L.E.A.D. from where you are

ABSTRACT: As physician associates (PAs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) have steadily increased in numbers within the clinical realm, attention needs to be given to their career development. Some institutions have created professional advancement models (PAMs) to address career development for these professionals. These programs have the potential to decrease burnout, improve professional satisfaction, and increase retention. However, for advanced practice providers (APPs) to be successful in PAMs or to excel professionally at institutions without PAMs, they need academic and leadership skills, which vary widely among individuals. In this article, we share a career development framework, developed at the University of Chicago, to foster workplace-based academic and leadership skills development among APPs. L.E.A.D. encompasses 1) leadership (L) roles and opportunities, 2) embedding (E) interests in existing structures, and 3) academic (A) development (D) to provide a framework for diversifying APP careers and enhancing professional satisfaction.