NURS 491 is Liberty's BSN seminar on nursing management. Its written work is four long discussion forums, a nursing code of ethics paper, a paper on Nehemiah's management through change, a two-part evidence-based practice project, a team PowerPoint on health care reform and a PowerPoint on the nurse manager's roles.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as NURS 491 Nursing Management, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as NURS491.
What NURS 491 covers
The catalog description: This seminar course provides an overview of organizational theory, management theory, and change theory. The course examines nursing staffing patterns, patient care technology, information management, and communication between healthcare providers. Healthcare policies, including financial and regulatory influences are also reviewed. The course uses several techniques such as evidence based research, self-reflection, therapeutic communication, and critical thinking skills to gain understanding in nursing management.
The seminar covers organizational, management and change theory, staffing patterns, patient care technology, information management, communication among providers, and the financial and regulatory forces behind health policy. The textbook is Finkelman, Leadership and Management for Nurses, with Nehemiah 1 to 13 assigned in Week 3.
The forums are demanding by Liberty standards: each thread is at least 700 words in two parts with four scholarly sources, and each reply at least 400 words with two scholarly sources and two biblical references. Plan forum weeks as carefully as paper weeks.
Textbook named in the published guide: Finkelman, Leadership and Management for Nurses (2016). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
NURS 491 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum 1 | 100 | Thread at least 700 words, in two parts |
| 1 | Living the Nursing Code of Ethics | 75 | At least 3 pages (title and reference pages not counted) |
| 2 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 100 | Thread at least 700 words, in two parts |
| 3 | Nehemiah: Managing through Change | 175 | 5 to 7 pages (title and reference pages not counted) |
| 4 | Discussion Board Forum 3 | 100 | Thread at least 700 words, in two parts |
| 5 | Evidence-Based Practice Project Part 1 | 75 | A teaching tool (PowerPoint, video, brochure or similar) |
| 6 | Discussion Board Forum 4 | 100 | Thread at least 700 words, in two parts |
| 6 | Evidence-Based Practice Project Part 2 | 75 | Not set in the guide; cover every required element |
| 7 | Impact of Healthcare Reform Team Presentation | 125 | At least 20 slides |
| 8 | One Person, Many Roles | 75 | At least 15 slides with a notes section (title, introduction, conclusion and reference slides not counted) |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A two-part, 700-word thread with 4 scholarly sources, and two 400-word replies with 2 sources and 2 biblical references each. How to write NURS 491 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 1: Living the Nursing Code of Ethics
A 3-page-plus paper on common ethical dilemmas nurse managers face, with 3 recent peer-reviewed references. How to write NURS 491 Week 1 Living the Nursing Code of Ethics.
Week 2: Discussion Board Forum 2
The second forum: a two-part, 700-word thread with 4 sources and two 400-word replies with biblical references. How to write NURS 491 Week 2 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 3: Nehemiah: Managing through Change
The largest NURS 491 paper: 5 to 7 pages on Nehemiah's managerial skills while leading through significant change. How to write NURS 491 Week 3 Nehemiah: Managing through Change.
Week 4: Discussion Board Forum 3
The third forum: a two-part, 700-word thread with 4 sources and two 400-word replies with biblical references. How to write NURS 491 Week 4 Discussion Board Forum 3.
Week 5: Evidence-Based Practice Project Part 1
A creative teaching tool for staff explaining how a practice on your unit should change to match current evidence, with 4 recent references. How to write NURS 491 Week 5 Evidence-Based Practice Project Part 1.
Week 6: Discussion Board Forum 4
The final forum: a two-part, 700-word thread with 4 sources and two 400-word replies with biblical references. How to write NURS 491 Week 6 Discussion Board Forum 4.
Week 6: Evidence-Based Practice Project Part 2
A paper on the audience, impact of change, change theory and organizational constraints behind your teaching tool. How to write NURS 491 Week 6 Evidence-Based Practice Project Part 2.
Week 7: Impact of Healthcare Reform Team Presentation
A team PowerPoint of at least 20 slides on how the Affordable Care Act affects a chosen nursing specialty. How to write NURS 491 Week 7 Impact of Healthcare Reform Team Presentation.
Week 8: One Person, Many Roles
A 15-slide PowerPoint with notes on the nurse manager's roles and your own potential for managerial leadership. How to write NURS 491 Week 8 One Person, Many Roles.
How NURS 491 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The four forums are 100 each (400). The Nehemiah paper is 175, the health care reform team presentation 125, and the code of ethics paper, the two EBP project parts and the nurse manager roles PowerPoint 75 each. The team selection, contract and evaluation carry no points, and the checklist is 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussion Board Forums (4) | 400 |
| Nehemiah: Managing through Change | 175 |
| Impact of Healthcare Reform Team Presentation | 125 |
| Living the Nursing Code of Ethics | 75 |
| EBP Project Part 1 | 75 |
| EBP Project Part 2 | 75 |
| One Person, Many Roles | 75 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 900 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach NURS 491
Read Nehemiah in Week 2, before its week: the 5 to 7-page paper on his management of change is due in Week 3, the largest paper in the course.
For the EBP project, choose a practice on your unit that does not follow current evidence (for example, routine vital signs every four hours overnight on stable patients, or gauze-based dressings where newer dressings are indicated); Part 1 is a teaching tool for staff and Part 2 is the paper behind it.
Questions students ask
How long are NURS 491 forum threads?
At least 700 words in two parts with at least four scholarly sources; each of two replies is at least 400 words with two scholarly sources and two biblical references.
What is the NURS 491 Nehemiah paper?
A 5 to 7-page APA paper on Nehemiah's managerial skills while leading through significant change, with 3 to 5 peer-reviewed references under five years old plus the Bible.
Working through NURS 491 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.