In anticipation of my keynote at last fall's YSN alumnae/i reunion, where the theme was leadership, I canvassed a few YSN friends who have been elected to fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing. I was curious to know how their experiences at YSN shaped them as future leaders. Frankly, I was surprised by the similarity of the points made by alumnae/i of multiple generations. They noted that YSN sharpened their professional passion, belief that they could change the system, commitment to social justice and interdisciplinary collaboration, and inventiveness. Essential qualities, I would argue, if leadership is to be exerted.

The fundamentals articulated by those accomplished alumnae/i align nicely with the qualities evident in the current student body highlighted in this issue, proving that the meaning of the YSN experience remains true over time, even as curricula and technology keep changing. This values-oriented constancy masks, however, the extent to which both our profession and our larger society remain uncomfortable equating nursing with creativity and courage. And that's because nursing has been associated historically with woman's work—virtuous, reliable, tender, active, and routine—not considerations of leadership work, such as career, transformation, and daring. Being a part of Yale, YSN has never really bought into such stereotyped thinking.

After all, Yale is in the business of preparing the leaders of tomorrow, and that transforms how you view matters. First, you don't recruit students just to fill workforce needs. Rather, the emphasis is on selecting individuals prepared to make a difference in the field. This view of nursing doesn't presume a nurse is a nurse is a nurse. Instead, you need maximum diversity and ingenuity to address the challenges of providing care in a world where the very meaning of healthy aging is steadily evolving. Look at YSN's student body, and you see the diversity of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, social class, geography, generation, and lifestyle that is necessary to voice and respond to complex problems. Instead of regarding challenge and debate as bad form, you appreciate their use in clarifying the issues so you can formulate a plan of action.

Admitting students who will be leaders in the field means that you go beyond preparing nurses who can pass the licensure exam or obtain certification, to expect that each new cohort will enrich the profession. You expect the faculty have to "keep up" with the students instead of casting them into a set mold. The endpoint isn't just the degree, but helping novice colleagues feel welcome and energized, knowing that when they achieve their potential, the field is elevated in the process.

One of the things I remember fondly about my YSN experience in the 1960s is that the focus wasn't on constantly proving that you were worthy to be in the program. Once accepted as a student, I was repeatedly told in various ways that I had talent, and the challenge was: What would I do with my abilities? How would I make this a better world? How did I plan to shape the field? Interestingly enough, these messages had the effect of making me less self-conscious about whether I was “any good,” and made me focus instead on confronting all that needed to be set right. The hesitancy of my youth—“You are only a girl…You are smart for a nurse”—was replaced by a confidence that I could make my mark on the world.

I cannot tell you how important it is to stop ruminating about whether you are any good and instead to be encouraged to think about the difference you will make. When I went on in the 1970s to get my PhD at a Big 10 university, the emphasis shifted back to proving my worth. I was asked by a male professor why a 30-ish woman with two small children would bother to get a doctorate, since I was already too old to do much with it. But by that time I recognized how pernicious it is to be in an environment where the emphasis is on jumping through hoops rather than moving toward something. And for the rest of my career, I have tried to impart the greatest gift of YSN education by asking others: What are you going to do with your considerable gifts? No matter how stuck you may feel, there is something about being asked what you are going to do next that makes you aware of your possibilities.

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