The practical impact of postgraduate leadership education on Registered Nurses’ practice: a narrative inquiry

Background: Postgraduate leadership education is increasingly recognised as essential for preparing nurses to navigate the complexities of contemporary healthcare. However, there remains limited empirical understanding of how nurses integrate leadership learning into everyday clinical practice and the contextual factors that shape its enactment. Aims: This paper examines the practical impact of a postgraduate leadership course on Registered Nurses’ clinical practice. Methods: Clandinin and Connelly’s three-dimensional narrative inquiry space guided this study. Eleven Registered Nurses who had completed a postgraduate leadership course participated in two semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using cross-narrative comparison to identify recurring threads and divergent experiences. Results: The practical impact of postgraduate leadership education was reflected in three interconnected narrative threads. ‘Identification of a skills gap’ described participants’ recognition of previously limiting leadership deficits. ‘Using the resources provided’ showed how leadership tools, frameworks and strategies were applied in practice. ‘Challenges of enacting education into practice’ highlighted contextual constraints that limited some participants’ ability to apply their learning despite strong motivation. Conclusion: Postgraduate leadership education can strengthen nurses’ clinical practice by enhancing leadership capability and readiness. However, organisational hierarchies, role clarity and structural support significantly influence the extent to which leadership learning can be enacted in practice.