Relevance
Registered Nurses have a significant role to play in advancing the quality of patient care in clinical workplaces. Leadership competence within clinical practice, at all levels, is recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council Registered Nurse Standards for Practice. This assessment task provides students with an opportunity to propose a leadership approach to address a clinical problem as represented in the following case. It is expected that this activity will foster deeper understanding of change leadership in nursing contexts.
Case Scenario
Bluebird home is an aged care facility located in a rural township (population 8,000) in NSW. The town is located 50 km from the nearest larger town. The facility provides care for 100 aged residents, many of whom are some distance from their families and friends. The facility is staffed by registered, enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing, kitchen, cleaning and administrative staff. A Director of Nursing, a Deputy Director of nursing and a business manager oversee the operations of the facility. The services of a diversional therapist, a physiotherapist, a pharmacist and several doctors from the local general practice are employed by the facility.
In response to facility accreditation, the Director of Nursing was compelled to upgrade the facility’s documentation practices. The accreditation team found that entries in each resident’s record were infrequent and contained minimal information. Moreover, each resident’s record was divided between six different folders: a medication folder, a wound care folder, a nursing notes folder, a medical notes folder, an allied health folder and a care plan folder. The lack of integration was identified as creating a risk to the safety and quality of resident care as an holistic and up to date picture of each resident’s health status was impossible to ascertain. Visiting providers often had no knowledge of the residents’ health status or responses to treatment, and depended on verbal recounts provided by staff.
The Director of Nursing asked you to lead the change to implement an integrated (paper based) record.
Instruction
You are to record your response to the Director of Nursing’s request in a structured proposal. Your proposal must firstly explain clinical risk that is posed by this situation. Then, explain the steps you will take to lead the change to a new record system. In your proposal you are expected to demonstrate knowledge of leadership practice.
Structure
1. Introduction (150 words)
2. Explanation of clinical risk (300 words)
3. Strategies to implement the change (include 4-5 leadership strategies). Each strategy is to include a heading and must be explained and justified in relation to the scenario and supported by the literature. (1400 words)
4. Conclusion (150 words)
5. References
Notes:
Format
Word Limit: 2,000 words*
Referencing Style: APA 7 with doi
Knowledge: Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the chosen standard, of leadership practice acquired from study of Modules 1-3 and from independent research.
Critical analysis: The presentation is supported by a synthesis and evaluation of a broad range of relevant quality peer reviewed academic sources;
Argument: A comprehensive, persuasive and critical discussion of nursing leadership strategies that support achievement of the chosen Standard is central to the presentation.
Communication: The presentation is engaging and creative and ideas are presented coherently and logically and with attention to grammar, syntax and punctuation. There is accurate use of discipline-specific language. First person is used selectively.
Academic convention: In-text citations and Reference List is consistent with APA 7th referencing requirements.