Explanatory Memorandum
Overview of Proposed Changes in the Nursing Leadership Curriculum
The Leadership Concentration in the Graduate Nursing Sciences Department of the East
Carolina University College of Nursing (CON) submits the following changes to the
Master’s of Science in Nursing- Leadership Concentration curriculum. These changes
have been approved by the CON Graduate Curriculum Committee on November 4, 2010
and the CON Graduate Faculty Organization on November 11, 2010.
The credits for graduating with the MSN-Leadership Concentration (41 s. h.) do not
change. Additional content is added in response to changes in the field of nursing
leadership, changes in the certification requirements, and insights from students.
In the spring of 2010 the current Nursing Leadership faculty reviewed the current
curriculum in light of changes in the American Nurses credentialing Center’s
examination for certification, educational articles in recent literature, and
faculty/student/preceptor feedback. The following recommendations were made:
1. The prerequisite of a 3-hour accounting course is removed. Students
report not benefitting form the course and faculty observed no differences in
the student performance in those who had taken the course and those who had
not yet met the requirement.
2. Develop a 1 hour Foundations of Nursing Leadership course (NURS 6986)
to be taken in the first year of study. This would provide a mechanism for
self-assessment of leadership behaviors and competencies early in the
curriculum and would afford additional hours of study needed to cover the
objectives of the NURS 6983 course (Administrative and Organizational
Theory and Ethics). Recommendation based on:

Change the NURS 6993 Portfolio from a retrospective document to one
that is cumulative across the curriculum. Require an artifact entry from
each semester to demonstrate student growth and mastery. A 1-hour
course early in the plan of study would be used to initiate the portfolio and
determine baseline abilities in leadership.

NURS 6983, the course that currently includes the content proposed for
the Foundations of Nursing Leadership course has too much subject
matter for a 3 s.h. class. Adding the 1 hour course would make the NURS
6983 course objectives more achievable.
3. Reduce the NURS 6977 Leadership Practicum I from a 4 to a 3 semester
hour course. This practicum is primarily observational with an emphasis
on assessing the organizational culture of the hosting health system and
the leadership style of the preceptor. Recommendation based on:

The assignment to prepare a self-assessment based on ANCC leadership
competencies will be moved to the 1-hour Foundations of Nursing
Leadership reducing the need for 4 semester hours to meet course
objectives.

Three semester hours is adequate for accomplishing the NURS 6977
objectives.

Reduction of the NURS 6977 course provides an avenue to support adding
the 1 hour Foundations of Nursing Leadership class while maintaining the
same degree semester hour requirements.
4. Revise the NURS 6983 course content to reduce emphasis on
leadership theory. Recommendation based on:

Need to increase emphasis on administrative ethics as reflected in the new
ANCC Certification Exam.

Need to transition leadership content to new Foundations of Nursing
Leadership course
5. Develop a 3 hour Budgeting and Decision Making in Nursing Leadership
course (NURS 6987) to replace the current pre-requisite of a 3 hour
undergraduate accounting class for students with less than 2 years of
upper-level nursing management experience. This pre-requisite was
required prior to taking NURS 6974 (Financial Management and
Decision Making in Nursing Leadership). Recommendation based on:

Student feedback that the undergraduate accounting course was not relevant
for the content covered in NURS 6974.

Student feedback that they needed more financial content in the curriculum,
particularly as it related to budgeting concepts. This recommendation was
primarily from students that had less than 2 years of upper-level nursing
management experience.

Instructor experiences with managing diverse students with varying financial
competency levels in the NURS 6974 course.
6. Revise NURS 6974 to reduce content related to budgeting (transitioned to
new 3 hour course).Recommendation based on:

Need to increase content on economics that is found in the ANCC
Certification Exam.

Need to transfer budgeting content to new Budgeting and Decision Making in
Nursing Leadership course.
12-17-10