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1. Assignment: Impact report to senior leadership
Assignment: Impact report to senior leadership ON Assignment: Impact report to senior
leadershipWrite a 4–6 page impact report to senior leadership that identifies a nursing-
related challenge, analyzes how it affects the organization from a nursing perspective, and
details the new position.Each organization has a unique structure that impacts the behavior
of the organization. In health care organizations, this impact is on the ability of the
organization to deliver quality patient care. Nursing is an essential component of any health
care organization, and nursing leaders must understand the role of nursing and nursing
leadership within the total organization. Understanding basic organizational structure,
mission, vision, philosophy, and values will better prepare nurse leaders to improve quality
and patient outcomes. Assignment: Impact report to senior leadershipBy successfully
completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course
competencies and assessment criteria:Competency 1: Identify nursing leadership priorities
using a systems perspective.Identify a nursing challenge and its impact from a nursing
perspective.Identify key leadership skills, knowledge, or abilities required for the
position.Competency 2: Apply systems theory and systems thinking to facilitate health care
delivery and patient outcomes.Explain how the nursing challenge creates a gap or conflict
between the organization’s statements and practice.Identify organizational factors that
impact the situation using a SWOT analysis.Competency 4: Evaluate how power relates to
health care organizational structure, behavior, and leadership.Assess how the new nurse
leader position will have power and influence and impact patient outcomes.Competency 5:
Communicate in a manner that is consistent with the expectations of a nursing
professional.Write content clearly and logically, with correct use of grammar, punctuation,
and mechanics.Correctly format citations and references using current APA
style.PREPARATIONUse the Suggested Resources for this assessment to study systems
theory, SWOT analysis, and shared governance teams, as background for an Impact Report
to Senior Leadership. The report includes a SWOT analysis. The SWOT Analysis Template is
linked in Required Resources.Study a facility in your area and examine its Web site and any
available public documents to aid you in completing this assessment. You may wish to
examine an organization where you work, where you have worked in the past, or where you
did your clinical work.Do not name the organization in your report; instead, identify the
type of facility and location. Example: A rehabilitation center in a midsize Midwestern
city.Use the following scenario as the basis for your report: Assignment: Impact report to
senior leadershipScenarioThe unit-based Shared Governance Council of the organization

2. where you work has identified a major nursing-related challenge (patient/staff safety,
confidentiality, management/staff conflict, poor patient satisfaction survey scores, or
nursing staff shortages) within your health care organization.In an unusual move, your
system administrator is considering creating a new nurse leadership position that would
have the responsibility and authority to address this specific issue. As a member of the
shared governance council’s subcommittee, you have been asked to write the committee’s
final report.DELIVERABLE: IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIPWrite a 4–6 page
impact report to senior leadership that identifies the challenge, analyzes how it affects the
organization from a nursing perspective, and details the new position.Use systems thinking
and leadership theory as tools to approach this problem.Construct the report with the
following headings:The Nursing Challenge:Identify the nursing challenge and its impact
from a nursing perspective. Choose from:Patient/staff safety, confidentiality,
management/staff conflict, poor patient-satisfaction survey scores, or nursing staff
shortages.The System/Organization:Explain how the nursing challenge creates a gap or
conflict between the organization’s statements and practice.Identify the organization type—
that is, specialty hospital, teaching hospital, major health care system, et cetera,
and summarize the organizational structure, its mission, vision, and philosophy
statements.Use systems theory and systems thinking to explain the gap or conflict.
Assignment: Impact report to senior leadershipSWOT Analysis:Use the SWOT Analysis
Template linked in Required Resources and include the SWOT analysis table in your
paper.Identify organizational factors that impact the situation using a SWOT analysis.For
example, a budget cut may cause short staffing, which relates directly to the problem.What
factors within the system may facilitate a solution for this problem?The Position:Assess
how the new nurse leader position will have power and influence and impact patient
outcomes.How will this position affect change within the organization?Identify key
leadership skills, knowledge, or abilities required for the position.Additional
RequirementsWritten communication: Written communication should be free of errors that
detract from the overall message.APA formatting: Resources and in-text citations should be
formatted according to current APA style and formatting.Length: The report should be 4–6
pages in content length. Include a separate title page and a separate reference page.Font
and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced.Number of resources: Use a
minimum of three peer-reviewed resourcesTo deepen your understanding, you are
encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work
associate, an interested friend, or a member of the heath care community.What is the
relationship between an organization’s structure, mission, vision, philosophy, values, and
policies and procedures?What strategies does your health care organization (or one that
you are familiar with) use when making changes within the organization?How do you see
nurse leaders participating in the process of organizational change?How are changes made
in organizational structure, and when are they typically made?How do transformational and
transparent nursing leadership fit in the organization’s power structure?REQUIRED
RESOURCESThe following resources are required to complete the assessment.Capella
ResourcesClick the link provided to view the following resource:SWOT Analysis
Template.APA Paper Template.I uploaded the example I was given for how this professor

3. wants the paper to look. Please follow the example. If you have any questions let me
know.Assignment: Impact report to senior leadershipattachment_1Unformatted
Attachment PreviewRunning head: IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP Impact
Report to Senior Leadership Learner’s Full Name Capella University Organizational and
Systems Management for Quality Outcomes Impact Report to Senior Leadership May, 2017
Copyright ©2017 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited.
1 IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP 2 Impact Report to Senior Leadership Nurse
leaders play an important role in guiding nursing professionals to achieve a health care
organization’s quality and safety standards—standards that should help patients receive
high-quality care without negative outcomes on their health. Despite efforts to maintain
these standards, health care organizations across the United States of America have
witnessed an increase in the number of poor patient outcomes (that stem from unsafe care.
According to the Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force, the consequences of quality
and safety issues in patients have amounted to an annual loss of $29 billion (Huber, 2017).
The importance of maintaining patient safety standards in health care will be explored
based on the challenges faced by a well-known nursing facility in the United States of
America. Located in a major city, the facility provides 24-hour residential care to the elderly
and people with special needs who require customized care. The facility has been facing
patient safety issues connected to how its nursing professionals administer treatment and
monitor patients. Patient Safety as a Nursing Challenge in the Nursing Facility Nursing
professionals are the primary caregivers in any health care setting; they spend the most
time with patients as they administer treatment, detect signs of deterioration in patients,
and build caring relationships with them. Therefore, safety issues that cause any negative
outcomes in their patients can affect nursing professionals emotionally and hinder their
career development (Lawton, Carruthers, Gardner, Wright, & McEachan, 2012; Huber,
2017). The nursing facility encountered safety issues caused by nurses when administering
medicines, patients falling or injuring themselves because of nursing negligence. These
issues Copyright ©2017 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are
prohibited. Comment [A1]: Nice job identifying the challenge of providing patient safety
care measures. Good inclusion of how unsafe practices leads to emotional and decreased
career development in nurses as well as the impact of sentinel events for the organization.
You stated that patients are negatively impacted and could further explain what is meant by
that. IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP 3 are called adverse events because they
occur in clinical practice and affect patients directly (U.S. Food & Drug Administration, n.d.).
Following the perspectives of systems theory, Assignment: Impact report to senior
leadershipwhich explain how smaller parts of an organization affect the whole, the safety
issues caused by errors in nursing practice can impact the organization and its achievement
of health care goals on a larger scale. In fact, adverse events in nursing may have multiple
consequences across the entire organization as different parts interact symbiotically. For
example, the safety issues have made the facility vulnerable to sentinel events, which are
patient-related events that result in death, permanent harm, or grievous injury (The Joint
Commission, 2017). Finding solutions to such challenges in nursing practice requires nurses
to grow into genuine systems leaders who can safeguard the goals of the organization and

4. nurture similar commitment in other nursing professionals (Senge, Hamilton, & Kania,
2015). Comment [A2]: Excellent point and nicely The Impact of Safety Issues on the
Organization Comment [A3]: Excellent work explaining how unsafe practice issues conflict
with the organization’s mission and vision of improving lives. Nice incorporation of systems
theory. Since its inception, the nursing facility has always prided itself as a premier health
care organization that offers specialized physical, occupational, and rehabilitative therapies,
aside from medical services to the elderly and people with special needs. Through its
mission, vision, and core value statements, the facility has made a commitment to improve
people’s lives, abide by health care ethics, adhere to local and national health care
standards, and provide affordable services. The facility depends on skilled staff, nurses
included, to carry out the goals mentioned in its mission, vision, and core value statements.
However, the adverse events taking place in the facility and among its nursing professionals
are contradicting the mission, vision, and core value statements.. Systems theory Copyright
©2017 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited. Comment
[A4]: Very true! IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP 4 states that organizations have
inherent weaknesses—latent failures—that can cause adverse events in patient care
(Lawton et al., 2012; Huber, 2017). Nurse leaders can ensure there is a culture of safety and
quality through implementation of continuous quality improvement and safety
management initiatives. Organizational change guided by systems theory plays a major role
when introducing any quality improvement and safety management initiatives. An effective
safety culture in health care acknowledges change as a common element in health care and
can pre-emptively reduce the probability of adverse events (Huber, 2017). The culture of
safety incorporates systems thinking into patient-related decisionmaking made by nurse
leaders, which allows them and nursing professionals to consider how actions can affect an
organization as a whole. Comment [A5]: SWOT Analysis of Organizational Factors Comment
[A6]: Nice work identifying the factors that impact the situation using a SWOT analysis, such
as budget cuts and the lack of resources available to nursing leaders. The nursing facility
had experienced a number of changes that affected the nurses’ ability to deliver safe care.
The SWOT analysis helps the facility to focus on the changes that have had the greatest
impact on health care quality and patient safety. Copyright ©2017 Capella University. Copy
and distribution of this document are prohibited. IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR
LEADERSHIP 5 Table 1 SWOT Analysis of Organizational Factors Strengths ? Specialized
geriatric care and therapy for people with special needs ? Strong market presence ? State-
of-the-art infrastructure and technology ? Commitment to ethical standards ? Affordable
and fair treatment for patients Weaknesses ? Budget cuts faced by the nursing department ?
Assignment: Impact report to senior leadershipLow number of experienced nursing
professionals ? Absence of organizational planning on continuous quality improvement and
safety management initiatives ? Vulnerability to sentinel events ? Poor allocation of nursing
professionals across departments and gaps in staff scheduling ? Lack of communication
between nursing teams Opportunities ? Creation of a new nursing leadership position to
oversee patient safety and quality care ? Efforts to become a Magnet hospital ? Increased
public awareness about geriatric care and therapy for people with special needs ?
Expansion and revision of nursing competencies by national nursing agencies Threats ?

5. Inadequate financial resources because of federal budget cuts to health care programs ?
Increased competition from other health care organizations Effective nursing leadership is
crucial for the SWOT opportunities to be translated into actions that facilitate
organizational change. Leaders are change agents as they transform plans into actions,
motivate staff to align with the goals of the organization, and communicate details of the
change process to all stakeholders. Copyright ©2017 Capella University. Copy and
distribution of this document are prohibited. Comment [A7]: Lots of great information here.
Nicely written and well organized. IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP 6 Defining
the New Leadership Position at the Nursing Facility The new leadership position that will be
created is the chief nursing officer (CNO). The CNO will be responsible for planning,
executing, and evaluating the strategies to improve safety issues. The CNO will also be a part
of the facility’s shared governance council and will head a Comment [A8]: Good
identification of the skills required of a nursing leader which should consist of knowledge,
leadership skills, and attitude. Nice explanation of how the nurse leader should approach
change to allow for success by understanding systems theory and the organization’s
dynamics as this will provide the nurse leader with the power to implement the change
effectively. team that will analyze the organization for latent failures. Certain key
competencies— knowledge, skills, and attitudes—will define the broad nature of the CNO’s
role and influence in the organization. Key Competencies for the Nursing Leadership
Position The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE, 2015) details five
professional leadership competencies that can help the chief nursing officer. The five
competencies are communication and relationship-building, professionalism, leadership
skills, business skills, and knowledge of the health care environment (AONE, 2015). By
developing these competencies, the CNO will gain (a) knowledge about global trends in
nursing and health care; (b) expert problem-solving and critical-thinking skills for making
decisions; (c) an understanding of patient safety and quality care; (d) an understanding of
organizational politics, authority, and power dynamics; (e) relationship-building and
teambuilding skills; (f) knowledge of systems theory and systems thinking; and (g) the trust
of health care professionals in the organization and the skills to adapt to organizational
change. Influence of Leadership Power in Patient Outcomes Demonstrating appropriate
power and authority is a prerequisite for productive nursing leadership. Having this
authority allows nurse leaders to recruit and retain a highly skilled nursing workforce,
which is a critical indicator of patient safety. They can also maintain the Copyright ©2017
Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited. Comment [A9]:
Great assessment of how the nurse leader position will have the power to positively impact
patient outcomes and stabilize the organization financially. IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR
LEADERSHIP 7 productivity of nursing professionals by allocating training resources
without management interference. These empowered roles help stabilize an organization’s
financial performance, thereby impacting the delivery of cost-effective and quality care to
patients (Australian College Comment [A10]: Great job! of Nursing, 2015). Conclusion
Assignment: Impact report to senior leadershipSuccessful health care organizations are
those that understand the role of nursing professionals in patient outcomes and involve the
workforce in addressing safety and quality concerns. Such organizations demonstrate

6. effective management that identifies latent organizational factors behind adverse events
and implements solutions accordingly. Nurse leaders are crucial to this system as they
communicate organizational and nursing goals to other health care professionals in the
organization. Acknowledging these nursing roles and incorporating them into an
organization’s strategic planning help health care professionals adapt to sudden
environmental changes that affect safety and quality (Salmela, Eriksson, & Fagerström,
2013). Copyright ©2017 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are
prohibited. Comment [A11]: Very nice summary of what was discussed in the paper.
IMPACT REPORT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP 8 References American Organization of Nurse
Executives. (2015). AONE Nurse Executive Competencies. Retrieved from
http://aone.org/resources/nec.pdf Australian College of Nursing. (2015). Nurse leadership
[White paper]. Canberra: American College of Nursing. Retrieved from
https://acn.edu.au/sites/default/files/leadership/ACN_Nurse_Leadership_White_Paper_FI
NAL.pdf Huber, D. L. (2017). Leadership and nursing care management (6th ed.).
Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/nm.21.6.13.s14 Lawton, R.,
Carruthers, S., Gardner, P., Wright, J., & McEachan, R. R. C. (2012). Identifying the latent
failures underpinning medication administration errors: An exploratory study. Health
Services Research, 47(4), 1437–1459. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.14756773.2012.01390.x
Salmela, S., Eriksson, K., & Fagerstro?m, L. (2013). Nurse leaders’ perceptions of an
approaching organizational change. Qualitative Health Research, 23(5), 689–99.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732313481501 Senge, P., Hamilton, H., & Kania, J. (2015).
The dawn of system leadership. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 13, 27–33. Retrieved
from https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_dawn_of_system_leadership# The Joint
Commission. (2017). Sentinel event policy and procedures. Retrieved from https://
jointcommission.org/sentinel_event_policy_and_procedures/ Copyright ©2017 Capella
University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited. IMPACT REPORT TO
SENIOR LEADERSHIP 9 U. S. Food & Drug Administration. (n.d.). What is a serious adverse
event? Retrieved from https:// fda.gov/safety/medwatch/howtoreport/ucm053087.htm
Copyright ©2017 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited.
Comment [A12]: APA references looks great! …Assignment: Impact report to senior
leadership