Strong nurse leaders shape more than healthcare. They shape people.

Victoria (Tori) Gagne's leadership practicum with Chief Nursing Officer Kim Hogarth offered a firsthand look at how relationships, curiosity and courage shape nursing leadership.

That became clear for Victoria (Tori) Gagne, a second-year after-degree nursing student at the University of Alberta, during a leadership practicum with Dr. Kim Hogarth, Chief Nursing Officer at Primary Care Alberta. Watching leadership closely broadened her view of nursing, from bedside care to the decisions, relationships and advocacy that influence how care is delivered.

The experience reinforced an important lesson: leadership isn't defined by a title; it's demonstrated through everyday actions.

Leadership in plain sight

Much of Gagne’s placement involved observing Dr. Hogarth working with people - from government officials and senior healthcare leaders to members of her own team.

Those conversations revealed a leadership style built on trust over authority.

"Watching Kim work with different stakeholders had the greatest impact on my development," says Gagne. "I learned the importance of being seen as a person regardless of your title and gained a better understanding of how a leader can present themselves authentically.”

Gagne says Kim's leadership was reflected in the way she listened to others, valued every perspective and treated her as a partner throughout the placement.

For Dr. Hogarth, that message matters.

"Leadership roles don't change the fact that we're all nurses first," she says. "Some of the best ideas and insights have come from students and new graduates. You bring fresh perspectives and your experiences matter, and strong nursing cultures are built when we learn with each other, not when knowledge only flows in one direction."

Learning to think differently

The placement also encouraged Gagne to rethink how healthcare change happens.

Instead of expecting leadership to revolve around solutions, she discovered that change depends on balancing competing priorities, collaborating with partners and bringing diverse voices to the table.

"I was surprised to learn that finding solutions is often much more complex than I initially thought because of the many stakeholders and factors involved," says Gagne.

That shift in understanding formed a new perspective that she expects to carry into her nursing career.

"The most important lesson I learned was to stay open to new ideas, perspectives and change," she says. "That mindset will encourage me to think critically about why we do things, rather than simply following tradition or routine."

Courage through candour

One quality consistently stood out most to Gagne: Dr. Hogarth’s willingness to acknowledge uncertainty.

Rather than projecting certainty, she approached difficult conversations with honesty and humility, prioritizing trust over all else.

"I think many people assume leaders always need to have all the answers and be confident all the time," says Dr. Hogarth. "In reality, some of the most meaningful leadership moments come from being honest, human and willing to acknowledge what you don't know."

She argues that courage is about showing up, particularly in uncomfortable moments when outcomes remain uncertain.

"As nurse leaders, we're asking teams to navigate change, take risks, learn from mistakes and support one another. We can't expect that from others if we're not willing to model it ourselves. Leadership isn't about having all the answers, it's about creating an environment where people feel safe to learn, grow and contribute."

A future in primary care

The placement also introduced Gagne to primary care, an area she had barely considered before.

Dr. Hogarth sees it as one of nursing’s fastest-evolving fields, where prevention, long-term outcomes and team-based care intersect.

"It's a place where nurses can have a significant impact on people's lives before they reach a point of crisis," she says. “The role goes well beyond checking vital signs or directing patients to waiting rooms. It offers the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary teams, see the bigger picture, and improve health outcomes and access to care in communities.”

Supporting full scope of practice, expanding registered nurse prescribing and strengthening team-based care are creating new opportunities for new graduates entering the primary care workforce.

For Gagne, those possibilities are now far easier to imagine.

The practicum offered more than an introduction to leadership. It reframed what nursing can be. The lessons she’ll walk away with — from mentorship, curiosity and leader willingness to be vulnerable — will pave not only the nurse she becomes, but the leader she hopes to be.