Samenvatting

District nurses have a crucial position in healthcare provision and are expected to use leadership practices to ensure optimal
quality patient care. To better equip them, a leadership program named the ambassador project was developed to support the
development of a liaison role between policy and district nursing practice. This research aims to evaluate from different perspectives
the impact of this nationwide, five-year leadership program for district nurses at the organizational, regional, and
societal levels. A mixed-methods study was conducted using two focus groups based on peer-to-peer shadowing (n =14),
semistructured interviews (n =13), and an online questionnaire (n =45). The analysis shows that the impact of a nationwide
leadership program for district nurses was perceived as predominantly positive, and nurses experienced an increase in courage,
assertiveness, professional pride, and leadership skills. They obtained confidence in representing the group of district
nurses at the organizational, regional, and societal levels when speaking with various key stakeholders from the healthcare
system. They were able to bridge the gaps among daily practice, policymaking, and politics by using translations and shaping
actions and information into terms suiting the needs of those involved.