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Nursing (NURS) 432

Management and Leadership in Nursing Practice (Revision 6)

Delivery Mode: Individualized study online.

Note: Follow directions on the [Undergraduate Course Registration] form to register in the course.  Online course materials cannot be accessed prior to your course contract start date.

Credits: 4

Area of Study: Applied Studies

Prerequisite: This course is normally open only to post-RN or undergraduate RN, BN nursing students.
Post-RN: All required 300-level nursing courses.
Post-LPN: All required 300-level nursing courses, NURS 435, NURS 437.

Centre: Centre for Nursing and Health Studies

NURS 432 is not available for Challenge.

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Overview

Nursing 432: Management and Leadership in Nursing Practice is an introduction to the theory and practice of nursing leadership and management. The emphasis is on understanding the key skills employed by highly successful nurse leaders/managers such as thinking critically, communicating effectively, handling conflict, delegating successfully, building teams, controlling resources, improving quality, managing stress, and leading change. In addition there is a unit dedicated to multiple aspects of managing human resources.

A special feature of NURS 432 is a practice component (a virtual preceptorship). The virtual preceptorship is designed to help students integrate knowledge about the activities, roles, and responsibilities of nurse managers/leaders and to enable students to practice conceptual, technical, and interpersonal management and leadership skills. The successful nurse leader/manager is a person of influence; thus “becoming influential” is the overarching theme of the preceptorship. The virtual preceptorship exercises embedded in the course provide opportunities for students to translate theory into practice and to build their capacity to influence.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of NURS 432, the student will achieve or exceed the following learning outcomes:

  • Compare and contrast nursing leadership and nursing management;
  • Explore the organizational context within which nursing leaders/managers function;
  • Discuss the skills required by nurse managers/leaders to create an effective work environment;
  • Describe human resource procedures and processes utilized by nurse leaders/managers;
  • Practice selected management/leadership skills through a virtual preceptorship experience; and
  • Experience a deepened confidence in your ability to be a person of influence.

Course Structure

Unit 1: Overview: Nursing Leadership and Management within Organizations

Unit 2: Theories of Leadership and Management

Unit 3: Key Skill: Thinking Critically, Making Decisions, Solving Problems

Unit 4: Key Skill: Communicating Effectively

Unit 5: Key Skill: Understanding Conflict and Negotiation

Unit 6: Key Skill: Delegating Successfully

Unit 7: Key Skill: Building and Managing Teams

Unit 8: Key Skill: Budgeting and Managing Resources

Unit 9: Key Skill: Managing and Improving Quality

Unit 10: Key Skill: Managing Stress

Unit 11: Key Skill: Leading Change

Unit 12: Key Skill: Managing Human Resources

Evaluation

To receive credit for NURS 432, you must complete and submit all of the required assignments and achieve a composite grade of at least “C-” (60%). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Leadership Self-Analysis 15%
Becoming Influential 20%
Scenario Analysis 20%
Design an Organization 25%
Application Exercise -Conference Postings 20%
Total 100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Kelly, P., & Crawford, H. (2008). Nursing leadership and management: First Canadian edition. Toronto: Nelson.

Sullivan, E. J. (2004). Becoming influential: A guide for nurses. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Other Materials

Students will receive an Access Letter in the course package with instructions for gaining access to this online course. A variety of electronic journal articles and websites are used in the course and paper copies are not included in the course package.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 6, Jan 21, 2009.

View previous syllabus

Last updated by SAS  09/10/2013 12:09:42