Assessment 2: Details and instructions

Completion requirements

Assessment 2	Using relationally focussed leadership to improve team and workplace outcomes
English	British English and a masters degree level of language are expected. Use clear, formal sentences that link leadership behaviours to team and workplace outcomes while supporting each point with evidence and critical analysis.
Reference	referencing needs to be broad, current, and critical, not minimal. 2540 references (recommended) Foundational leadership theory (e.g., transformational, LMX) Key authors (e.g., Cummings, Wong, Laschinger) Some textbooks Nursing workforce outcomes Teamwork, communication, empowerment Evidence-based practice studies
Word count/length	4400 words (+/-10%; the reference list is not included in the word count but in-text citations are)
SILOs	SILO 1 SILO 3
Graduate capabilities	Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Personal & Professional
Generative AI use	The applicable AI use category is: AI Planning The resource provides guidance on the appropriate use of GenAI tools in assessments and explains what is expected in each category.

Task details

This assessment task asks you to consider the impacts of leadership and management styles on the nursing/midwifery workforce and workplaces. The benefits of relationally focused leadership in the nursing midwifery workforce are considered.

Instructions

Title: Using relationally focused leadership to improve team and workplace outcomes

Details of task:

The aim of this assessment task is to consider the impacts of leadership and management styles on the nursing/midwifery workforce and workplaces.

Background and Preliminary information

Nursing and midwifery research reveals that relationally focussed leadership (such as transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and effective leader-member exchange) can result in positive outcome patterns for the nursing/midwifery workforce and professional work environments (Cummings et al., 2018).

Useful nursing authors in this topic area include: Greta Cummings, Heather Spence Laschinger, Carol Wong. For the midwives, Downe et al. (2010) book Essential midwifery practice: Expertise leadership and collaborative working has an excellent first section on leadership and transformative leadership in midwifery.

Your recommended textbooks (Carlopio & Andrewartha, 2011; Huber & Joseph, 2022; Whetton & Cameron, 2023) and other management and leadership texts also identify the importance of using leadership and management skills to build effective teams, communicate effectively and supportively, and to empower work colleagues. These topics have also been reported in contemporary nursing and midwifery articles.

In preparation for this assessment you will consider and reflect on the importance of these principles and practices to nursing and midwifery leadership and management and undertake background reading in these topics areas.

References:

Carlopio, J. & Andrewartha, G. (2012). Developing management skills: A comprehensive guide for leaders (5th Ed). Pearson Australia.

Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2018). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 85, 1960.

Downe, S; Byrom, S; & Simpson, L. (2010). Essential midwifery practice: Expertise leadership and collaborative working. Wiley

Huber, D. L. & Joseph, M. L. (2022). Leadership and nursing care management. Elsevier.

Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2023). Developing leadership skills (Global Edition) (9th Ed.). Pearson

Assessment task:

Write an academic essay (4400 words) in which you consider the features of relationally focused leadership and consider how these leadership and management skills could be used to positively impact and improve team and workplace outcomes. The essay will consist of two parts:

Part 1: A discussion of relationally focussed leadership (approximately 2100 words).

Your discussion can focus on relationally focussed leadership generally OR you can choose to focus on one of the following theories/models: transformational leadership OR authentic leadership OR leader-member exchange.

Your discussion should provide an overview of the leadership style/model and identification of key features and attributes of this type of leadership.

The sources used for this part of the essay should include a mix of general leadership/management sources and contemporary nursing/midwifery sources.

Part 2: Consideration and discussion of leadership and management skills and activities that can positively impact and improve team and workplace outcomes (approximately 2100 words).

Your discussion should be related to application of the skills associated with the leadership style/model or framework that you discussed in Part 1.

Your discussion should identify practical ways in which these leadership and management skills can be used to build effective teams, communicate effectively and supportively, and to empower work colleagues.

Include some consideration about how improved teams, effective communication and empowerment could make a difference to professional workplaces.

The sources used for this part of the essay can include a mix of general leadership/management sources and contemporary nursing/midwifery sources.

Be sure to write and introduction and conclusion to your work, use headings and sub-headings throughout the essay, and include references at the end of the essay. APA7 should be used as a format for intext citations and the reference list.

Criteria for Marking Assessment Task 2

Introduction (5 marks)

Part 1 Discussion: Relationally focussed leadership (40 marks)

Part 2 Discussion: Professional impacts and outcomes from relationally focussed leadership (40 marks)

Conclusion (5 marks)

Written expression, presentation and referencing (10 marks)

This is the fourth and one of the final submissions of the Data Storytelling Hallmark. Please note, that the late policy does not apply for final Hallmark submissions, so be sure to submit this on time.

Following your presentation of the study data, the stakeholders asked you to craft a follow-up to the hospital’s Board of Directors making recommendations for technology solutions for the Diabetic Clinic. Begin gathering your recommendations by completing the attached chart.

presenter notes: This presentation will examine diabetes management within our studied group of patients. Diabetes continues to be a

significant chronic ailment, impacting both individual well-being and the allocation of healthcare resources. Through an analysis of

treatment modalities, patient conduct, and resultant outcomes, we aim to discern patterns that can facilitate improved care. The

ultimate objective is to leverage this data to inform more effective clinical judgments, mitigate complications, and ultimately improve

long-term patient prognoses.

This sudy looks at treatment methods, patient compliance, exercise habits, and follow-up care. HbA1c is used as the primary

measurement because it reflects long-term blood sugar control. By analyzing these factors together, we can identify ways to improve

patient care and reduce complications.

The mean age of 52.36 years suggests that the majority of patients are middle-aged, a demographic crucial for effective

diabetes management. Consequently, inadequate control of the condition places individuals in this age bracket at an elevated risk for

significant complications. Gender distribution chart demonstrates representation of both male and female patients, thereby enhancing

the generalizability of the study’s conclusions across diverse patient populations.

Data Story Stakeholder Presentation Presenter

Notes

This data’s significance stems from its representation of diverse populations. It’s well-established that ETHNICITY

DISTRIBUTION significantly influence healthcare experiences and diabetes management. Understanding these individual

circumstances allows physicians to shift away from generic treatment approaches, providing care that is more personalized and

culturally sensitive.

All therapeutic approaches resulted in reductions in HbA1c levels, implying an improvement in glycemic control across oral

medications, insulin, dietary modifications, exercise regimens, and their combinations. However, the most pronounced efficacy was

observed with combination therapy, succeeded by insulin administration. While both dietary/exercise interventions and oral

medications demonstrated certain benefits, these were less significant compared to the outcomes achieved with combination therapy.

Consequently, therapies characterized by greater intensity or the concurrent application of multiple modalities may contribute to more

consistent blood glucose regulation.

Patients who followed their prescribed treatments went to the hospital less often than those who didn’t. This shows a clear

connection between sticking to a treatment plan and having fewer serious health problems that require medical attention. It looks that

compliance makes clinical stability a lot better and cuts down on the use of health care services needed. Compliant patients were

admitted 10 times, noncompliant resulted in 15 admissions, which is by 5 more than compliant patients. Compliance plays a major

role in patient outcomes. The data indicates that patients who followed their treatment plans had fewer hospitalizations than those who

didn’t. This suggests that sticking to the plan helps prevent complications and improves overall health. Providing patients with

education and regular follow-up can significantly improve their adherence and, as a result, their health outcomes.

The chart that displays how often people in the study work out indicates: The stacked column graphic shows that people who

train out more than three times a week have lower HbA1c levels. The drops are smaller when you work out less often (12 times a

week). This means that there is a dose-response relationship: the more you work out, the better your HbA1c readings get. The graphic

shows that regular exercise is strongly linked to better blood sugar control. Exercise has a big effect on how well you control your

diabetes. People who worked out more than three times a week had bigger changes in their HbA1c levels than people who worked out

less. This means that regular exercise is a vital part of keeping blood sugar levels in check and should be a part of treatment strategies.

The information demonstrates that those with a higher BMI usually have a higher HbA1c level at the start of treatment, which

means their diabetes is less well-controlled. This fits with what we know about how being overweight makes insulin resistance worse.

These results underscore the significance of weight management in diabetes therapy. The scatter plot of BMI and starting HbA1c

reveals that there is a tendency going up: A higher BMI is linked to a higher starting HbA1c level. Individuals with a BMI under 30

are more likely to have HbA1c levels lower than 8.0. This shows that being overweight is directly associated to having worse blood

sugar control when you are not active, which is what we know about how insulin resistance affects the body in people with diabetes.

The stacked column graphic shows that people who are tested more often (45 times) experienced bigger drops in HbA1c.

People who just get one or two check-ups don’t change as much. This means that patients with illnesses may get better care if they are

regularly checked on by medical professionals. This could entail changing their medications, teaching them more, and keeping them

accountable. More frequent follow-ups seem to lead to better results, possibly because more information is gathered with each check-

up. More frequent check-ups are linked to greater results. Patients who went to the doctor four to five times a year had bigger changes

in their HbA1c levels than those who went less often. Regular follow-ups let clinicians change therapy, reinforce education, and keep

an eye on progress, all of which assist control diabetes better.

The results show that combination treatment (combo) lowers HbA1c levels better than insulin, oral medications, or only diet

and exercise. This suggests that a multi-modal therapeutic approach may be most effective for controlling blood glucose levels. People

who stuck to their treatment plans were less likely to need to go to the hospital than those who didn’t. This shows that following your

treatment plan is quite likely to help you get better. More activity and doctor visits are also linked to bigger drops in HbA1c. This

shows how important it is to change your lifestyle, keep an eye on your health, and make sure to go back for more knowledge, lessons,

and so on. Lastly, those with a higher BMI likely to have greater levels of HbA1c at first. This supports the idea that being overweight

is linked to having worse baseline glycemic control.

The results show that combination treatment (combo) lowers HbA1c levels better than insulin, oral medications, or only diet

and exercise. This suggests that a multi-modal therapeutic approach may be most effective for controlling blood glucose levels. People

who stuck to their treatment plans were less likely to need to go to the hospital than those who didn’t. This shows that following your

treatment plan is quite likely to help you get better. More activity and doctor visits are also linked to bigger drops in HbA1c. This

shows how important it is to change your lifestyle, keep an eye on your health, and make sure to go back for more knowledge, lessons,

and so on. Lastly, those with a higher BMI likely to have greater levels of HbA1c at first. This supports the idea that being overweight

is linked to having worse baseline glycemic control.

Based on what this presentation shows, there are a number of critical suggestions that may be made to improve patient

outcomes. First, healthcare providers should think about encouraging combination therapy, especially for individuals who are having

trouble keeping their blood sugar levels stable, since it worked best. Second, it is important to extend patient education programs to

enhance compliance. This is because patients who follow their treatment plans do far better and go to the hospital less often. Also,

promoting regular exercise and putting in place systematic weight management programs can help with the strong link between

lifestyle variables, BMI, and HbA1c levels. It’s also vital to have follow-up visits more often, since more regular monitoring lets

clinicians change treatment regimens and reinforce education. Finally, using electronic health record alerts, patient dashboards, and

remote monitoring systems can assist find high-risk patients sooner and make care coordination better overall.