NURS-FPX4010 Leading People, Processes, and Organizations in Interprofessional Practice

Assessment 2: Interview and Interdisciplinary Issue Identification Paper

Course and Assessment Metadata

Course: NURS-FPX4010 Leading People, Processes, and Organizations in Interprofessional Practice (BSN, FlexPath)

Institution Type: RN-to-BSN undergraduate nursing leadership and interprofessional practice course

Assessment Label: Assessment 2 – Individual Written Assignment

Assessment Type: Interview-based analysis and interdisciplinary issue identification paper

Length: 3–4 page paper (approximately 1,050–1,400 words, excluding title page and references)

Weighting: Typically 20–25% of course grade

Submission Format: Word-processed document, double-spaced, APA 7th edition style

Assessment Overview

Leadership in interprofessional practice depends on understanding how front-line clinicians experience collaboration and where they perceive gaps in people, processes, and organisational systems. This assessment requires students to conduct a brief semi-structured interview with a practising clinician outside nursing, then analyse the conversation to identify one priority interdisciplinary issue suitable for a future change or improvement plan.

The task develops students’ ability to gather qualitative insights from practice, connect findings to leadership and change theory, and formulate a clear problem statement that can guide future project work. Writing must remain structured, concise, and evidence-informed.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

By completing this assessment, students will be able to:

• Plan and conduct an ethical interview with a non-nursing health professional.

• Identify a priority interdisciplinary issue affecting people, processes, and outcomes.

• Analyse interview findings using leadership and change frameworks.

• Justify why the issue is suitable for an interdisciplinary improvement initiative.

• Produce a scholarly APA-formatted paper integrating interview data and literature.

Assessment Task

Step 1: Select and Recruit an Interview Participant

Identify one non-nursing professional who collaborates regularly with nurses, such as:

• Physician

• Pharmacist

• Physiotherapist

• Social worker

• Occupational therapist

• Dietitian

• Psychologist

Requirements:

• Minimum one year of experience in current role.

• Obtain verbal consent.

• Maintain confidentiality and de-identify all details.

Step 2: Conduct a Semi-Structured Interview

Prepare 5–8 open-ended questions addressing:

• Typical collaboration patterns with nurses

• Communication strengths and weaknesses

• Examples of successful or challenging teamwork

• Barriers to collaboration such as workflow or culture

• Suggestions for improvement

Take written notes and exclude patient identifiers.

Step 3: Summarise Interview Context and Insights

In approximately 1–1.5 pages:

• Describe the participant’s role and setting.

• Summarise major collaboration themes.

• Identify at least two strengths and two challenges.

• Provide brief paraphrased examples of situations discussed.

Step 4: Identify a Priority Interdisciplinary Issue

In approximately 0.5–1 page:

• Select one issue affecting people, processes, and outcomes.

• Write a concise problem statement including who is affected, where it occurs, and consequences.

• Explain why the issue is a priority.

Step 5: Analyse Using Leadership and Change Concepts

In approximately 1–1.5 pages:

• Apply one leadership framework and one change model.

• Analyse how organisational and leadership factors contribute to the issue.

• Support analysis with 3–4 recent peer-reviewed sources.

• Explain why the issue is suitable for an interdisciplinary improvement initiative.

Step 6: Structure, Style, and Referencing

Paper Structure:

• Title page

• Introduction

• Interview context and insights

• Problem identification

• Leadership and change analysis

• Conclusion

• References

Formatting Requirements:

• Double-spaced

• 1-inch margins

• Standard academic font

• APA 7th edition referencing

Assessment Rubric

Effective interdisciplinary collaboration is strongly influenced by leadership behaviours that promote psychological safety and shared accountability within teams. Research demonstrates that when leaders encourage open communication, clarify roles, and facilitate collaborative decision-making, team members are more likely to engage in proactive problem solving and coordinated care planning. Such leadership approaches support improved patient safety outcomes and reduced workflow fragmentation because they strengthen trust and mutual respect among disciplines (Buljac, van Woerkom & Paauwe, 2020).

An interview with a hospital-based clinical pharmacist revealed that fragmented communication during discharge processes disrupts workflow and patient counselling. The pharmacist described frequent last-minute medication orders lacking sufficient clinical context, which resulted in rushed verification and delays in patient discharge. The absence of structured discharge planning meetings involving all disciplines was identified as a major contributing factor. Transformational leadership combined with a structured change model could help establish shared discharge planning practices and improve interdisciplinary coordination.

 Peer-Reviewed and Professional References

Costa, P., Alves, R., Fernandes, S. & Martins, J., 2025, Leadership development in undergraduate nursing students: A scoping review, International Journal of Nursing Studies, vol. 145, 104623.

Gottwald, M. & Lansdown, G., 2021, The role of change management in improving patient safety, Nursing Management, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 26–33.

Rampersad, N., Govender, I. & Singh, S., 2023, Implementing Kotter’s 8-step change model to reduce medication errors, BMC Health Services Research, vol. 23, 1154.

Buljac, M., van Woerkom, M. & Paauwe, J., 2020, Interprofessional collaboration and quality of care, International Journal of Quality in Health Care, vol. 32, no. 7, pp. 445–452.

World Health Organization, 2019, WHO Global Framework for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice, WHO, Geneva.

Reeves, S., Pelone, F., Harrison, R., Goldman, J. & Zwarenstein, M., 2017, Interprofessional collaboration to improve professional practice and healthcare outcomes, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no. 6, CD000072.