continues to thrive in the hearts and minds of Kaiser Permanente nurses today.