Repositioning entrepreneurial competence as a core nursing capability: unlocking nurses’ leadership and innovation potential

In the UK, innovation has become a cornerstone of healthcare reform and professional development. National policy increasingly emphasises integrated, workforce-led approaches to care, positioning nurses at the centre of transforming healthcare organisations and systems. As the largest professional group in the NHS, nurses are well-placed to translate policy aims into everyday practice and system-level change. However, while professional standards emphasise the importance of effective leadership, communication and compassion, they rarely articulate how nurses can systematically develop the entrepreneurial capabilities required to drive innovation at scale. Entrepreneurial competence - the ability to recognise opportunities, mobilise resources and translate ideas into practice - remains under-recognised in nurse education and healthcare organisations. This article calls for a renewed understanding of innovation in nursing, positioning entrepreneurial competence as integral to professional identity, rather than as a business-oriented or specialist activity. The author reframes everyday nursing innovation as entrepreneurial practice and offers a structured framework for its development, thereby supporting nurses and nurse leaders to lead sustainable, practice-informed changes.