This course focuses on the role of the professional nurse as a leader and as a manager in the collaborative design and delivery of customized health care for patients. Traditional management theories and practices are built upon, including the organization, planning, staffing, directing and controlling of various resources in diverse health care systems.  A strong emphasis is placed on the development of transformational leadership. The clinical practicum provides the student with the opportunity to partner with leaders and managers to explore and influence health care delivery system issues that effect quality of care. (This course builds on the management theory and experience RN Flex students have had in their ADN and Diploma Programs).

1. Apply leadership and management theories and nursing processes to patient care across the life span.
2. Participate as leadership and management partners within health care delivery systems in customized therapeutic care processes.
3. Apply various communication skills and processes in leading and managing of quality care delivery in professional practice.
4. Demonstrate critical thinking as the basis for leadership and management decisions in quality care delivery in professional practice.
5. Apply research findings to lead and manage customized care.
6. Demonstrate the leadership and management ability necessary to assure and facilitate collaborative relationships with patients.
7. Recognize the legal and ethical implications of leadership and management decisions and their relevance to professional standards.
8. Recognize the leadership and management role in facilitating professional development in self and others.

1.   Nursing Process:
   1. Apply management and leadership theories in assessing care provided by self and others to patients.
   2. Plan and evaluate health care delivery for patients.
   3. Delegate according to standards of care and the nurse practice act.
   4. Assess and evaluate care delivery settings.
   5. Identify a care setting's organizational culture and its impact on care delivery.
   6. Evaluate the organization of units and health care delivery settings.
   7. Communicate in the delivery of care in a delivery setting using the roles of manager/leader to  include formal and informal, written, verbal, and electronic.
   8. Organize, direct, and evaluate groups.
   9. Follow scientific principles in managing, leading and providing safe patient care.
   10. Provide safe nursing care across environments.
2. Customized Care:
   1. Participate as partners in the provision of care that is sensitive to special needs of staff and patients.
3. Communication Skills:
   1. Participate in patient status reports, care management meetings, outcome management meetings, and multidisciplinary meetings.
   2. Apply vertical, horizontal, and lateral communication.
4. Critical Thinking:
   1. Apply management principles in the allocation of personnel on unit or care delivery setting.
   2. Establish appropriate priorities in care delivery.
   3. Apply principles and standards in the delegation of care.
   4. Use information technology in decision making such as establishing staffing patterns.
   5. Use electronically generated clinical information to make patient care decisions.
5. Research:
   1. Use research findings when managing and leading customized care.
6. Collaborative Relationships:
   1. Collaborate in managing and leading patient care.
7. Legal and Ethical Implications:
   1. Demonstrate accountability for own behavior.
   2. Practice within accepted legal and ethical standards.
   3. Make decisions and plans that reflect accepted legal and ethical standards.
8. Professional Development:
   1. Demonstrate self development.
   2. Facilitate development of self in others. 

Successful completion of NURS.4312 requires successful completion of both the clinical and theoretical components of the course.

Clinical performance consists of three components, the project, the discussion board activities and the individual module assignments, and the actual clinical time spend with a preceptor.  A clinical notebook will be maintained by the student throughout the course..

1. The clinical project process and completion is graded pass/fail and is evaluated on the basis of the written clinical objectives. In order to pass the clinical component a student must receive a pass grade on all clinical objectives and clinical participation. If a student fails in either of these a grade of F in the course (regardless of the theory grade) will be given. A total of 45 hours of clinical time must be documented by the student to pass clinical and therefore the course. Students are responsible for maintaining a log covering their clinicl time.  Students that miss 10% or greater clinical time will not progress in the course during the semester the time is missed in.  A clinical notebook will be maintained by the student during the semester that contains required assignments pertaining to clinical practice.
2. The Modules are mandatory and are graded based on the grading rubric listed below.  Due dates for module assignments are posted on the course calendar.  Modules assignments are to be submitted via Blackboard.  They must be made up if the due date is missed to pass the course. Missing more than 2 due dates for Modules will result in a F in the clinical portion of the course, thus a failure in the course. Answers should be submitted following APA guidelines.  A copy of module assignemtns should be maintained in clinical notebook.
3. Discussion Board activities are mandatory and are evaluated on a participatory/quality of work basis. Discussion Board theory application assignments are evaluated based on a grading rubric list below.  Due to the nature of the discussion board activity, participation will not be accepted late. A student not fully engaged during the pre-due date time will be given an F. Missing or failing more than one will result in a clinical, and therefore a course, failure.

Discussion Board/ Module assignments are due according to Assignment Due Dates handout given at the beginning of the course.

Discussion Board/ Module assignments are due a numerical grade assigned as follows:

*Marquis, B. & Huston, C. (2008).   Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing, Philadelphia:
      Lippincot

* Grossman, S., & Valiga, T. M. (2005). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing.
      Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.

* American Psychological Association Publication Manual. 5^th Edition

* = Required
R = On Reserve

Reference sites are listed throughout the modules and within the text. 
APA reference site: OWL at Purdue http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl

Week   1   Orientation to Course
Week   2   Trends and Conditions
Week   3   Leadership/Management
Week   4   Power and Influence

Week   5   Organizational Culture/Structure; Commnication
Week   6.  Vision and Nature of Planning
Week   7   Quality Control
Week   8   Decision making, conflicting
Week   9   Groups/ Collaboration/ Diversity/ Disparity
Week 10.  Delegation/Collective Bargaining/ Employment Laws

Week 11  Human Resourcing

Week 12  Budgeting/Resourcing