The latter half of the 1990s proved to be a difficult period for health care and for the profession of nursing. During these turbulent times, ONS leadership quickly realized that nurses had to grow in new ways to creatively respond to challenges and to take advantage of new and exciting opportunities for leadership. Nurses needed to take this opportunity to become stronger with vital voices to shape the practice of nursing and to ensure quality care for generations to come.

ONS leaders understood that as an organization it must make a dedicated effort to develop nursing leadership for the Society, other nursing organizations, and for the profession of nursing on community, state, national and international levels. With the support of the visionary ONS Foundation Center for Leadership, Information and Research, the Society established the Leadership Development Institute, or LDI.

The LDI was designed as a comprehensive, multifaceted leadership development program designed to prepare future nursing leaders for influential roles in the transformation of care. Participation in the LDI is a meaningful investment in the individual nurse for the collective good of the nursing profession as emerging leaders practice, role model, train, coach, and mentor others. Consider making this meaningful investment in yourself by applying for the next LDI experience.