This course sets the foundational stage for the Nurse Executive specialty track. Students focus on theoretical and practical aspects of leadership in healthcare contexts, and they discuss professional standards of practice for nursing leadership. They explore components of the redesign or reformation of healthcare delivery and performance. Through this course, students synthesize the responsibilities of the nurse leader in the achievement of healthcare outcomes.

Students in this course examine the fundamentals of finance and economics in healthcare delivery. They explore different ways to analyze financial data and interpret the results of those analyses. They explore budgeting and financial management tools in the context of the nurse leader's role in the management of operational and capital resources. They examine the influence of policies and budgetary assumptions on the provision of health services. Students also explore budget and resource decisions contributing to the achievement of organizational outcomes within the context of providing efficient and cost-effective quality care.

The development of leadership strategies and competencies that support the healthcare organizational delivery of quality care is imperative to quality outcomes within healthcare systems. In this course, students use a systems approach to explore structures, processes, and outcomes that impact healthcare quality and ultimately improve patient experience and outcomes. Students learn how interdisciplinary collaboration is important to the development of quality and safety. Engaging in conceptual and application-based assignments, students focus on clinical and service quality planning and improvement initiatives; models, tools, and innovations for process improvement; and the importance and use of metrics in daily operations.

Nursing leadership is grounded firmly in managing our most important resource—human capital. In this course, students address nurse executives' role and responsibilities in human resource management. Students explore recruitment and selection of human resources while ensuring current legal, ethical, professional, and practice systems and procedures align with organizational strategies, outcomes, policies and standards. They consider how to apply technology to support human resource functions. Additionally, students examine strategies to support positive organizational and nursing service goals. They also have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion, staff engagement, and empowerment, as well as creating collaborative and supportive partnerships within organizations.

Nurse leaders in healthcare organizations must be aware of and integrate strategic organizational goals. Students in this course use an interdisciplinary case study approach to address unmet organizational and/or professional needs through strategic planning processes. Students apply organizational, behavioral, political, leadership, and management knowledge and theory to planning, implementing, and evaluating strategically planned change. Through these applications, students learn to use a variety of administrative strategies within the context of supportive and collaborative interdisciplinary relationships to achieve desired health care outcomes that effect positive social change in patient and professional communities.