module specification

Professional leadership is at the core of effective change; and the need to strengthen leadership in primary care, public health, community and social care nursing is a top priority. This module aims to prepare you to take a lead in health care teams and work in partnership with people with complex needs, their family and friends, and other health professionals across health and social care. The module is driven by changes in care provision and delivery outlined in the Integrated Care Bill (2022), identification and analysis of effective leadership, management and change models and strategies and their application to mental health nursing. The focus is on the relationships between leadership, management and change.

The development of local integrated care boards, whose remit is to bring care closer to home (NHS 2019), alongside national policy shifts such as the NHS Long Term Plan (2019) and the Health and Care Act (2022), has changed the ways in which health care professions work together with people to create person-centred care. Integrated care is implemented for people experiencing chronic physical or mental illness, complex emotional and psychological needs, as well as those requiring urgent or crisis mental health support. The aim of such care is to improve the coordination of services across acute, primary care, community health, social services, allied Health Professionals and the voluntary sector to improve clinical and social outcomes of care.

This module aims to provide a rich learning experience through which you, as a nursing student, will explore theories of and approaches to leadership, management and change from class-based theory and knowledge, and the everyday routines of practice. We will re-examine the concept of fitness to practice as you prepare to join the NMC register as a Registered Nurse, considering the legal, ethical and moral challenges you may face in practice.
You will consider the philosophy of integrated care and explore various examples of local, regional and national schemes, considering the person as the organising principle for care.  You will explore the policy backdrop enabling integrated care and discuss how integrated care can be achieved in different areas of care, fields of nursing and different populations by aligning system incentives.

During this module you will be introduced to previous and new ways of thinking about
leadership and management and the importance of these in the context of the contemporary practice transformation and reform required for integrated care.

The phenomenon of managerialism will be explored and types of leadership approaches analysed in relation to your experiences of leadership in clinical practice. You will consider organisational approaches, theoretical perspectives, concepts and tools used in the practice of change management to explore the nature and complexity of change in health and social care services.

Definitions and critical exploration of concepts in collaborative and integrated care; exploring the patient journey; The impact of culture on integrated care (organisational and individual), promoting positive cultures. Identification and exploration of relevant legislation, regulation; Promoting the links between physical health, mental and social wellbeing in the context of care; The use of digital and emerging technologies in supporting people in their communities; Facilitation transitions of care through partnership working and the role of the integrated care boards.

Students will be introduced to the NMC (2018) Standards of Student Supervision in Practice (NMC 2018) and develop practice supervision skills for working with more junior students and staff.

Students can expect lectures, skill-building activities within the ‘typical home’, technology-enabled ‘home’, clinic and boardroom simulation spaces. People with lived experience of health and social care will be invited as guest lecturers to share their experiences of complex and transitional care. Specialist nurses and interprofessional teams will also be invited to share their experiences of leadership and coordinating the integration of care in complex systems. Students will engage in self-directed learning via the Weblearn VLE, and take part in small group learning aimed at supporting their poster presentations.

At the end of this module students should be able to:

1. Apply an in-depth understanding of the key legislative and policy drivers for the development of integrated care, demonstrating political awareness and the mechanisms by which nurses can influence policy and local practice change.
2. Justify the principles of partnership, collaboration and interagency working across all relevant sectors involved in integrated care; evaluating strategies to monitor quality of care shared with or delegated to others and make suggestions for improvements.
3. Guide and motivate others, including patients, service users and students to interact confidently with the care team, demonstrating leadership potential through identifying appropriate prioritisation, delegation and assignment of care responsibilities.
4. Critically reflect on the importance of providing people with individualised nursing, social and informal care that facilitates independence, and supports others to ensure equal access to care
5. Select, evaluate and apply health technologies that may be used in promoting empowered home living for people with complex physical, mental and emotional needs.

Available at NR6002 Collaboration and Integrated Care in Practice | London Metropolitan University