NURS-FPX5004 Assessment 1: Leadership and Group Collaboration – Self-Assessment and Case Analysis

Course

NURS-FPX5004: Leadership and Group Collaboration for Master’s Nursing Learners.

Overview

In this first assessment, you examine your own leadership approach and collaboration skills within a real or realistic practice scenario that requires leading an interprofessional group. You analyze how your personal values, leadership style, and communication behaviors influence group processes and outcomes, and you compare your approach to an established leadership model. The purpose of this assessment is to develop an evidence-informed plan to strengthen your effectiveness as a nursing leader in collaborative healthcare teams.

Assessment Type and Length

• Individual written analysis (academic paper, APA style).

• Approximately 3–4 pages (1,000–1,200 words), excluding title page and references.

• Double-spaced.

Scenario

You are asked to lead a small interprofessional work group within your organization to address a pressing issue such as improving communication with geriatric patients, reducing inpatient falls, strengthening medication reconciliation at discharge, or addressing cultural competence gaps. The group includes professionals from different disciplines, backgrounds, and perspectives. As the leader or facilitator, you must guide the group toward a shared problem definition, common goals, and practical recommendations while modeling ethical, patient-centered leadership and effective collaboration.

Assignment Instructions

Write a 3–4 page paper in which you describe the scenario, analyze your leadership and collaboration behaviors, compare them to a recognized leadership model, and propose strategies for improving your future practice. Use a scholarly tone, organize the paper with clear headings, and support your analysis with current academic and professional sources in APA format.

Required Paper Sections

1. Introduction and Scenario Description

• Describe your professional role and practice setting.

• Summarize the interprofessional group scenario, including the issue addressed, team composition, and your leadership role.

• End with a clear purpose statement indicating that the paper will analyze leadership and collaboration behaviors.

2. Leadership Self-Assessment

• Identify a leadership model or theory to guide your self-assessment (e.g., transformational, servant, authentic, situational).

• Briefly describe key components of the selected model.

• Analyze how your behaviors aligned with or differed from the model using specific examples.

• Discuss how your personal and professional values influenced your leadership decisions.

3. Collaboration and Communication Analysis

• Describe how you interacted with team members, including listening behaviors, responses to disagreement, and expectation setting.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of your communication strategies in promoting trust and psychological safety.

• Identify behaviors that supported or hindered collaboration.

• Link your analysis to evidence-based principles of interprofessional teamwork.

4. Strengths, Gaps, and Impact on Group Outcomes

• Summarize leadership and collaboration strengths demonstrated in the scenario.

• Identify gaps or limitations in your leadership approach.

• Explain how these strengths and gaps influenced the group’s ability to achieve its goals.

• Where applicable, connect outcomes to patient care or system-level improvements.

5. Leadership Development Plan and Strategies

• Propose three to five actionable strategies to strengthen leadership and collaboration skills.

• Explain how each strategy aligns with leadership theory and evidence-based practice.

• Describe how progress will be evaluated over time using feedback, reflection, or outcome measures.

6. Conclusion

• Summarize key insights gained about your leadership and collaboration style.

• Reinforce how your development plan supports safe, high-quality, and patient-centered care.

Assessment Criteria (Scoring Rubric)

Criterion 1: Describe the Leadership Scenario and Context (15%)

• Distinguished: Clear, detailed, and well-contextualized description.

• Proficient: Adequate description with relevant details.

• Basic: General description with limited clarity.

• Below Basic: Vague or incomplete scenario.

Criterion 2: Apply a Leadership Model to Self-Assessment (25%)

• Distinguished: Insightful application of leadership theory with critical reflection.

• Proficient: Appropriate application with examples.

• Basic: Limited theoretical integration.

• Below Basic: Minimal or incorrect use of theory.

Criterion 3: Analyze Collaboration and Communication in the Group (25%)

• Distinguished: Evidence-based analysis linked to outcomes.

• Proficient: Clear evaluation with some evidence.

• Basic: Surface-level discussion.

• Below Basic: Analysis missing or unclear.

Criterion 4: Develop a Realistic Leadership Improvement Plan (20%)

• Distinguished: Specific, theory-driven plan with evaluation methods.

• Proficient: Reasonable strategies with partial rationale.

• Basic: General intentions without detail.

• Below Basic: Plan absent or unrealistic.

Criterion 5: Scholarly Writing, Organization, and APA Style (15%)

• Distinguished: Clear, concise writing with accurate APA style.

• Proficient: Minor APA or organization issues.

• Basic: Noticeable writing or APA errors.

• Below Basic: Poor organization and frequent APA errors.

During a recent initiative to improve communication with older adults admitted to the medical unit, I facilitated a team that included bedside nurses, a social worker, a pharmacist, and a physical therapist. I used a transformational leadership approach by encouraging each member to share perspectives and framing the project around shared values of dignity and safety. However, my reluctance to address dismissive comments from a physician limited full participation, highlighting the need for stronger conflict management and assertive communication skills to support collaborative decision-making (Boamah et al., 2018).

Effective nursing leadership in interprofessional teams requires ongoing self-reflection and deliberate development of communication and collaboration skills. Leaders who actively solicit diverse perspectives, address conflict constructively, and model inclusive behaviors are more likely to foster psychological safety and team effectiveness, ultimately improving patient outcomes and staff satisfaction (Cummings et al., 2018).

References

1. Boamah, S. A., Laschinger, H. K. S., Wong, C., & Clarke, S. (2018). Effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and patient safety outcomes. Nursing Outlook, 66(2), 180–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2017.10.004

2. Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S. P. M., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2018). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 85, 19–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.04.016

3. Institute of Medicine. (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12956

4. Weiss, M., Kolbe, M., Grote, G., Spahn, D. R., & Grande, B. (2017). Inclusive leader language promotes voice behavior in multi-professional teams. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(3), 389–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.09.002

5. World Health Organization. (2016). Framework on integrated, people-centred health services. WHO. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241511655

6. Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.