Plan of Study
Leadership for Nurses in Long Term Care
Leadership for Nurses in Long Term Care has been created using the Best Practice Guidelines from the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2013) entitled "Developing and Sustaining Nursing Leadership." The objectives of this course are met by building knowledge and application of skills in a virtual setting.
Nurses complete four online modules, each taking 1–3 hours per week. They are also encouraged to attend one 3-hour virtual classroom session, offered in the morning or afternoon on the same day. Nurses will be pre-assigned to their respective session.
Timeline
This represents a general timeline for the course. The exact delivery model may vary between offerings.
- Week 1, Module 1: Nursing Leadership — Participants are introduced to the concept of clinical leadership and the significance of how leadership and nursing leadership theories have evolved over time. This module is also designed to have participants reflect on personal leadership behaviors and begin to identify personal leadership strengths.
- Week 2, Module 2: Leadership Practices — Participants focus on various leadership styles and behaviours related to five transformational leadership practices that can be integrated into the work setting. Concepts of person-centred care and interprofessional collaborative practice are introduced and participants begin to develop their own leadership goals to initiate a Leadership Action Plan (LAP).
- Week 3, Module 3: Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution — Participants focus on key leadership behaviours of effective communication and conflict resolution. Participants weave through various LTC specific scenarios that allow them to incorporate these skills into LTC practice.
- Week 4, Module 4: Transitioning Leadership to Practice — Participants focus on transitioning leadership practices to the workplace, enhancing your collaborative relationship with management, and development of a personal Leadership Action Plan to use in your LTC practice.
By the end of this course, participants will have completed a Leadership Action Plan that encompasses Leadership goals for implementation in to their LTC practice setting. Once completed, participants will receive a certificate of completion.
Completion Criteria
| Course Completion Requirement | Nurse Responsibility | Manager Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Course Material | Complete all 4 Course modules (including Discussion Board posts) | Complete Manager Course content; Support nurse's leadership development |
| Virtual Class | Attend session | Ensure nurse is able to attend session |
| Leadership Action Plan | Complete plan | Meet with nurse to supoprt development of plan |
| Course Checklist | Complete and submit checklist | Sign off on checklist |
Manager's Leadership Guide
The Manager’s Leadership Guide has been created to help managers support the frontline nurses they are sponsoring to take Leadership for Nurses in LTC course. Managers will have access to key messages for supporting nursing leadership development as well as the complete Leadership for Nurses in LTC course.
The Manager’s Leadership Guide provides managers with a foundation for engaging LTC nurses in discussions that relate leadership course content to their point of care practice. This enables managers, who lead teams, to enrich their own leadership knowledge and skills in the LTC practice setting, while building leadership capacity with nurses. It will also help support managers as they provide feedback to nurses who are developing and refining their Leadership Action Plan (LAP).
Managers may take the course multiple times to support new nurse learners if desired.
Timeline
This represents a general timeline for the course. The exact delivery model may vary between offerings.
- Week 1, Module 1: Leadership for Managers — Participants have an opportunity to review Five Practices of Transformational Leaders, review leadership behaviours and qualities, have an introduction to the Nurses' Leadership Action Plan as well as better understand the role of the manager in supporting nursing leadership development.
- Week 2, Module 2: Effective Communication, Coaching, and Feedback — Participants will examine leadership strategies for working with teams, explore managing versus leading and review effective communication in terms of coaching and mentoring. This module seeks to enhance nurse-manager engagement and strengthen partnerships that promote transformational leadership within LTC.