Running Head: NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 1

Curriculum Evaluation: NURS 400, Leadership and Management in Nursing

NURS 400 is a course offered in the online RN to BSN program at SUNY Delhi.

It is designed to provide the knowledge and skills students will need to assume leadership and

management roles in their nursing practice, and includes both online learning and discussion

work and a practicum portion to assist students in developing and expanding their leadership

skills (SUNY Delhi, 2018).

Student Learning Outcome #1

The first student learning outcome (SLO) for this course states that students will be able

to “examine health care organizations’ philosophies in terms of impact on client care, and

examine human resource management skills (i.e. staffing, fiscal management, training and

education, performance appraisals, understanding and managing absenteeism, collective

bargaining, and labor relations)” (SUNY Delhi, 2018). This SLO is linked to program outcomes

#1, #4, #5, and #6.

Program Outcome #1

Program outcome #1 states that students will be able to “synthesize knowledge from the

liberal arts and sciences as a cornerstone to professional nursing practice” (SUNY Delhi, 2018).

This program outcome aligns with this SLO because both require a diverse educational toolkit.

A liberal arts foundation is an important component of professional programs, as students must

develop good communication skills, the ability to use and evaluate data to solve problems, the

ability to work effectively in systems and manage change, an understanding of civic, global,
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 2

cultural, and ethical issues (Billings & Halstead, 2016). Students must possess all of these skills

in order to analyze organizational philosophies and functioning.

Program Outcome #4

Program outcome #4 states that students must be able to “implement interventions to

meet the healthcare, education, and counseling needs of diverse client groups” (SUNY Delhi,

2018). Program outcome #4 aligns with this SLO because an organization’s philosophy and

structure will guide the student as future nurse leader to allocate resources in a way which best

meets the needs of the population. Additionally, the ability to critically examine organizational

structure allows the student to assess areas in need of improvement, such as staffing, budget, or

staff training, all of which affect the ability to efficiently meet the needs of the client population.

Appropriate staffing decisions are a well-documented example of this concept. As the American

Nurses Association (2017) notes, improved patient ratios lead to decreases in mortality, falls,

medication errors, and length of stay.

Program Outcome #5

Program outcome #5 states that students should be able to “assume diverse leadership

roles across the continuum of care to responsibly manage human, fiscal, and material resources”

(SUNY Delhi, 2018). This SLO aligns closely with program outcome #5, because both require

understanding of how to manage staffing, financial and material resources within an

organization.

Program Outcome #6

Program outcome #6 requires that students are able to “integrate values, ethics, morals,

and legal aspects of the professional nursing into a variety of practice settings” (SUNY Delhi,
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 3

2018). SLO #1 contributes to the fulfillment of this program outcome because the nurse leader

must have an awareness of his or her legal scope of practice and responsibilities in order to

manage issues such as labor relations, human resources, finances, and interactions with nursing

staff and collective bargaining units.

Learning Activities

Assignment #1 and assignment #2 fulfill SLO #1 for this course, and therefore contribute

to the associated program outcomes. Assignment #1, a scholarly paper on a proposed change

project, fulfills this SLO because it requires students to examine all aspects of a healthcare

organization’s functioning and ponder how nurses in management roles enact organizational

change. Assignment #2, a PowerPoint presentation with which students report their practicum

experiences shadowing a nurse manager, fulfills this SLO because the student gains insight into

the managerial role during practicum hours. The week one and week six discussions also

contribute to this SLO by leading students to examine leadership styles and budgeting,

respectively.

Achievement of QSEN Competencies

The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Institute identifies six required

competencies of graduate nurses: patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-

based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics (QSEN, 2018). Fulfillment of SLO

#1 achieves the QSEN competencies of patient-centered care, safety, and teamwork and

collaboration. The focus of the SLO is improvement of patient outcomes, and teamwork and

collaboration are important aspects of the nurse leader’s relationships with other departments
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 4

such as finance, labor relations, and human resources. Safety is the ultimate goal of patient-

centered care, and is therefore included as well.

Student Learning Outcome #2

The second SLO for this course states that students should be able to “explain the basic

requirements needed to maintain effective organizational structure, describe organizational

behavior relating to the healthcare system (i.e. instituting and responding to change, power,

autonomy, leadership, and collaboration), and critically examine the impact of broad

environmental factors (political/social/economic/cultural/physical) on human organizational

behavior” (SUNY Delhi, 2018). This SLO is linked to program outcomes #1, #2, #3, and #5.

Program Outcome #1

Program outcome #1 notes the importance of a liberal arts background in nursing

practice. This SLO aligns with this program outcome because it notes the importance of

examining political, social, economic and cultural factors, and the ability to examine these

factors stems from a well-rounded educational base.

Program Outcome #2

Program outcome #2 states that students should be able to “use theory, research findings,

and evidence to support nursing practice related to disease prevention, health promotion, illness,

and restoration of health” (SUNY Delhi, 2018). The associated course syllabus aligns these

outcomes, likely because both involve advocating for evidence-based nursing practice. Nursing

leadership is integral to building an organizational mission which promotes the use of evidence-
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 5

based nursing practice, and leaders are in the position to provide the structure and resources

necessary to make this change (Lobiondo-Wood & Haber, 2014).

Program Outcome #3

Program outcome #3 states that students should be able to “communicate and collaborate

with multi-disciplinary teams to provide client-centered care” (SUNY Delhi, 2018). These

outcomes align due to their shared emphasis on interpersonal relationships in the healthcare

setting. Nurse leaders must communicate with leadership of other teams and understand

behavioral and political factors that may impact this collaboration in the workplace.

Program Outcome #5

Program outcome #5 is linked to this SLO due to its focus on creating flexible, adaptable,

competent nurse leaders. An understanding of effective organizational structure is entwined with

effective leadership skills.

Learning Activities

Assignment #1 and assignment #2 fulfill this SLO and associated program outcomes as

well, because both require analysis of leadership and management styles. This analysis is broad

and theoretical in assignment #1 and specific to the preceptor for assignment #2. The week three

discussion, management of a difficult employee, also contributes to this SLO by placing students

in the shoes of a manager needing to assess human behavior and find ways to better integrate the

difficult employee into the organization’s culture.

Achievement of QSEN Competencies

Fulfillment of SLO #2 achieves the QSEN competencies of teamwork and collaboration

and quality improvement. In order for the student to successfully explain what is needed to

maintain effective organizational structure in a healthcare system, he or she must display

competency in teamwork and collaboration. Competency in quality improvement is proven

when the student appropriately institutes and responds to change and critically examines the

impact of the organizational environment on the behaviors of stakeholders.

Student Learning Outcome #3

The third SLO for this course is the ability to “critically review literature related to

theories of leadership, examine self to determine leadership competencies and limitations, and

plan strategies to improve leadership competencies” (SUNY Delhi, 2018). This SLO aligns with

program outcomes #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6.

Program Outcome #1

Program outcome #1 aligns with this SLO due to the critical thinking skills involved in

critically reviewing literature as well as self-reflection. These critical thinking and analysis skills

are developed on a foundational level during liberal arts courses such as literature, research, and

philosophy.

Program Outcome #2

Both program outcome #2 and SLO #3 center on the use of critical analysis of available

research to determine best practices. Program outcome #2 focuses on evidence-based research in

the realm of nursing practice, and SLO #3 extends this into one’s practice as a nurse leader.

Program Outcome #3

Striving to improve leadership competencies, a component of SLO #3, contributes to the

completion of program outcome #3, which centers on communication and collaboration with all
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 7

members of the multidisciplinary team. The nurse leader must be open to honest feedback from

colleagues in the pursuit of self-assessment, and both receive and reply to such communications

appropriately. Additionally, a competent leader will both understand the value of

communication and interdisciplinary teamwork and understand when limitations are reached and

help should be sought from other services in the pursuit of optimal patient care.

Program Outcome #4

Program outcome #4 focuses on meeting holistic needs of diverse patient groups.

Improving leadership competencies will better enable nurse leaders to organize and allocate

resources and change practices based on evidence-based research in ways which best serve

patient populations.

Program Outcome #5

This SLO contributes to program outcome #5 through its focus on improving one’s

leadership abilities based on current theories of leadership as well as self-appraisal of one’s own

leadership skill set. A nurse leader in possession of professional self-awareness will be best able

to adapt to differing leadership roles and responsibilities, because he or she will know which

strengths to utilize in different situations. Self-awareness is foundational to good communication

and interpersonal expertise, as well as self-improvement both personally and in the role of nurse

leader (Cooper, 2015).

Program Outcome #6

SLO #3 contributes to this program outcome because the self-reflection integral to

assessing one’s competencies and weaknesses requires examining one’s values, ethics, morals
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 8

and leadership philosophy, and integration of these beliefs into nursing practice is the basis of

this program outcome.

Learning Activities

Assignment #1 contributes to this SLO and its associated program outcomes through its

critical review of leadership styles and requirement that students examine ways to improve their

leadership skills. The week one discussion aligns with this SLO as well, by helping students

identify their leadership style as well as techniques to work with their strengths. The week two

discussion focuses on delegation at the management level, which also supports this SLO due to

the importance of delegation skills in the role of a nurse manager.

Achievement of QSEN Competencies

This SLO fulfills the QSEN competencies of patient-centered care, evidence-based

practice, quality improvement and safety. This is because the critical review of literature to

guide and improve one’s practice is evidence-based practice, which is utilized to provide the

safest and most appropriate care for patients.

ACEN Standards

The ACEN focuses its standards for baccalaureate nursing programs on the structure of

the program itself, rather than the specifics learned in each course, so finding standards that

directly relate to these specific SLOs was difficult; rather, the ACEN standards chosen for the

template aligned with the syllabus and course structure, such as communication of expectations
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION 9

with students, qualifications of instructors, and explanations of technologies used. ACEN

standard 1.3 demands that “the assessment of end-of program student learning outcomes (SLOs)

and program outcomes is shared with communities of interest, and the communities of interest

have input into program processes and decision-making” (ACEN, 2017). This standard is met by

the clear listing of SLOs in the course syllabus. Standard 4.1 states, “consistent with

contemporary practice, the curriculum incorporates established professional nursing standards,

guidelines, and competencies and has clearly articulated end-of-program student learning

outcomes” (ACEN, 2017). Both SLOs and program outcomes are provided to students on this

syllabus, and SLOs are focused on evidence-based practice, safety, policy improvement, and

patient-centered care. Lastly, standard 4.2 is met by this course as well. Standard 4.2 states that

“the end-of-program student learning outcomes are used to organize the curriculum, guide the

delivery of instruction, and direct learning activities” (ACEN, 2017). The program outcomes

are aligned with SLOs and specific learning activities on a well-defined table in the syllabus.

Course Review

If many students in my class failed a given assignment, I would be concerned that there

was fault in the assignment itself. Was the assignment fair for the program level? Were students

appropriately prepared for this assignment based on the resources and texts of the class? Were

the assignment instructions clear? I would certainly be concerned, and would seek feedback.

Course feedback from both colleagues and students is a valuable tool for continuous quality

improvement; evaluation of learning is not only a reflection on students, but on educators as well

(Billings & Halstead, 2016). I would need to review my evaluative tool, as well as have

colleagues review it, for testwise errors such as irrelevant difficulty, linguistic complexity,

cultural biases, and poor readability (Billings & Halstead, 2016).

Impact on ACEN Standards

Depending on the cause of the low grades, it is possible that a number of ACEN

standards are not being met. If the evaluative tool is flawed, is violates standard 4.11, which

states “learning activities, instructional materials, and evaluation methods are appropriate for all

delivery formats and consistent with the end-of-program student learning outcomes” (ACEN,

2017). If the evaluative assignment is specific to one type of learner, it is possible that standard

3.4 is not being met. This standard states, “Student services are commensurate with the needs of

nursing students, including those receiving instruction using alternative methods of delivery”

(ACEN, 2017). If the delivery of education is the issue, and not the evaluative tool, it is possible

that this standard is not being met. It is also possible that the failures are due to inadequate

introduction to certain technologies, such as being asked to use a program such as VoiceThread

or Knovio without provided tutorials. In this instance, the assignment violates ACEN standard

3.8, which states “orientation to technology is provided, and technological support is available to

students,” as well as standard 5.3, “learning resources and technology are selected with faculty

input and are comprehensive, current, and accessible to faculty and students” (ACEN, 2017).

Lastly, outcomes standard B requires “appropriate assessment method(s) for each end-of-

program student learning outcome and each program outcome” (ACEN, 2017).

Impact on QSEN Competencies

Failure to meet a given SLO may result in an inadequately fulfilled program outcome,

and unmet QSEN competencies. Precisely which competency or competencies are unmet

depends on the assignment in question, and which SLO it was designed to align with. For

example, if many students failed the scholarly paper assignment, they may not be adequately
 NURS 400 CURRICULUM EVALUATION
11

prepared to meet the competencies of quality improvement and evidence-based practice.

Students who fail to meet all competencies may be at risk for unsafe practice, since the QSEN

competencies are quality and safety skills all entry-level nurses should possess (QSEN, 2017).

Solutions

If a large proportion of students were unable to obtain a passing grade on a given

assignment, I would consider offering an alternative assignment to evaluate learning from

another angle to those who failed. For example, if the tool of issue were a multiple choice test, I

would offer a scholarly paper or research presentation to students to make up the difference in

grade and meet the SLO in question. In choosing an alternate assessment tool, I would look to

the QSEN as a valuable resource as a nurse educator, and use its database to search for

appropriate teaching strategies.

References

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. (2017). ACEN accreditation manual-

2017 standards and criteria. ACEN. Retrieved from

http://www.acenursing.org/resources-acen-accreditation-manual/

American Nurses Association. (2017). Safe staffing literature review. American Nurses

Association. Retrieved from http://nursingworld.org/SafeStaffing-LiteratureReview

Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2016). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (5th ed.). St

Louis: MO: Elsevier.

Cooper, J. (2015). Self-awareness in nursing leadership. Ausmed. Retrieved from

https://www.ausmed.com/articles/nursing-leadership/

LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2014). Nursing research: Methods and critical appraisal for

evidence-based practice. St. Louis, MO: Eselvier Inc.

QSEN Institute. (2018). QSEN competencies. QSEN. Retrieved from

http://qsen.org/competencies/pre-licensure-ksas/