Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Impact of Emotional Prosodies on Voice Recognition and Perception
Published on: August 9, 2024
Developing Authentic Leadership Voice: Novice Faculty Experience
Barbara J Patterson1, Laura Dzurec, Gwen Sherwood
1About the Authors Barbara J. Patterson, PhD, RN, ANEF, is Distinguished Professor and associate dean for scholarship and inquiry, Widener University School of Nursing, Chester, Pennsylvania. Laura Dzurec, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, ANEF, FAAN, is senior scholar, Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts. Gwen Sherwood, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, is professor emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. D. Anthony Forrester, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, is a professor, Division of Nursing Science, Rutgers University School of Nursing, Newark, New Jersey. The authors thank the Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy scholars who participated in this study and the Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy faculty and Sigma Theta Tau International staff for their support and assistance with this research. For more information, contact Dr. Patterson at bjpatterson@widener.edu.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of 14 novice nurse faculty of a 20-month experiential leadership academy on the leadership development.
Background:
Managing the complexities of nursing faculty roles requires significant leadership skills that often are hard won. Evidence suggests that leadership preparation to prepare nursing faculty through guided mentoring can enhance faculty recruitment, satisfaction, and retention.
Method:
Participants completed open-ended questions about their experiences in Sigma Theta Tau International's Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy.
Results:
Data analysis revealed a meta-theme of "Finding Authentic Leadership Voice." Four subthemes emerged to shape the meta-theme: Identifying Inner Strengths and Areas for Improvement, Increasing Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness, Increasing Focus on Others, and Clarifying Aspirations for a Leadership Future.
Conclusion:
Reflecting on their experiences, participants recognized changes in their leadership roles as they found an authentic voice that helped them persist and thrive amid the complexities of their faculty roles.
Related Concept Videos
Role-Based Identity
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Self-Efficacy
Strategies of Self-Presentation I: Strategic Self-Presentation
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Desirable Characteristics in Others

