Clinical Leadership in Context

This subject is not offered in 2014.

Students are expected to devote approximately 6 - 10 hours per week to this subject. Total time commitment 72 - 120 hours

The student is required to have concurrent employment as a Registered Nurse and be engaged in or working towards an advanced practice role. The student must also provide documentation of employer support and multidisciplinary mentorship arrangements necessary to undertake the extensions to practice in the clinical component of the subject within their workplace or related agencies.

Students complete a competency based learning contract that is tailored to achievement within one semester. Students may or may not need to take the partner subject 514724 Advanced Nursing Practice in Context 1 to achieve the full skill set required to meet specific role extension profiles.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's courses. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Course Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

The subject considers contemporary issues related to professional practice and clinical leadership in advanced practice roles nursing.

The aim of this subject is to provide the student with the knowledge and skills to enable them to lead practice and service development in their area of specialty.

The core content of this subject will assist the student to understand the political, economic, professional, ethical, social and clinical influences on advanced practice nursing models. Students will critique different models of service delivery, governance structures, methods for evaluating and sustaining measurable outcomes in practice

The subject will also assist students to identify their own learning and development needs and, where necessary, negotiate access to a range of resources to enable them to meet their learning objectives.

The core content will prepare students to undertake a project that will facilitate the application of theory to their practice context. The focus of the project will be to develop the knowledge and skill required to lead service development and practice improvement as well as influence colleagues

Students will be required to develop a learning contract based on their individual learning needs which will be used to demonstrate development of an advanced practice role. The ANMC Competency Standards for Nurse Practitioners and where relevant, competency standards for advanced practitioners developed by specialty professional groups will be used to guide the learning contract development. Knowledge and skills developed should be described in the learning contract and demonstrated through the compilation of a practice portfolio that includes (but is not limited to) governance models, documentation of scope of practice and service evaluation strategies.

The subject is designed to support students to meet the ANMC Competency Standards for Nurse Practitioners (2006). This subject is a mandatory component of the Nurse Practitioner pathway of the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice.

Following completion of this subject it is expected that the student will be able to:

• Identify nursing models of service delivery which feature advanced practice and their role in healthcare and workforce reform and apply to practice context
• Discuss the political, professional, economic, ethical and social influences on the implementation of advanced practice services (specifically the nurse practitioner) and apply to practice context.
• Identify the need for and the features of an appropriate governance models for the advanced practice nursing service
• Understand and measure the impact of advanced practice on service delivery, access to and quality of care and patient outcomes and apply this to practice context
• Discuss the role of leadership in practice and service development and apply to the advanced practitioner and practice context
• The initiation and maintenance of collaborative relationships with other health care providers to establish effective communication skills and multidisciplinary relationships to achieve optimal health outcomes for patient care in the context of advanced practice beyond traditional nursing roles;
• Negotiate learning needs with multi-disciplinary health care professionals to ensure appropriate mentorship for development of leadership skills.

1. Learning contract equivalent to 500 words (10%) - due week 3
2. Online quiz equivalent to 500 words (10%) - due week 6
3. Professional practice portfolio equivalent to 4000 words (70%) - due at the end of semester
4. 10 minute portfolio presentation (10%) - due at the end of semester

n/a

References and recommended readings are supplied according to the requirements identified in the collaborative competency based learning contract.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following generic skills of the Melbourne graduate and postgraduate coursework student:

• Highly developed cognitive, analytic and problem-solving skills in the discipline area, characterised by flexibility of approach;
• The ability and self-confidence to comprehend complex concepts, to express them lucidly, whether orally or in writing, and to confront unfamiliar problems;
• Where appropriate, advanced working skills in the application of computer systems and software and a receptiveness to the opportunities offered by new technologies;
• An ability to evaluate and synthesise the research and professional literature in the discipline;
• Advanced skills and techniques applicable to the discipline;
• Advanced competencies in areas of professional expertise and/or scholarship;
• The capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning;
• The capacity to value and participate in projects which require team-work;
• A capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work.