This combined course incorporates nursing leadership and management and transition to professional practice theory and clinical experiences and is specifically designed for 2^ndcareer students (2nd career students have a completed a BS/BA in another field and are enrolled in the 12 month program for a BSN degree). The content & experiences are condensed and integrated over a 5 week period for a total of 130 hours. The student is placed on one unit for BOTH leadership and transition but they have 2 preceptors ‐ one for leadership (preceptor is in a leadership role such as a manager, supervisor, nurse educator, CNS who can work directly with the student at certain time periods, but in addition can provide the student with experiences with a charge/lead nurse as appropriate) and a staff nurse preceptor for the transition component(where the student assumes more and more responsibility for direct patient care to groups of patients. The staff nurse gradually turns over as much responsibility as the student is able to handle. Leadership and management will consist of approx 64 hours of 1:1 with a preceptor in a leadership role or his/her designate. The student will also have a project to work on that is done during the management/leadership clinical time. The transition portion is approx 64 hours spent

1:1 with a staff nurse providing actual hands on patient care.

 

A wide variety of clinical placements are appropriate for this course such as patient care units in a variety of clinical specialties, ambulatory care settings, infusion centers, surgi—centers, etc.

Submitted by Yvonne Abdoo, Ph.D., RN

734 936-3681

 

This fourth level course is designed to provide registered nurses completing their BSN degree with the concepts and skills of leadership and management that are essential to planning, directing and evaluating the nursing care for groups of clients. There is increased emphasis on leadership and working with and within groups/teams. It will provide a learning experience in which the student synthesizes the principles of professional nursing practice with general principles from management sciences. There will be 4 to 5 hours of classroom (Tuesday’s) activities each week + clinical time in the agency. Because this is a clinical course, each student is expected to spend a total of 56 hours in clinical activities during the 10 week term. For Spring/Summer 2009, students need to plan for approximately 6-10 hours a week at their clinical site. The designated clinical days for the course is Wednesday, but students have the option to do other days if it works with their preceptor's schedule. The clinical experience will run at the earliest from the 2nd week in May through July 10. Students are also expected to work on a project that the preceptor would like assistance with. (See “Process Improvement Paper” section on the next page for more details.)

 

The didactic portion of the course will build on the concepts of team, delegation, motivation, negotiation, problem solving, and address those concepts within an organizational context. The study of management structures and processes that enable an organization to deliver efficient and effective nursing care is also included. Additionally, the course context focuses on quality improvement within the context of changing service delivery models, and scientific, technological, financial, political and cultural environments. In clinical, students will work in partnership with preceptors and faculty to apply concepts of leadership and management in the practice setting and develop a clinical leadership project.

 

Course Objectives:

1. Evaluate models of nursing care delivery in diverse clinical settings.

2. Use evidence-based nursing knowledge and managerial and leadership theories to provide potential solutions for solving workplace issues.

3. Use appropriate data and information systems to support decision making and improve health care delivery processes..

4. Perform a basic organizational unit assessment addressing internal and external factors that impact the delivery of nursing services.

5. Analyze key management functions and leadership roles that are integral to the patient care delivery.

6. Understand the multiple dimensions of the nurse manager role at all levels of the organization including accountability for professional nursing practice..

7. Organize manage and evaluate the functioning of a patient care process within the context of a team.

8. Develop group facilitation skills that foster collaboration in the clinical management setting.

9. Evaluate issues related to the management of health care resources, within the societal and political context of the health care delivery system.

10. Analyze communication, human resource, and operational systems that promote safety and quality of care.

11. Utilize an ethical decision making framework to address business and managerial issues.

12. Analyze organizational characteristics that promote valuing of diversity and empower staff to fully participate in decision making.

 

Clinical Experience:

Each student will work with a leader/manager preceptor and unit staff in the clinical area for approximately 8-10 hours/week. Critical thinking exercises tying in what was observed with theory will be required each week. Clinical experiences will be evaluated by the faculty member with input from the clinical preceptor and student. The clinical experience will be graded “Pass”/”Fail”. Students must successfully complete the clinical experience and the critical thinking analyses in order to receive a passing grade in the course.

Written clinical assignments will account for 50% of the N454 grade and will include:

 Project/Paper – (25%)

 Critical thinking analyses based on clinical experiences(10%)

 Evaluation of Clinical Conference participation by Peer Group & faculty (10%)

 Presentation of Paper – (5%)

 

Regardless of the setting, it is important that leaders and managers think critically and express ideas clearly. This assignment will provide the opportunity for students to practice critical thinking skills and demonstrate effective writing skills. Students will develop a professionally-written paper that identifies an issue/problem in their clinical setting as a focus for improvement. For example, papers might focus on issues related to clinical outcomes, fiscal management, delegation, staffing/scheduling, continuous quality improvement, etc.

 

 Required elements for this assignment include:

 Introductory summary of clinical issue/problem.

 Assessment of the clinical area, including the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, organizational mission, and culture.

 Clear and concise identification of a specific clinical issue/problem needing improvement.

 Collection and analysis of supporting data related to the clinical issue/problem of concern, including appropriate information sources.

 Literature review including appropriate reference sources with correct APA format and citation.

 Development of a plan for improvement of the clinical issue/problem, including specific recommendations and evaluative suggestions that reflect application of management/leadership theories and principles.

 Written and oral presentations of the assignment, including a written copy for faculty and clinical preceptor