In today's rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of health delivery systems, healthcare professionals, and the populations they serve. In this course, students examine the policy process and its impact on healthcare delivery, cost, quality, and access. Students examine the importance of getting healthcare issues on federal and state agenda, investigate governmental response through legislation and regulation, and identify where they can advocate for positive outcomes in program/policy design, implementation, and evaluation. Global health issues are examined for their relevance and impact on the development of the nurse advocate. Through discussions, reflection, case studies, and the application of professional communications techniques as political tactics to influence policy outcomes, students demonstrate integration of policy decision-making into professional nurse practice for the benefit of individuals and populations.

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.

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.

Being an effective leader is essential in business and demands that an individual has a strong set of competencies including the ability to understand one’s self, motivate others, understand organizational culture, and manage ambiguity. In this course, students begin their personal and professional transformation by closely examining their current strengths and weaknesses, values, decision-making processes, and approaches to dealing with difficult problems. Students also explore leadership in turbulent times by examining how effective leaders think as well as how various management styles impact situations and relationships within an organization.

Today's companies are challenged to constantly do more with less. Effective managers know how to deploy scarce financial resources in ways to achieve optimum returns on these resources. Students will discover the latest financial tools and analytic methods to strengthen the capital investment decision-making process. Students will use critical-thinking skills to apply and, at times, challenge traditional financial theory, while balancing various stakeholder interests in the financial decision-making process. Students will examine a range of contemporary issues and techniques relevant to sound and ethical financial decision making.