NURSING 732 : Leading and Managing Changes in Healthcare

Medical and Health Sciences

2025 Semester Two (1255) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Theoretical and practice principles of leadership and management in the context of healthcare organisations. Utilises an action based learning model, mentorship and project work.

Course Overview

Change and transformation is a constant requirement within health care. The key feature of this course is that students will be assisted to lead and manage sustainable change in their own environments underpinned by positive organisational scholarship (Cameron, Dutton & Quinn 2003), Appreciative Inquiry and strength-based practices.  The course will enhance the student’s effectiveness by working through an action learning process that provides a basis for effective change and transformation management, not only for themselves and the teams they work with but also their organisation. This will involve collaboration and facilitation to promote working in partnership with a range of groups including health professionals, and may also include consumers. Students will analyse and improve, where necessary, their own ability to understand emotions and use emotions to facilitate thinking – factors found to have been predictive of leadership effectiveness. Resilience and wellbeing are critical for leaders and managers and students will develop plans to enhance their own resilience and wellbeing. They will also develop action plans for their own teams and make suggestions for how their own organisation can further develop the wellbeing of staff. Fundamental to all learning in this course is critical reflection and demonstrating understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, applying knowledge with action to achieve equitable care and outcomes for Māori. 

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Course Contacts

Susan Waterworth, Course Director, s.waterworth@auckland.ac.nz     Telephone 09 923 5096
Betty Lin, Course Administrator, betty.lin@auckland.ac.nz 
Telephone 64 9 373 7599 extension 82517

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Master of Nursing

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop and demonstrate a personal framework for leading and managing change and promoting the sustainability of change in their future work as leaders and managers in health care. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
  2. Articulate and apply Appreciative Inquiry and strength-based approaches into their leadership practice (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.2, 7.1 and 8.1)
  3. Understand and critically evaluate their proposed change project in terms of their responsiveness to Maori and capacity to eliminate health inequities. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.2)
  4. Critically analyse the factors and issues for a sustainable improvement culture in health care (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1 and 8.2)
  5. Critically analyse a range of change models, frameworks and theories (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  6. Develop and implement an evaluation of a quality improvement/service development project in their own service (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
  7. Analyse and evaluate their own interpersonal skills (coaching, communication, creating high quality connections, conflict management, influencing, persuasion and negotiation) (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 3.3, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1 and 8.1)
  8. Analyse and evaluate their own resilience and wellbeing, developing plans to enhance their own resilience and wellbeing (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1 and 8.3)
  9. Develop and design and justify action plans for their own teams wellbeing, providing suggestions for how their own organisation can further develop the wellbeing of staff. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
  10. Identify and analyse their own process of learning as a change leader and facilitator (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 35% Individual Coursework
Reflection 25% Individual Coursework
Presentation 30% Individual Coursework
Prewwork 5% Individual Coursework
PEER review 5% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Assignments
Reflection
Presentation
Prewwork
PEER review

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 40 hours of lectures and group interaction either kanohi ki to kanohi, that is face to face or online via Zoom, 150 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 110 hours of work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including study days to complete components of the course. Kanohi ki te kanohi, face to face is our preferred mode and this is in line with our value of whanaungatanga (relationship building). 
Lectures will be available as recordings from the Auckland site only,and only with permission of presenters who may decline to have their presentation recorded. Other learning activities including videos/podcasts will be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events including [group discussions/tutorials]. A range of times will be provided to give opportunities for attendance, however they are not compulsory. 
Attendance on campus is required for verbal presentations (Assignment 4).
The activities for the course are scheduled as set study days.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Course readings on Canvas. 
Video recordings and links to other online resources.
Nomination of an organisational mentor. 

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Positive feedback from the course includes the opportunity to work together to create a community of leadership and management practice. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Additional support for learning, especially help with writing may be available from your organisation. We are aware that some health organisations have specific personnel who assist students. 

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.