Background: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Quality Scholars (VAQS) program, an interprofessional fellowship that includes pre- and postdoctoral nurses, aims to inspire practice change leaders. Fellows participate in a national curriculum, lead improvement/research teams, and establish professional development plans with expert mentor guidance.
Purpose: To describe the distinctive elements of the VAQS program, nurse fellow outcomes, and accomplishments of nurse alumni as leaders, researchers, and educators.
Methods: Data were reviewed and aggregated from past and current fellow surveys.
Findings: Nurse fellows completed research and improvement projects that benefitted both the VA and the local health systems. Scholarly outcomes include publications, conference presentations, grant submissions, teaching/leading quality improvement, and research initiatives. Graduates transition to positions as nurse scientists, academic faculty, and operational leaders.
Discussion: Fellows contribute to the strategic priorities of local and national VA and external health care organizations providing a pipeline of health system expert leaders, educators, and researchers.
Conclusion: Doctoral nursing fellowship experiences build human capital for enhancing the science of improvement and implementation, interprofessional collaboration, and leadership.
Keywords: Clinical leadership; Future of nursing; Implementation science; Inter-professional education; Interprofessional fellowships; Nursing fellowships; Quality improvement; nursing education trends.
Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.