The purpose of this assignment is to synthesize and integrate what you have learned about nursing as relational practice by focusing on leadership and engaging in caring relations.  It is not an assignment about a disease.

You are asked to write a formal essay that is based on a situation where you are a nurse who is promoting the health of a selected client (the client you choose may be an individual, a family, or a community).

There are two parts to this assignment. In Part 1, you will prepare an outline about a practice situation or case study that will be the basis of your formal essay. A case study is suggested as you may find it easier to draw on your past professional experience to create your essay outline. Part 1 is not worth marks but you must submit this as an Appendix to your assignment. Do not put this in the body of your paper. You do not have to hand this in to me to review.  

In Part 2, you prepare a formal essay that addresses your leadership role as well as your approach, and strategies for engaging in caring relations for your chosen client.

In preparing Part 2, which will be a maximum of five pages (excluding title page, table of contents, and reference pages), you are expected to refer to at least two peer-reviewed nursing articles, published within the last five years, as evidence of researching information that is different from, or more in-depth, than that in the course materials. Correct APA format should be used in all of your writing. You may wish to review the materials and resources on writing a scholarly paper from HLTH 3611, Professional Growth. Deadlines for submission of each part of your assignment are set out in the Course Schedule.

Part 1: Outline

The purpose of the outline is to clearly indicate the content that will be included in each section of your proposed essay and to assist you in organizing your thoughts and ideas about the essay topic. The outline is divided into three sections; content should be logically linked together to support the development of your ideas and information about the role of leadership in engaging in caring relations in the context of nursing as relational practice. The outline sections are:

Introduction: Introductory paragraph setting out what you will do or so in your paper.

Case Study: The case study and practice situation is described briefly to provide evidence about a need for you as the nurse to lead and engage in a caring relationship with your identified client.You Appendix the detailed case study.

Body: Main points to support the ways in which you will lead and engage in a caring, nurse-client relationship are outlined, barriers and enablers to building a trusting, caring relationship are considered. Strategies to promote health are also indicated. Include ideas about what you will reflect on to identify lessons learned from doing this paper about nursing as relational practice.

Conclusion: Summarize main points to be examined or discussed in the paper.

Part 2: Formal Essay (50 marks)

There are four components on which your essay will be graded as follows:

1. Case Study 

Describe the practice situation or case study you have chosen and include the following information:

1. Client characteristics—age? developmental stage? health-related needs?
2. Situation characteristics—what is unique about this situation?
3. Your role as the nurse—why are you involved? What contributes to a caring relation here? Are there any advocacy or social justice issues?
4. Based on the described situation, what kind of nursing leadership will be used to further engage in caring relations with your identified client?

2. Body

1. Describe the leadership role, your selected leadership style, and communication strategies to enhance trust building with your selected client. Support with theory.
2. Describe challenges and enablers that support nursing as relational practice by focusing on leadership and engaging in caring relations. Include strategies (what you will do) to enhance even more caring relations between you and your identified client (e.g., consider teaching principles, role of empowerment, advocacy, social justice and the ethic of caring in nursing).  Support  with theory.
3. Reflect on what you propose to do. Is it realistic that you will be able to maintain or enhance caring relations with your identified client? What are three lessons you have learned about the role of leadership in enhancing caring relations and facilitating nursing as relational practice? Support your reflections with theory.

3. Writing and Format (5 marks)

Review your work for writing and formatting correctness (5 marks; see Assignment 4 Rubric).