NUR8502 Weeks 3-5: Leadership for Evidence Generation 

Evidence will be the driving force behind the implementation for change. As a nurse leader, developing a search strategy to explore available sources will highlight the leadership strategies and skills needed to lead a team and implement change. Ensuring the search strategy is thorough and effective assists in setting the stage for quality evidence generation. 

Whether assessing your organization, identifying stakeholders, exploring sources, or refining your practice problem these next 3 weeks highlight the importance of evidence and leadership. During the next 3 weeks, you will explore the importance of source exploration, search strategies, and the relationship of leadership in addressing a practice 

problem in your organization or practice. 

Learning Objectives 

Students will: 

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Assess organizational readiness for problem identification 

Identify team members and stakeholders for identified practice problems 

Reflect on practicum experiences 

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Analyze identified practice problem for potential change 

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Analyze an identified practice problem in relation to researched evidence 

Analyze the role of leadership for practice problem identification 

Identify search strategies to support evidence for practice problems 

Learning Resources 

Required Readings (click to expand/reduce) ▾ 

Practicum Resources (click to expand/reduce) ▾ 

Optional Resources (click to expand/reduce) ▾ 

Assignment 1: Organizational Readiness Assessment 

How do you determine organizational readiness to implement change in your practice or organization? Are the individuals committed to making the change? Are 

they confident in the impact of the change? Are they prepared to face challenges? 

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The answers to these questions, and others, may provide insight into the readiness of an organization to implement change. Understanding an organization’s readiness provides critical insight into building a team, identifying stakeholders, and ultimately moving forward with a proposed change. As a nurse leader, it will be important to determine the organizational readiness and motivating factors of individuals associated with the organization to implement change. 

For this Assignment, complete the Organizational Readiness Form to assist you in determining the readiness for implementing change. Utilizing this form, you will explore the importance of organizational readiness with your team and other stakeholders. 

To Prepare 

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Determine who is a part of the team needed to address your problem. 

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Ensure your problem is clearly defined and shared with your team. 

The Assignment: (1-2 pages and completed Organizational Readiness Form) 

Meet with teams associated with your practice problem to gather information about the problem. With the guidance of the team, answer the following questions: 

What is the practice problem? 

• What are the real or perceived impacts of the problem? 

Is the problem defined correctly? 

• Who are the stakeholders? 

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Consider the following: 

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Are the right people at the table? 

What is their level of engagement with the problem? 

Are there internal/external stakeholders? 

After answering the questions, provide an assessment for organizational readiness. Additionally, complete the Organizational Readiness Form provided to you in the Learning Resources. Note: You will be submitting your responses to the prompts for this Assignment and a completed Organizational Readiness Form in the Assignment 

submission link for this week. 

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Walden Writing Center Sample Paper provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632). All papers submitted must use this formatting. 

Submit your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 3. 

Note: You will use this input to create a compelling vision for the change in upcoming weeks. 

Submission and Grading Information 

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following: 

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Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK3Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” as 

the name. 

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Click the Week 3 Assignment 1 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment. 

Click the Week 3 Assignment 1 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area. 

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Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK3Assgn1+last name+first initial (extension)” and click Open. 

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Global Reference Database. 

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If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the 

Click on the Submit button to complete your submission. 

Grading Criteria 

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To access your rubric: 

Week 3 Assignment 1 Rubric 

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity 

> 

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity: 

Submit your Week 3 Assignment 1 draft and review the originality report. 

> 

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 3 

To participate in this Assignment 

Week 3 Assignment 1 

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Assignment 2: Journal Entry 1 

Submit a journal entry (along with your time log). The journal entry is your opportunity to be self-reflective and needs to connect your previous professional experience with your practice, competencies/concepts in the program, and the literature. See the Practicum Guidelines located in the Practicum area, and this 

week’s Learning Resources, for a complete description of the practicum. 

Submit your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 3. 

Submission and Grading Information 

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To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following: 

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Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK3Assgn2+last name+first initial.(extension)” as 

the name. 

• 

Click the Week 3 Assignment 2 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment. 

• 

Click the Week 3 Assignment 2 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area. 

• 

. 

• 

Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK3Assgn2+last name+first initial. (extension)” and click Open. 

If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the 

Global Reference Database. 

Click on the Submit button to complete your submission. 

Grading Criteria 

To access your rubric: 

Week 3 Assignment 2 Rubric 

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity 

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity: 

Submit your Week 3 Assignment 2 draft and review the originality report. 

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 3 

To participate in this Assignment. 

Week 3 Assignment 2 

Blog: Defining and Refining the Problem 

You have now spent 3 full weeks working on an identified 

practice problem You have spent time with your team and preceptor at your practicum site, and you have begun to evaluate the scope of the problem and need for change. Based on your experiences in these first 4 weeks, what is working? What is not working? What has 

or has not worked in the past? 

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For this Discussion, you will consider your identified practice problem to help define and refine the work that you have done thus far. Consider what is working, what is not working, your stakeholders, and what has worked and has not 

worked in the past. Review the evidence gathered to determine how you might need to refine your identified practice problem. 

To Prepare 

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Review the Learning Resources that address problem identification. 

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Analyze the work done thus far on your identified practice problem, specifically analyzing what management has done to date with the problem. 

Review your practice focused question, meetings with your team and preceptor, and your identification of 

stakeholders. 

By Day 3 of Week 4 

Post a response discussing your selected practice problem. After meeting with your team, describe the following: 

• What is currently working? 

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What has not worked? 

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What changes might you implement? 

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What changes might you consider in addressing the problem? 

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Are these changes supported by evidence? 

In your response, share what you have been working on throughout the first 4 weeks of the course, focusing specifically on defining your practice focused question, meeting with your team, and identifying stakeholders. Be specific. What leadership strategies might you use to support the problem you have identified? Explain whether you have refined your practice focused question and why. 

By Day 6 of Week 4 

Read a selection of your colleagues’ blog posts and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days 

by supporting or expanding on their work thus far with their practice focused question. Work to share additional perspectives on the issue described by your colleague. 

Submission and Grading Information 

Grading Criteria 

To access your rubric: 

Week 4 Blog Rubric 

Post by Day 3 of Week 4 and Respond by Day 6 of Week 4 

To Participate in this Blog: 

Week 4 Blog 

> 

Assignment 3: Stakeholder Analysis 

Who are the stakeholders connected to the change you 

are proposing related to your practice problem? 

This question may seem simple enough; however, identifying all of the necessary stakeholders is crucial in the success of a project. From funding to technical 

requirements, understanding who the stakeholders are 

and their role is necessary for successful change 

implementation. 

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For this Assignment, consider who the stakeholders are associated with your practice problem. Complete the 

Stakeholder Analysis Form to clearly identify these individuals and their roles. 

To Prepare 

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Review the Learning Resources about stakeholders. 

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Review the example Stakeholder Analysis in the Learning Resources. 

Determine the stakeholders for your problem (both internal and external). 

The Assignment: Completed Stakeholder Analysis Form 

Meet with the stakeholders associated with your practice problem. After meeting with the stakeholders, construct a 

Stakeholder Analysis using the Stakeholder Analysis Form provided in the Learning Resources. 

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Walden Writing Center Sample Paper provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632). All papers submitted must 

use this formatting. 

Submit your completed Stakeholder Analysis Form by Day 7 of Week 4. 

Submission and Grading Information 

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following: 

• 

Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK4Assgn3+last name+first initial.(extension)” as 

the name 

Click the Week 4 Assignment 3 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment. 

. 

Click the Week 4 Assignment 3 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area. 

• 

Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK4Assgn3+last name+first initial. (extension)” and click Open. 

. 

If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the 

Global Reference Database 

Click on the Submit button to complete your submission. 

Grading Criteria 

To access your rubric: 

Week 4 Assignment 3 Rubric 

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity 

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity: 

Submit your Week 4 Assignment 3 draft and review the originality report. 

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 4 

To participate in this Assignment 

Week 4 Assignment 3 

Discussion: Exploration of Sources of Evidence 

Imagine it is the final week of the course, and you are ready to present your solution to address your indentified practice problem at your practicum site. You present your evidence and plan and recommend the implementation of your proposed solution. Upon hearing your presentation, a stakeholder raises questions about the implementation based on a similar practice problem affecting a business outside of nursing. Unfortunately, you had not explored sources outside of your field, and you neglected to incorporate this evidence into your plan and recommendations. 

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Evidence is critical in understanding a problem and determining potential solutions to address a change. However, evidence is only as good as the exploration of sources used to gather this evidence. Flawed evidence generation can occur when sources are not carefully, thoughtfully, and thoroughly explored. Furthermore, flawed evidence generation occurs if evidence is outdated, ignored, or not considered within the context of the proposed solution or practice 

problem it is meant to address. 

For this Discussion, you will explore the sources of evidence necessary for your identified practice problem. These 

sources of evidence may be derived from library databases related to nursing, or you may find sources necessary for your practice problem in the form of interviews or library databases related to other fields. Consider where you might explore sources of evidence for your practice problem. Where might you find these sources outside of your typical evidence locations? Consider why this exploration is important and meaningful for your proposed change. 

To Prepare 

• Review the Learning Resources covering the exploration of evidence. 

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need to be 

explored. 

Consider the evidence necessary for your identified practice problem and consider what types of sources might 

Explore sources beyond the Walden Library database, and consider where evidence might be found outside of 

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“typical” avenues. 

By Day 3 of Week 5 

Post a response detailing your exploration of sources of evidence for your practice problem. Consider multiple sources of evidence, rather than simply resources from the library: formal and informal interviews, national organizations, internal/external to your organization and/or practice. Consider library sources of information outside of nursing literature (e.g., business journals). Consider the impact of not including resources from specific sources. How might 

this create a flaw in your ability to support a proposed practice change? Be specific and provide examples. 

By Day 5 of Week 5 

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days 

by supporting or expanding on their exploration of sources. Do you see any evidence they might be missing? Explain 

additional perspectives on the issue or exploration of sources described by your colleague. 

Submission and Grading Information 

Grading Criteria 

To access your rubric: 

Week 5 Discussion Rubric 

Post by Day 3 of Week 5 and Respond by Day 5 of Week 5 

To Participate in this Discussion. 

Week 5 Discussion 

Assignment 4: Identify Search Strategy 

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How will you find the necessary evidence for your practice problem? If you are exploring sources outside of “typical” avenues, how do you know where to look? 

Understanding where and how to search for evidence is an important first step in exploring sources. A search strategy can benefit your search efforts by providing a 

nurse leader, 

necessary framework to begin. As a developing strategy in this instance a search strategy- 

can demonstrate your leadership skills as you work to 

support a practice change that addresses a practice 

problem. 

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For this Assignment, consider the importance of developing a search strategy to find the necessary evidence for your practice problem. How might this development of a search strategy connect to your leadership strategies and styles? 

Consider the importance of search exploration for finding the necessary evidence for your practice problem. 

To Prepare 

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Review the Learning Resources covering source exploration. 

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Explore search strategies to determine what will work best for your problem. 

Consider the connection between source exploration, search strategies, and leadership styles. 

The Assignment: (1-2 pages) 

Construct a short paper in which you identify the search strategy you will use to gather evidence for your practice problem. Why did you select this search strategy, and how will this strategy be most beneficial for the problem? How did your role as leader assist you in making this decision? Be specific and provide examples. 

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Walden Writing Center Sample Paper provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632). All papers submitted must 

use this formatting. 

Submit your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5 

Submission and Grading Information 

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following: 

Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK5Assgn4+last name+first initial.(extension)” as 

. 

the name. 

• 

. 

Click the Week 5 Assignment 4 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment. 

Click the Week 5 Assignment 4 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area. 

Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK5Assgn4+last name+first initial. (extension)” and click Open. 

If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the 

Global Reference Database. 

Click on the Submit button to complete your submission. 

Grading Criteria 

To access your rubric: 

Week 5 Assignment 4 Rubric 

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity 

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity: 

Submit your Week 5 Assignment 4 draft and review the originality report. 

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5 

To participate in this Assignment Week 5 Assignment 4 

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What’s Coming Up in Module 3? 

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In the next module, you will continue your work on your 

practice problem through the critique of evidence. You 

will focus on analyzing the evidence you gathered in 

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order to begin to develop your plan and 

recommendations to support a practice change. 

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Next Module 

To go to the next module: 

Module 3