“Nursing doesn’t need more followers— It needs voices that challenge, innovate, and lead.”

As a student nurse from rural Alabama, I’m not waiting until I graduate to shape the future of nursing, because I can already see where change is needed. From hospital closures and nurse staffing crises to the growing disconnect between policy and practice, the profession is in a state of urgency. We don’t have time to wait for the next wave of leaders to be ready. I’m starting now, not because I have all the answers, but because I believe leadership begins the moment you choose to act with purpose.

We’re at a crossroads in healthcare, and nurses are being called to do more than ever before, not just in patient care, but in workforce planning, health equity, policy development, and innovation. However, while we often discuss bedside care and clinical competency, we tend to talk less about boardroom presence, legislative advocacy, or systems leadership. Nursing students are taught how to insert I.V.s, but not how to interpret a state budget. We can pass pharmacology exams, yet few of us learn how to write an op-ed, testify before a health committee, or evaluate the impact of a proposed policy. Our education prepares us to respond to emergencies, but rarely equips us to help redesign the system that causes them. That’s why I’ve decided to build my national voice in nursing, not after graduation, but during my education. I believe students deserve the tools, support, and platform to lead from the very beginning.

I was raised by a single mother who worked two jobs to support our family. We lived modestly, but she taught me values that still guide me: service, grit, and the belief that where you come from should never limit where you’re going. My mother taught me something priceless: never confuse poverty with a lack of purpose. I didn’t enter nursing through the front door. I came through the dispatch center, working as a 911 operator, hearing the chaos before the code, the fear before the crash cart. It made me realize that calm, competent care begins long before a stethoscope is placed. That experience shaped my urgency to lead.

For much of modern history, men in nursing were either excluded, erased, or discouraged from entering the profession. Although men like St. Camillus and the Alexian Brothers laid the groundwork for nursing care centuries ago, institutional barriers in the 19th and 20th centuries excluded men from nursing education and leadership. That legacy still echoes today. Even now, male nurses remain underrepresented in academic, policy, and leadership spaces, often seen but not heard. For me, building a national voice is about more than personal ambition. It’s about reclaiming a rightful place in the evolution of a profession that must include everyone to serve everyone.

Now, as a BSN student on track to graduate in May 2026 and begin a dual DNP and PhD program in the fall, I’ve made it my mission to lead boldly and early. I firmly believe that nursing students are not just future leaders; we are significant voices in the present. We are observers of the system, unburdened by inertia, and filled with insight. We are uniquely positioned to challenge norms, question existing curricula, and propose innovative solutions. But we can’t do that if we stay quiet.

I’ve joined national organizations—the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN), the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), and the National League for Nursing (NLN)—not to build a résumé, but to build relationships and credibility. I’ve launched a project to assess how undergraduate programs prepare nurses for leadership, policy, and innovation. I’m publishing my reflections and research, presenting at conferences, and sharing my journey online to encourage other students to do the same. I want to model what early, intentional leadership can look like in nursing, and I understand that it’s only possible through strong relationships and collaboration.

I also use platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to share weekly reflections, leadership strategies, and behind-the-scenes insights from my journey. I’m not an influencer, and I don’t get paid for my opinions. I’m not building a brand—I’m building a bridge. My goal isn’t self-promotion; it’s empowerment. I want other nursing students, especially those from underrepresented or nontraditional backgrounds, to see what’s possible. I’ve mentored younger students informally, reviewed peers’ abstracts, and offered advice to others who want to step into leadership but aren’t sure how. I share not for visibility, but to model what leadership in nursing can look like when it’s grounded in service, purpose, and a desire to uplift the next generation.

One of the initiatives I’m currently developing is a national student-led project focused on evaluating how undergraduate nursing programs prepare students for leadership, policy engagement, and innovation. The goal is to create a resource, potentially an index or open-access report, that highlights best practices, gaps, and student perceptions across various programs. Although the framework is still in progress, I’m actively seeking feedback from academic leaders, mentors, and peers to shape it into something impactful. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about giving students a seat at the table where the curriculum is shaped and future leaders are made.

I’m not chasing attention. I’m chasing alignment with a future where nurses shape health policy, lead innovation in education, and redefine what it means to serve. I want to be part of the generation that reimagines how nurses lead in practice, research, and systems transformation. In building my national voice, I’m also building a bridge for other students who want to speak up, be heard, and make change. We need more student contributors, more emerging scholars, and more young nurses on advisory councils and task forces. The profession is better when we build from every level, not just the top. Your voice, your ideas, and your actions are needed to shape the future of nursing.

I believe in nursing. I believe in our ability to lead not just at the bedside, but in the boardroom, the legislature, and the academic journal. The future of nursing depends on voices like mine and yours showing up before the title, before the degree, before someone permits us.

We don’t need to wait to lead. We just need to begin. Leadership doesn’t come after someone hands you a title; it comes when you decide to raise your hand and speak with purpose. For every nurse who’s been told to wait their turn, your turn is now. For every student who doesn’t see themselves at the national table, build your own. We’re not the future of nursing. We are the voice of nursing, and that voice is already here.

Joshua Ogle is a BSN student.