Nursing Leadership and Management

This course introduces the student to contemporary theories of leadership, change, complexity science, and organizational structure and design. Students will complete an assessment of their leadership strengths and weaknesses and develop a professional leadership plan which will guide their progress throughout the rest of the program. Topics covered include leadership frameworks, change management paradigms, project management, organizational culture, education, and financial management. Also, the course addresses the integration of technology to improve and support nursing practice. It provides nurses with a foundational understanding of nursing informatics theory, practice, and applications. Topics include the role of nursing in informatics; use of computer technology for clinical documentation, communication, and workflows; and best practices.

This course focuses on the role of the nurse leader in program planning for health promotion and disease prevention for populations. Students integrate and synthesize concepts associated with quality, health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic health problems within communities, the general population, and specific population groups; issues related to culturally diverse and vulnerable populations. Topics include determinants of health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and advancing equity in access, services, and outcomes for vulnerable populations.

This course focuses on current trends and issues in professional nursing, health care delivery, and nursing education. Students will examine concepts of leadership and critically appraise the changing social, geopolitical, and health care environments that influence the nursing profession, nursing practice, and health. Students will develop appropriate strategies to strengthen their capacity to influence and respond to current trends and issues.

This course presents an analysis of organizational theories related to health care organizations and the use of leadership, communication, and power to influence health care delivery and policy. It also explores the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups in organizations with a focus on change in the workplace. Theories of cooperation, conflict, and innovation are discussed.

This course will develop knowledge and skills used by nurse managers for effective financial management in healthcare. Students will explore financial sources, analyze legislation and reimbursement mechanisms, evaluate business plans, and learn to manage budgets. Topics will include reimbursement systems, coding and payment mechanisms, ethics and legalities of contracting, governmental regulations, budget development, marketing, and interprofessional collaboration.

Ethics have a significant impact on the decisions nurses make in their day-to-day work, so it’s important for all student nurses to develop their understanding of ethical frameworks as preparation for future practice. This course explains ethical ideas, theories, and concepts in simple to understand terms, focusing on real-life nursing situations in order to make applying these principles to practice easy. This course teaches student nurses to consider their own values, and how ethics fit into who they are and how they behave, helping them to unlock this interesting and complex subject.

In this course, students will learn about the ethical translation of current evidence in advanced nursing practice and health care. The course stresses the interdependence and fluidity of various approaches to evidence-based practice with an emphasis on developing skills in scientific inquiry and critical analysis. It covers diverse information sources and imparts skills to evaluate information quality, providing a foundation for integrating research evidence and critical thinking into practice.

Quality and safety strategies, theories, and methods to improve health outcomes are explored. Theoretical and methodological foundations for understanding and applying patient safety and quality of care outcomes within the current health care environment are examined. Concepts of healthcare quality and safety are analyzed with a focus on patient and population health outcomes. The role of nurse leaders in leading quality and safety initiatives within organizations is examined.

This course will study the nature of human resource management, staffing the organization, and developing human resources, compensating human resources and managing employee relations in the healthcare environment. Students will be exposed to key concepts, laws, and issues relating to HR management.

This course serves as a foundation for all aspects of HR planning and development in hospitals, long term care centers, and outpatient settings. Students will explore the basic functions of HR; the cost of hiring, training, turnover, and credentialing; cultural competence and diversity; as well as the role of outside factors, such as state regulatory bodies, unions, and other stakeholders. Special emphasis is given to affirmative action programs, equal employment opportunity directives, legal decisions, and the practice of industrial relations in the field of American business enterprise today.

This course will enhance students’ knowledge and skills related to nursing informatics in a variety of healthcare settings. Students will learn how to use project management principles and technologies to enhance patient-care delivery, management, and clinical decision support. Data, information, and knowledge used in making nursing decisions and implementing nursing actions related to the achievement of nursing outcomes are examined. Research from nursing and other disciplines regarding improving patient outcomes, cost effectiveness and patient safety will be emphasized.

The capstone course is the culmination of the MSN in Nursing Leadership and Management degree program and provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate the competencies they have gained during their program. The student, with faculty supervision, plans a project that will be implemented in this course. Students will develop objectives relevant to the project, critique the literature, and present a plan for implementation. This project will integrate the academic and practical knowledge the student has acquired in the MSN of Nursing Leadership and Management curriculum.

The course also includes a practicum component where students will apply their project in a real-world healthcare or organizational setting. Under the supervision of a preceptor and faculty mentor, students will engage in hands-on leadership and management activities, evaluate the outcomes of their project, and refine their skills in leading teams, managing resources, and driving organizational improvements. The practicum ensures students gain practical experience, bridging academic knowledge with leadership and management practice in nursing.

Prerequisite: NUR 500, NUR 510, NUR 520, NUR 530, NUR 540, NUR 550, NUR 561, NUR 571, NUR 581, and NUR 591.