NURS-FPX4005: Nursing Leadership – Focusing on People, Processes, and Organizations

Effective nurse leaders must balance the immediate needs of clinical staff with the long-term strategic objectives of healthcare organisations. Mastering this dual responsibility requires a transition from bedside clinical reasoning to systemic organisational thinking in which patient outcomes are evaluated through process efficiency, workforce engagement, and resource stewardship. Contemporary research demonstrates that transformational and relational leadership approaches are significantly associated with improved nurse retention, enhanced job satisfaction, and reduced adverse patient events in acute care environments (Wei et al., 2025; Sfantou et al., 2024). Successful nurse leaders employ data-informed decision-making to identify inefficiencies in care delivery while fostering psychological safety, accountability, and collaborative cultures. Marquis and Huston (2023) define leadership as empowering others to maximise their potential within a structured framework of accountability and organisational responsibility.

Assessment 1: Leadership Reflection and Problem Analysis

Course Overview

NURS-FPX4005: Nursing Leadership examines the essential functions of nursing management and evaluates the influence of leadership styles on organisational culture, quality outcomes, and staff engagement. The course situates leadership within the broader context of healthcare systems, policy environments, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

This assessment requires application of theoretical knowledge to a real or realistic workplace scenario and expects academic writing consistent with upper-level undergraduate standards in Australian or UK universities, including structured argumentation, critical comparison of theories, and evidence-based reasoning.

Task Summary

Produce a formal report of 1,050 to 1,400 words that identifies a current organisational gap in performance, patient safety, operational efficiency, or staff engagement. You must analyse this gap using recognised leadership theory and propose a strategic, evidence-based improvement plan.

Your report must:

• Clearly define the organisational issue and justify its relevance.

• Analyse the issue through at least one leadership theory, while contrasting an alternative approach.

• Propose a structured change management strategy aligned with recognised models.

• Integrate scholarly evidence throughout the analysis rather than presenting isolated summaries.

• Maintain focus on the triad of People, Processes, and Organisations.

The report should demonstrate evaluative and analytical depth rather than descriptive commentary.

Assessment Requirements

Organisational Gap Analysis

Identify a specific organisational or process-related issue, such as:

• High nurse turnover or burnout within a unit

• Breakdown in medication reconciliation processes

• Ineffective interprofessional communication

• Increased patient falls or safety incidents

• Low staff engagement scores or absenteeism

Your analysis should:

• Explain the scope and measurable impact of the problem.

• Reference internal indicators such as turnover rates, incident reports, or benchmarking data where possible.

• Distinguish between clinical performance issues and systemic organisational gaps.

• Consider how the issue affects patients, staff morale, financial sustainability, and organisational reputation.

The problem statement must be precise, measurable, and aligned with broader organisational objectives.

Leadership Theory Application

Contrast at least two leadership theories, for example:

• Transformational versus Transactional Leadership

• Authentic versus Servant Leadership

• Distributed versus Hierarchical Leadership

You must:

• Define each theory using scholarly sources.

• Critically compare their assumptions regarding motivation, authority, and accountability.

• Justify which approach is most suitable for resolving the identified issue.

• Demonstrate how leadership behaviours influence organisational culture and process reliability.

Arguments should show synthesis of theory with practice rather than generic definitions.

Process Improvement Strategy

Outline a structured, step-by-step change implementation plan using a recognised framework such as:

• Lewin’s Change Theory

• Kotter’s Eight-Step Process

• The Plan–Do–Study–Act Cycle

Your strategy should include:

1. Problem recognition and data collection

2. Stakeholder consultation

3. Development of measurable objectives

4. Implementation timeline

5. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms

6. Sustainability and reinforcement strategies

Include clear metrics for success, such as reduction in incident rates, improved staff retention, or increased engagement survey scores. Demonstrate how evaluation will occur at defined intervals.

Stakeholder Engagement

Explain how you will engage the “people” component of the triad, including:

• Nursing staff

• Senior management

• Interdisciplinary colleagues

• Patients or patient representatives

Your plan should address:

• Communication strategies

• Psychological safety

• Feedback mechanisms

• Conflict resolution approaches

• Ongoing professional development

Sustainability depends on shared ownership of change, transparent communication, and visible leadership presence.

Submission Guidelines

• Format: Microsoft Word document

• Style: APA 7th Edition, Professional format

• Length: 4 to 5 pages excluding title page and reference list

• Evidence: Minimum of four peer-reviewed sources published within the last five years

Formatting expectations include:

• Double spacing

• 12-point professional font

• Structured headings aligned with APA guidance

• Accurate in-text citations and reference formatting

• Formal academic tone free from colloquial language

Scoring Rubric

Academic Context and Contemporary Evidence

Recent systematic reviews confirm that leadership style significantly influences nurse engagement, retention, and patient safety outcomes (Wei et al., 2025; Sfantou et al., 2024). Transformational leadership is consistently associated with enhanced psychological empowerment and organisational commitment, whereas transactional approaches may improve short-term compliance but do not necessarily sustain cultural change (Boamah et al., 2022; Specchia et al., 2021). Evidence further suggests that structured change management models increase the probability of successful organisational reform when leaders actively involve frontline staff in decision-making processes (Harrison et al., 2023).

Effective nursing leadership therefore requires integration of relational competence, data literacy, and systems thinking. Leaders who align human capital development with process optimisation are more likely to achieve measurable improvements in quality indicators and workforce stability.

Leadership effectiveness in healthcare settings is increasingly conceptualised as a systems-level competency that integrates relational influence, structural awareness, and evidence-informed strategy. Empirical findings indicate that transformational leadership contributes to improved patient outcomes by fostering staff engagement, psychological safety, and collaborative accountability (Wei et al., 2025). When leaders explicitly connect change initiatives to measurable organisational objectives, they enhance both credibility and sustainability. Such alignment reinforces the principle that leadership is not merely positional authority but a dynamic process of influencing people and refining systems to achieve high-quality, equitable care.

Learning Materials and Bibliography

Curtis, E., & Cullen, J. (2021). Leadership and management in nursing (4th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2023). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Sfantou, D. F., Laliotis, A., Patelarou, A. E., Sifaki-Pistolla, D., Matalliotakis, M., & Patelarou, E. (2024). Importance of leadership style towards quality of care measures in healthcare settings: A systematic review. Healthcare, 12(3), 432. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030432

Wei, H., King, A., Jiang, A. J., Sewell, K. A., & Lake, E. T. (2025). The association between nurse leadership and patient outcomes: A systematic review update. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 151, 104682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104682

Boamah, S. A., Spence Laschinger, H. K., Wong, C., & Clarke, S. (2022). Effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and patient safety outcomes. Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Specchia, M. L., Cozzolino, M. R., Carini, E., et al. (2021). Leadership styles and nurses’ job satisfaction: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Harrison, R., Fischer, S., & Walpola, R. (2023). Implementing organisational change in healthcare: A systematic review of change management models. BMJ Open Quality.

Alshammari, F., Pasay-An, E., Gonzales, F., & Torres, S. (2024). Authentic leadership and nurse engagement in acute care settings. Journal of Nursing Management