NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 1 Discussion
Creating a Philosophy of Leadership - A
Part 1: Individual
Whether or not it is written or verbally articulated, everyone has an idea or belief system about leadership that influences their behavior as a leader and a follower. Many factors combine that inform your leadership philosophy.
Discuss your personal beliefs, values, experiences, and current leadership principles and trends that influence your leadership philosophy.
In 3-5 sentences clearly articulate your personal leadership philosophy. This should begin with, "My philosophy of leadership is....."
Describe how your leadership philosophy relates to the position and the organization within which you currently work. How does it affect the work you do, how you make decisions, and the culture you promote?
Part 2: With Your Group
Discuss the commonalities and differences among the statements from the group.
How does your personal philosophy compare to the philosophy of your organization? How do you reconcile discrepancies between them?
What impact does congruency between your personal leadership and the organization's philosophy have on creating a person-centered, caring healthcare organization?
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 2 Discussion
Leadership Styles and Personality Types: Impact on Communication – A
Part 1: Individual
Identity your leadership style and personality typology using the following instruments:
Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid: Leadership Self-Assessement Questionnaire: https://www.bumc.bu.edu/facdev-medicine/files/2010/10/Leadership-Matrix-Self-Assessment-Questionnaire.pdf
Personality Typology Profile: http://www.humanmetrics.com/personality/type (Links to an external site.)
Discuss the dominant leadership style and personality type of each group member and compare the similarities and differences related to the steps of the communication cycle/feedback loop.
Part 2: With Your Group
Suppose your group is an ad hoc task force charged with finding a solution for reducing call-outs by staff. Based on what you've learned about the communication attributes of each other, create a scenario that depicts how you envision communication and collaboration on this project among this group. Discuss what considerations might be taken based on how the different members give and receive information.
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 3 Discussion
Open and Closed Systems: Impact of Decision Making Within – A
Facilitating: Over the next five weeks (3-7) you are engaging in group forums within which you explore issues related to weekly lesson topics. For one of these you will assume role of facilitator and the remainder of the weeks you are a participant. Your role as facilitator has specific guidelines and grading rubric which are available here: Group Discussion Facilitation Guidelines and Rubric. (Links to an external site.)
The grade for facilitation appears in the gradebook under Week 7: Facilitation.
To learn basic tips on what facilitation of a group means and how to perform it successfully, please also review the Group Facilitation Information Sheet. (Links to an external site.) There is not a separate electronic submission required for this assignment.
Participation: Engaging in group forums is a bit different from traditional discussion posts. In group forums you engage in dialogue addressing the components in the prompt with the guidance of the facilitator. The key to robust group forums is frequent, quality responses. The facilitator posts within the first 24 hours of the week to start the discussion. To promote thoughtful dialogue, you should respond as soon as able after the facilitator has posted. Review the discussion rubric for further guidelines on grading.
Part 1: Individual
Describe your organization as a closed or open system. Discuss how thinking differs between the two. Is there a difference in systems thinking in traditional healthcare versus complex adaptive systems?
Part 2: With Your Group
Systems thinking allows a more holistic perspective on decision making. Share examples of the types of decisions that occur at the unit, department, and organizational levels of the organization. Describe the impact of those decisions vertically, horizontally, and system-wide. Describe the effect of the decisions at the individual system level as well as the impact throughout the organization.
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 4 Discussion
Organizational Structure: Power and Lines of Authority – A
Part 1: Individual
Describe the organizational structure and the lines of authority within the healthcare system where you work. Identify the relationship between the type of power observed and the authority line.
Part 2: With Your Group
Share an example of a power differential gap or unclear authority lines you have observed or have been involved in. What accountability issues arose from the gap? How was group communication and/or collaboration affected by this gap? What strategies would you propose leaders could use to navigate power-differential gaps and blurred lines of authority?
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 5 Discussion
Organizational Culture and Climate on Group Process and Team Building – A
Individual:
You are the unit director of the emergency department and part of an ad hoc interdisciplinary committee newly formed to address a 30% rise in arrival-to- provider time over the past six months. Six months ago, the ED consistently recorded an arrival-to-provider time less than the national benchmark of twenty minutes. The arrival-to-provider time is presently over one hour. A root cause analysis study finds that arrivals to the ER have increased by 50% and the lobby is usually filled to capacity. Often patients must stand due to lack of adequate seating. FTEs have not been added and staffing is consistently short due to call-offs. Patients are not being discharged from inpatient beds in a timely manner. The task for the committee is to propose a solution for the problem. Looking at this through the lens of an evidence-based quality improvement process, what would you propose as the PICOT for this initiative? Who are the stakeholders represented in your group? (Remember, this is an internal organizational issue, and while patients are impacted by the issue and are the beneficiaries of the work done, they would not be included in this type of task force)
(for your review, see the example for developing a PICOT below or refer to the Nurse Executive Track CGE Academy webinar located in resources and announcements)
Group:
Discuss how the perspectives for the PICOT differ depending on the discipline represented by each stakeholder? What impact will they have on the group process and in team building? How is the group process and team building effected by the organization's culture and climate of transparency and safety? How will the outcomes of the committee be impacted?
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 6 Discussion
Evidence-based Decision-making and Models for Planned Change – A
You are the CNO of your current healthcare organization and have been told that the current organizational structure of the nursing department is "top heavy," resulting in financial loss for the institution in the last fiscal year. You've been instructed to restructure the department to flatten the line to reduce expenses. You must decide how you will do it and how you will implement the change.
Describe the decision-making framework or model you will choose and the rationale for choosing it.
Of the three change models—PDSA, Kotter, or Rogers—which would you choose to use and why? What makes the other two less useful? What influence did your leadership profile have on your choices?
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 7 Discussion
Attributes of a Transformational Healthcare System – A
What are the attributes of the learning organization and how does it align (or support) the complex adaptive healthcare system? What leadership styles are inherent in learning organizations that may not be totally supported in a traditional organizational culture? Using the cultural assessment you did a few weeks ago, how does your current organizational culture and climate align with the learning organizational attributes? What other information might you need before you could make that determination? Where would you obtain it? How does your philosophy of leadership and personal leadership profile align to the attributes of the learning organization? What is the role of the nurse leader in leading and creating a shift toward becoming a learning organization?
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 8 Discussion
Touchpoint Reflection – A
Reflection on Health Systems, Population Health, and Coalition Building
Experience
Conduct a mini-community health assessment of the area served by the healthcare system for which you work. Describe the services and programs related to the social determinants of health (SDOH) provided by your institution. Identify which ones are being addressed through other agencies.
Reflection
Reflect on the areas of population health within your community that are not being fully addressed by available services. Which SDOH are not being fully addressed by available services through your organization or other community agencies.
Implications
What are the implications for your healthcare system for developing services or programs that might address some of the gaps? What role would you have in developing coalitions or partnerships within your community to achieve these goals?
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 2 Assignment
Advanced Communication in Systems Leadership
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to apply leadership self- knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary for effective communication in advanced communication situations.
Week 2: Advanced Communication in Systems Leadership (Links to an external site.)
COURSE OUTCOMES
CO 4) Apply evidence-based communication and collaboration strategies appreciative of cultural diversity that promote caring environments for staff and patients within complex healthcare systems. (POs 2, 3, and 5)
CO 5) Manage human resources respectful of cultural diversity that contribute to positive health outcomes within complex healthcare systems. (POs 2, 3, and 5)
CO 6) Analyze the fluidity, impact, and management of change within complex healthcare systems through intentional reflective practice. (POs 2 and 3)
The assignment provides an opportunity for the student to:
Develop and leadership profile based on leadership style and personality profile
Apply their leadership profile to advanced communication situations
Develop strategies that will improve and/enhance advanced communication skills
Engage in reflective practice through writing
IV. Preparing the Assignment
Preparing the Assignment
Address all components of the Advanced Communication in Systems Leadership paper as outlined under "Assignment Directions and Criteria".
The paper is graded on quality and completeness of information, depth of thought, organization following outline provided, substantive narrative, use of citations, use of standard English, and writing conventions.
Format:
APA format, using most current edition, is required for citations and references in this assignment
Required elements
Title page, reference page
Use Microsoft Word
Page numbers, doubles-spaced, times new roman, 12pt font, 1" margins, level 1 headings
Paper length: 6 maximum, excluding reference page, title page, and assessment tool
Scholarly sources
Minimum of four (4) scholarly resources no older than 5 years
Proof-reading
Use spell check and grammar check and correct all errors
Compare final draft to detailed outline directions to ensure all required elements included
Final submission only will be graded
DIRECTIONS AND ASSIGNMENT CRITERIA
This paper is a reflective practice experience that requires you to describe selected communication experiences, analyze them through the lens of your newly developed leadership profile, and describe implications for future experiences. You will need to draw on knowledge of advanced communication skills as well as past experiences and knowledge in certain communication situations. Scholarly inquiry into the specified communication types will be needed from at least one (1) peer reviewed journal per situation. Use the detailed outline found in the Assignment Guidelines with Scoring Rubric document above to organize your paper. The headings included in that document should be used for your paper and represent what is included in a completed paper.
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 5 Assignment
Organizational Culture and Climate: Assessment and Analysis
I. Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to explore the culture and climate of the healthcare organization and its impact on providing a healthy, safe, and person-centered care and work environment.
NR534 Week 5 Organizational Culture and Climate Assessment and Analysis (Links to an external site.)
COURSE OUTCOMES
CO 1) Propose evidence-based strategies grounded in holistic health and person-centered care principles that will guide change and transform organizational culture within complex adaptive systems. (POs 1 and 2)
CO 3) Incorporate evidence-based advanced decision-making models in leading change and transforming organizational culture that contributes to caring work environments and quality health outcomes. (POs 1 and 5)
CO 6) Analyze the fluidity, impact, and management of change within complex healthcare systems through intentional reflective practice. (POs 2 and 3)
Description of the Assignment
This assignment provides an opportunity for the student to
Assess organizational culture and climate within a healthcare organization known to the student
Analyze the organizational culture and climate for its strengths and opportunities for improvement
Determine the organization's capacity to provide a healthy, safe, person-centered environment for staff and patients based on it culture and climate
Reflect on the "fit" of personal leadership profile with the organization's culture and climate
IV. Preparing the Assignment
Requirements:
Address all components of the Organizational Culture and Climate Assessment and Analysis Paper as outlined under "Assignment Directions and Criteria".
The paper is graded on quality and completeness of information, depth of thought, organization following outline provided, substantive narrative, use of citations, use of standard English, and writing conventions.
Format:
APA format, using most current edition, is required for citations and references in this assignment
Required elements
Title page, reference page
Page numbers, doubles-spaced, times new roman, 12pt font, 1" margins, level 1 headings
Paper length: 6 maximum, excluding reference page, title page, and assessment tool
Scholarly sources: Minimum of four (4) scholarly resources no older than 5 years
Proof-reading
Use spell check and grammar check and correct all errors
DIRECTIONS AND ASSIGNMENT CRITERIA
This assignment has two steps and requires that you do an actual assessment and analysis of the healthcare organization within which you work.
Step 1: The Assessment Tool
Complete the Organizational Culture and Climate Assessment Tool (Links to an external site.). The tool is your data collection tool, or "notes-taking" pages you will need to complete before doing the analysis. You may already know some of the information, but some may require communication with key people in the organization, for example, human resources, financial officers, or nurse executives. Submitting the completed tool with your final paper submission is required. It is not included in your page count. You receive credit for completing and submitting it the items in the following outline.
Step 2: The Analysis
Analyze the findings from your assessment following the outline below (See the rubric for specific criteria within each section). Support your analysis and conclusions with specific evidence from your assessment and scholarly sources. The paper will contain the following components with headings as required. (Remember, no heading is used for the introduction section)
Introduction
Stated purpose
Definition of organizational culture vs climate
Broad overview of components of the paper
Organizational culture and climate analysis
Summary of assessment findings
Mission, vision, and goals reflected in culture and climate
Strengths and Opportunities for improvement
Climate reflective of culture
Healthy, safe, person-centered care environment capacity
Describe the organizational culture's capacity to support
What would a visiting potential staff recruit experience about the institution's culture that would attract them to work there?
Nurse leader's role in setting the organizational culture and climate to promote a healthy work environment?
Implications
Two strategies to address the opportunities for improvement
Alignment of Personal Leadership Profile and Organizational Culture and Climate
Conclusion
Broadly address the what has been accomplished in the paper
Benefits of the completing the assignment
NR534 Healthcare Systems Management
Week 6 Assignment
Planned Change: Leadership of Reduction in Workforce
I. Purpose
The purpose of this experiential learning activity is to apply nursing leadership knowledge and skills to plan for organizational change with system-wide impact.
NR534 W6 Planned Change Leadership of Reduction in Workforce Assignment Guidelines and Rubric (Links to an external site.)
COURSE OUTCOMES
CO 1) Propose evidence-based strategies grounded in holistic health and person-centered care principles that will guide change and transform organizational culture within complex adaptive systems. (POs 1 and 2)
CO 2) Apply appropriate change theory models to selected work environment situations consistent with professional nursing values, caring environments, and appreciation of cultural diversity. (POs 2, 3, and 4)
CO 3) Incorporate evidence-based advanced decision-making models in leading change and transforming organizational culture that contributes to caring work environments and quality health outcomes. (POs 1 and 5)
CO 5) Manage human resources respectful of cultural diversity that contribute to positive health outcomes within complex healthcare systems. (POs 2, 3, and 5)
CO 6) Analyze the fluidity, impact, and management of change within complex healthcare systems through intentional reflective practice. (POs 2 and 3)
This assignment provides the opportunity for the student to:
Create an evidence-based plan for system-wide change guided by a selected organizational change model
Engage in high-level decision-making processes common in the nurse executive role
Use reflective practice knowledge and skills in making high level decision making and change management
IV. Preparing the Assignment
Address all components of the Advanced Communication in Systems Leadership paper as outlined under "Assignment Directions and Criteria".
The paper is graded on quality and completeness of information, depth of thought, organization following outline provided, substantive narrative, use of citations, use of Standard English, and writing conventions.
Format:
APA format, using most current edition, is required for citations and references in this assignment
Required elements
Title page, reference page
Use Microsoft Word
Page numbers, doubles-spaced, times new roman, 12pt font, 1" margins, level 1 headings
Paper length: 7 maximum, excluding reference page and title page
Scholarly sources
Minimum of four (4) scholarly resources no older than 5 years (See: What is a Scholarly Source under APA resources)
Proof-reading
Use spell check and grammar check and correct all errors
Compare final draft to detailed outline directions to ensure all required elements included
DIRECTIONS AND ASSIGNMENT CRITERIA
You will use the following headings for your paper:
Approach to the organizational mandate
Purpose of the paper
Overview of the tasks, potential challenges, and implications of a reduction in workforce
Part II: Reduction in Workforce-Deciding
Using Human Resources (HR) metrics Table 1
Approach, choices, rationale
Challenges presented (including role of ethics)
Using HR metrics with Relative Information Table 2
Approach, choices, rational
Challenges presented
Conflicts raised
Negotiation used
Part III: Reduction in Workforce-Planning the Change
Overview of reorganization plan including timeline
Plan for change and application of Kotter's or Rogers' change model
Anticipated conflict (three areas) and the benefits of using a change model
Healthy work environment
Describe department and system-wide implications, impact, and conflict
Strategies for addressing morale and motivation of remaining workforce
Summary/Conclusions
Restatement of purpose
Overview of tasks
