Through a collaboration of nurse leaders from around the world, 10 key competencies were developed. Each competency is leveled with performance indicators for nurses who identify at the novice, competent, expert, and luminary levels. Learn more about the framework's development and purpose.

Domains – key areas that nurse leaders at all levels use for their work. They are the categories that capture the primary areas of competence for nurse leaders at all levels. Lenses – perspectives that nurse leaders at all levels use in their work. Diversity and Inclusion, Systems Thinking, and Political Savvy are keys to success for nurse leaders at all levels in that their influence on the domains may make the difference in how the nurse leader performs. Together, the domains and lenses make up the key competencies in the framework.

Strategy in Leading Self & Others Collaboration Communication Transformation and Change Evidence-Based Decision Making Governance Professional Ethics

Diversity & Inclusion Systems Thinking Political Savvy

Next Steps Download the framework in one of the eight available languages.* Individual nurses can take the self-assessment to determine your levels and identify competencies that need development. Clinical employers can use the framework to establish professional development goals and incorporate the competencies into leadership development programs. Academics can use the framework to assess existing programs and incorporate competencies into existing or new courses. *Before downloading, we will ask you to provide us with some basic information about yourself so that we can better understand who wants to use the framework. We may follow up with you on how you use it and how it can be improved. This information will only be shared with Sigma leaders and will not be used for monetization in any way.

Global Nursing Leadership Competency Framework

What knowledge, skills, and abilities do nurses need for leadership at each stage in their careers?

The Global Nursing Leadership Competency Framework addresses this question and helps nurses understand their strengths and weaknesses to then develop appropriate professional development opportunities.

Download Framework View Dissemination Complete Self-Assessment

About the Framework

Sigma Nursing, with support from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, is excited to introduce the Global Nursing Leadership Competency Framework, a guide for nurses seeking to evaluate their leadership.

Individual nurses can use this tool as a self-assessment to determine goals and strategies for improvement.
Employers may use the framework to establish professional development opportunities based on the leadership competencies that need growth.
Educators or professional organizations can also use the framework as a valuable tool as they develop new leadership training programs.

1. Strategy in Leading Self & Others
2. Collaboration
3. Communication
4. Transformation and Change
5. Evidence-Based Decision Making
6. Governance
7. Professional Ethics
1. Diversity & Inclusion
2. Systems Thinking
3. Political Savvy
Next Steps
- Download the framework in one of the eight available languages.*
- Individual nurses can take the self-assessment to determine your levels and identify competencies that need development.
- Clinical employers can use the framework to establish professional development goals and incorporate the competencies into leadership development programs.
- Academics can use the framework to assess existing programs and incorporate competencies into existing or new courses.
*Before downloading, we will ask you to provide us with some basic information about yourself so that we can better understand who wants to use the framework. We may follow up with you on how you use it and how it can be improved. This information will only be shared with Sigma leaders and will not be used for monetization in any way.

Only non-commercial use of the Framework is permitted.

We encourage you to use the Framework in research projects. We request that you give Sigma and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation attribution for the development.

We would like to thank the following organizations for their support

Self-Assessment

For many years there has been a global call to develop the leadership skills of nurses and midwifes—see both the World Health Organization’s Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (2021-2025) and the State of the World’s Nursing 2020 report. Also, since more than 80% of the world’s nurses are women, there is evidence from business, health, and academia that addressing cultural, organizational, and contextual barriers such as gender, access to education, and equal pay will support the development of leadership capacities in women.

This framework is a unique, evidence-based tool developed in collaboration with nurse leaders from around the world. This framework provides essential behavioral indicators for nurses from early career/novice levels through to global leaders and leading lights in the profession that we call luminaries.

Based on this work, the Global Nursing Leadership Competency Framework Self-Assessment is intended to be used by nurses at all career levels for self-assessment. Based on the feedback received in the self-assessment report, nurses at every career level—novice through luminary—can create an individual leadership development plan. With this report in mind, nurses can prepare for ever-expanding leadership roles in their organization or for global impact.

The Global Nursing Leadership Competency Framework Self-Assessment may take up to 40 minutes to complete.

1. The self-assessment includes several competencies for the domains and lenses critical to developing nursing leadership skills. They detail the key areas (domains) and perspectives (lenses) that nurse leaders at all levels use for their work. Each competency also includes a skill level with performance indicators describing nurses who identify at the novice, competent, expert, and luminary levels.
2. Please carefully read each competency and the performance indicators below. It is important to be objective while completing the self-assessment. Choose the level that describes where you are now, not where you wish to be.
3. Every competency must have a level selected. If you feel a competency does not apply, it is probably because you do not use the skill. In that case, select Novice.
4. After selecting the skill level, you will also rate the importance of each competency and your proficiency in using the competency.
5. If there are any questions about the terms used in the self-assessment, please refer to the framework document.
6. A summary report will be shared via email once the self-assessment has been completed.

Complete self-assessment now