Quinnipiac Professor Chosen for Prestigious Leadership Program

Press release

NORTH HAVEN, Conn. – Carolyn Bradley, of Cheshire, associate professor of nursing at Quinnipiac University, has been selected for the National League for Nursing (NLN) 2025 LEAD program. The year-long initiative is part of the NLN Leadership Institute.
"I am honored to join this outstanding group of nurse leaders from across the country,” Bradley said. “This is an amazing opportunity to grow and demonstrate leadership excellence that promotes the development of nurses to meet the needs of a diverse and complex healthcare environment."
LEAD, founded in 2011, is designed for nurses in education and practice who have recently been challenged with rapid transition into leadership positions, those already in positions of leadership who want formal leadership development, and others who identify as emerging leaders or have leadership aspirations.
The 2025 NLN LEAD group consists of 22 nurse educators chosen from colleges, universities and health care institutions. This yearlong program represents a significant investment in professional leadership development with participants spending a calendar year engaged in activities identifying personal and professional goals, learning about what makes an effective leader and strategizing how to retool skill sets and experiences to achieve individual and institutional benchmarks.
To that end, everyone receives intensive one-on-one executive coaching, in addition to attending virtual group coaching sessions, a retreat and leadership webinars, where they study leadership theory and development that includes case studies.
"I am delighted to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Carolyn Bradley on being selected for the National League for Nursing’s 2025 LEAD program,” said Larry Slater, dean of QU’s School of Nursing. “Carolyn's selection is not only a reflection of her impressive work here at Quinnipiac but also her passion for shaping the future of nursing education and practice. I have no doubt that she will emerge from this program as an even more impactful leader, inspiring those around her in meaningful ways."
Bradley also serves as director of online graduate programs at Quinnipiac. She is experienced in academia, professional development, leadership and clinical practice with over 28 years in adult critical care nursing. She is certified as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and is also employed at Yale New Haven Hospital with a focus on quality improvement initiatives.
She is the recipient of several honors, including the Nightingale Award in Nursing, the Donna Diers' Speaking of Nursing Award and the Marge Funk Nursing Research Award, and has been published in the American Journal of Critical Care, Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America, American Nurse Today and the Journal of Professional Nursing.
“The National League for Nursing LEAD program is one of the most highly respected leadership development initiatives in the field of nursing education,” said NLN president and CEO Beverly Malone. “This will be another year of outstanding and productive achievement, helping to boost the personal and professional standing of this exclusive cohort chosen for 2025 LEAD.”