Week 12 Learning Objectives
By the end of this week, students will be able to:Differentiate between leadership and management in professional nursing.
Identify common leadership styles and their application in healthcare settings.
Explain the role of the nurse as a patient advocate and change agent.
Describe how baccalaureate-prepared nurses can lead change at the unit, organizational, and policy levels.
Reflect on personal leadership qualities and areas for development.
Required Readings & ResourcesBlack, B. P. (2024). Professional Nursing: Concepts & Challenges (10th ed.), Chapter 12: “Leadership and Management in Nursing” (or equivalent pages)
AACN (2021). The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development
American Nurses Association (ANA) resources on nursing leadership and advocacy
Video resources:
– “Leadership Styles in Nursing” (12 min)
– “The Nurse as Advocate and Change Agent” (10 min)
Leadership Self-Assessment Tool (provided in module, e.g., Leadership Practices Inventory or simple style questionnaire)
The Nurse as Advocate and Change Agent
Discussion Prompt:Leadership in nursing extends beyond formal management positions. Every professional nurse has the responsibility to advocate for patients and act as a change agent to improve care delivery.After completing the Week 12 readings and videos:Differentiate between leadership and management in the context of professional nursing.
Select one leadership style (e.g., transformational, servant, democratic, transactional, or situational) and explain its key characteristics.
Describe a realistic clinical situation in which a baccalaureate-prepared nurse could demonstrate advocacy for a patient or act as a change agent (e.g., improving a unit process, addressing health inequities, or speaking up about unsafe staffing).
Explain how the chosen leadership style could support effective advocacy or change in that situation.
Your initial post must be 300–350 words minimum. Support your discussion with at least two scholarly sources (textbook counts as one). Use APA 7th edition for in-text citations and the reference list.Response Requirements:
Reply substantively to at least two classmates. In each response (100–150 words), discuss how a different leadership style might be effective in their scenario or suggest one additional advocacy action.Grading Rubric (25 points): Clear differentiation between leadership and management (6 pts)
Accurate description of a leadership style (6 pts)
Relevant clinical scenario with advocacy or change agent example (8 pts)
Scholarly support, APA formatting, and quality of peer responses (5 pts)
2. Leadership Self-Assessment and Reflection Paper
Due: Sunday, 11:59 PM
Points: 35 points
Length: 3–4 pages (approximately 900–1200 words), double-spaced, APA 7th edition format (title page and reference page required).Assignment Instructions:Complete the Leadership Self-Assessment Tool provided in the Week 12 module. Then write a reflective paper that explores your emerging leadership identity as a future professional nurse.Paper Structure (use these headings):Introduction (½ page) Briefly explain why leadership is important for all baccalaureate-prepared nurses, even those without formal titles.
Leadership Self-Assessment Summary (1 page) Summarize your key results from the leadership self-assessment.
Identify your two strongest leadership qualities or preferred style(s).
Identify one area for growth or development.
Application to Professional Practice (1–1.5 pages) Discuss how your strongest leadership qualities can be applied in clinical practice as a new graduate nurse.
Provide one specific example of how you could use these qualities to advocate for a patient or initiate a small change on a nursing unit.
Explain how you plan to develop your identified area for growth during the remainder of the BSN program and your first year of practice.
Conclusion (½ page) Reflect on how developing leadership skills contributes to your professional nursing identity and the future of the nursing profession.
State one personal commitment you will make to grow as a leader and advocate.
Requirements: Minimum of three scholarly sources (textbook, AACN Essentials, and one additional peer-reviewed source on nursing leadership or advocacy).
Use first-person voice appropriately for reflection.
Maintain a professional yet personal tone.
Submission: Upload as a Microsoft Word document (.docx) to the assignment dropbox.Grading Criteria (35 points): Thorough summary and honest analysis of self-assessment results (10 pts)
Clear application to clinical practice with specific example (12 pts)
Depth of reflection on growth and personal commitment (8 pts)
APA formatting, organization, grammar, and scholarly support (5 pts)
Tips for Success: Be honest and specific in your self-assessment — this is a reflective exercise, not a test of “perfect” leadership.
Connect your personal qualities to real-world nursing actions (advocacy, safety, quality improvement, or teamwork).
Focus on growth mindset: acknowledge strengths while showing willingness to develop.