• ADVANCED NURSE LEADER CERTIFICATION - Designed by Nurse Leaders, for Nurse Leaders - REGISTER NOW!
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Learner Experience

The certification program is approximately 9-10 months in length, allowing for short breaks around the holidays. We offer two cohorts each year, starting in March and September.

Absolutely, yes! Our goal is that participation in the ANLC will enhance what you are already doing at work. We also encourage you to work with your leader(s) to make sure you have the time you need to work on the required program elements.

There is a homework assignment for each of the learning sessions and a reflection assignment for each mentoring session. Feedback is provided by our staff and/or faculty.

On average, you will need 2-3 hours per week to work toward meeting the ANLC requirements. The program is set up to have a live session every 2 weeks, which lasts between 1.5-2 hours. We will give you this schedule in advance so that you can set aside time on your calendar to attend. There are additional assignments and a final project. So, you will need time to complete those as well. It is our recommendation for leaders to block their calendars for the afternoon of each session. That way, you can attend, and then still have some time to complete any necessary requirements.

Attendance at all sessions is required. We expect that you’ll be on live for all sessions but understand if you need to miss a session. If a live learning or mentoring session is missed you must watch the recorded version of that session and complete additional work. Please make attending the sessions live a priority, your participation is incredibly valued and you will be a resource to your fellow learners.

There is an ANLC program requirement to complete 42 CEs; the majority of these are provided by Synova. However, you can also include CEs that you attend on your own that apply to the pillar content. Each pillar has required and optional asynchronous learning modules that you can do at your own pace. There are an average of about 3 hours per pillar.

Program Design

The ANLC includes 6 pillars of content: Mentorship, Strategy, Operations, Community, Well-Being, and Culture of Quality & Safety. These pillars were chosen by our planning committee who spent 24 months researching the areas. In addition to these pillars there is a focus on authenticity and equity.

The term “equity” refers to fairness and justice, and is distinguished from equality. Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place, and that we must acknowledge and make adjustments to fix the imbalances. The process is ongoing, requiring us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures. Equity touches all areas and because it is so important it will be threaded throughout the certification.

Nurse leaders have a unique opportunity to improve outcomes for all. As we navigate healthcare in today’s ever-changing landscape, it is important for nurse leaders to understand the principles of equity, and to be able to apply them to their practice every day. Often, this sensitive subject can be difficult. But, through the ANLC, we strive to make sure that Equity is incorporated into every facet of our leadership development.

The Leader Implementation Plan (LIP) is your final project for the ANLC that is presented to a review panel. Once all learning and mentoring sessions are completed, you will have several weeks to complete your LIP. The plan is your opportunity to demonstrate synthesis and application of everything you learned throughout the program. It is also a great chance to demonstrate return on investment by showcasing a project that highlights your own growth as a leader and your project’s impact to your organization. Your LIP is presented to LIP review committee members comprised of Synova Executive Advisory Board members and Synova staff.

The learning community is an important part of the Synova experience. So, we put a priority on attendance for that reason. There is just so much to learn from each other. Having the ability to talk through issues with your peers, who may be experiencing the same challenges, can be invaluable. You will get to experience the ANLC with a community of learners who are going through the program with you and who can provide support, accountability, and encouragement.

Throughout the ANLC, you will be working with incredible faculty in each of the pillars to grow your knowledge and expand your leadership development. These are highly sought after leaders in their respective fields. They bring of wealth of knowledge in both perinatal and neonatal nursing.

If you are already attending Synova’s Perinatal or Neonatal Leadership Forums and find yourself hungry for more information once the conference is done, this program may be perfect for you.

Eligibility

Program participation requires a minimum of 2000 hours of perinatal or neonatal leadership experience. Keep in mind that this is an advanced leadership development program, similar to many Masters’ level courses. If you are newer to nursing leadership, you might consider two other Synova sponsored programs include: Reality-Based Nurse Leadership and the Emerging Leaders Fellowship. Both are partnerships with Synova and provide neonatal and perinatal nurse leaders with excellent tools to succeed in their roles.

In addition to having a wonderful Advanced Practice Provider influence on our ANLC planning committee, we continue to have APPs involved in each cohort of the ANLC. Although our NNPs are absolutely seen as leaders in the units they serve, they are often provided with even less leadership development than nurses in hospital leadership roles. Having our NNPs experience leadership development through the ANLC is not only beneficial for them as individuals, it can also be a game changer in terms of the dynamic in your unit.

Nurse leaders are needed everywhere, and they all deserve leadership development. Our program is structured to allow for customization and individualization, meeting the needs of nurse leaders in non-traditional roles including industry, technology, education, and professional development.

No, you don’t have to be a people manager to be eligible to participate in the ANLC.

Certification

We are not currently accredited. Accreditation is a very lengthy process; and, as a new program, we are still gathering data that would be required for this application. For now, we are focusing that investment on bringing together the most amazing faculty presenters and on our CE content development.

While the ANLC is not accepted as a certification for Magnet, there are many other ways that participation in the ANLC can support your Magnet journey. Here are some examples of how the ANLC could align with the Magnet Sources of Evidence (for those working on their Magnet document):

  • OO4: P&P for RN professional development, education reimbursement, certification
  • OO7: Evidence of workplace advocacy r/t well-being, diversity, rights, confidentiality, bullying
  • OO8: P&P or evidence on diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural competence

The biggest difference between the ANLC program and other certifications is that other programs are generally testing you on knowledge that you have already acquired. With the ANLC, you will be working with incredible faculty in each of the pillars to grow your knowledge and expand your leadership development. And you get to do that with a community of learners who are going through the program with you.

Investment and ROI

The cost of the program is $2,499.00. There are no additional costs for the program, as all materials are included. We do offer a payment plan option. We would encourage nurse leaders to inquire if their organization might approve tuition reimbursement as an option for the ANLC. We do have the elements that are often requested to use that benefit, including a handbook/syllabus, course descriptions and objectives. Please contact us if you need additional information to support an application for tuition reimbursement. The cancellation policy can be found here.

There are numerous ways to evaluate ROI for ANLC participation. This includes your Leader Implementation Plan (LIP), which should impact your place of work, your own leadership development, and building of a community of nurse leaders who will support and encourage you throughout your leadership journey.

ANLC learners have access to a customized online platform including ten industry-leading assessments behavior, culture, strengths, and productivity through Cloverleaf. Cloverleaf’s coaching platform creates lasting change, long after leaders have finished a session, with data showing a 33% increase in teamwork, an 18% increase in feeling valued, and a 31% increase in communication.

Cloverleaf

Cloverleaf is a powerful AI coaching tool that helps leaders and teams understand communication styles, work habits, and motivation using tools like the Enneagram and DISC. It offers personalized insights, daily coaching tips, and practical ways to build trust, improve collaboration, and lead with impact.  Take a look at this short intro video to see how it works: