Highlights

Future leadership potential and examples of scholarly aptitude

Seminar and Service Project

The University of Mary sets the expecation for Masters level students to complete an evidenced-based project for the Nursing Leadership and Management program.

For the capstone project, the team is to encounter a real organization, plan and manage an evidence-based project, and apply strategic analysis, planning, implementation, and outcome measurement to organizational issues. The project will be presented in a report and at a formal presentation. The strategic alignment of people, resources and processes to the vision, mission and purpose of the organization are addressed. Students study the principles of strategic management and link these principles to both sound theory and best practices. Student will prepare and utilize budgets in the management control process.

The evidence of high level teamwork is an important aspect of this project, thus degree of effective teamwork will be evaluated by the faculty. Nurse leaders work primarily with teams in the healthcare setting, thus the ability to take on various roles and effectively complete a finished product within a team are important.

Click button below to view the teams process improvement project throughout the year.

Evidenced Based Project Report

Implementing an Acuity-Based Staffing Tool

The University of Mary Project Team partnered with St. Alexius in Dickinson, ND to implement and evidenced-based practice project (EBP) that would provide nursing with a tool to assist in assigning patients in appropriate acuities. It was determined that for decades the same tool had been utilized to staff based on productivity and not on acuity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership recognized that there was high staff burnout and turnover. In an attempt to correct this trend, CHI St. Alexius leadership worked collaboratively with the University of Mary Project Team to implement a tool to help provide high-quality of care while providing appropriate staffing workloads.

The hand-off plan is included in both the paper and presentation.

This project has provided me with the confidence, skills, and knowledge to promote future EBP projects at my organization and within my department. I learned the importance of team building, communication, leadership and business skills, professionalism, and overall knowledge of healthcare collaboration. This experience has set me up for success in future leadership.

Click button below to view the teams final presentation presented to the organization.

Presentation

Project Leadership: Work Experience

When I took my current leadership position as a Nurse Manager of three very busy clinics, I was not expecting a global pandemic. I had worked in my current position for only one year when I finally was getting a slight understanding of my position, the pandemic hit. I was faced with challenges of every changing symptoms, testing, PPE, isolation, and vaccines. It was the largest challenge I have faced in my leadership career.

Through this challenge I was surrounded by an amazing team that grew together and conqured this virus. The project of sustaining a clinic during this pandemic includined research, organizational assessment, development, implementation, evaluation, and of course recognition. During this time the team has tested and vaccinated thousands of patients, we have mainted clinic volumes without suffering financial difficulties, and retained co-workers with almost zero percent turnover.