Assignment Guidelines – The Commentary Structure
You may remove any headings after writing your commentary to assist with the flow of your academic work.
Introduction (300 words).
Start by giving a short opening statement which is a description of what the commentary is about using approximately 50 words. Your introduction should answer these 3 questions:
a. What? The introduction needs to clearly explain what the commentary is about. This section needs to explain in your own words what is required as stated in the assessment brief given above.
b. How? The second part of the introduction needs to outline how the commentary is structured or will be presented. You need to summarise the details given below for Part 1 and 2.
c. Why? An introduction needs to articulate why the topics under consideration are significant. This is your rationale. Use 2-3 references to support it.
Part 1: Your commentary:
Please write Part 1 in the third person. In academic writing the convention is to write in the third person. This means not using personal pronouns (words such as I, me or my), and avoiding referring to yourself.
Context (300 words)
Define key terms like leadership, management, teamworking, and delegation within the context of the NHS and specifically in nursing. Briefly highlight the importance of leadership and management in nursing and healthcare. Briefly outline what is already known about leading and managing in nursing care in the UK, briefly comment on what is new or what is happening now to provide high quality care and ensure patient safety. It is important that you need to focus on events within your own field of nursing. (Learning Outcome 3) (Session 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10)
Discussion (1700 – 1800 words)
This could be separated into sections to ensure you cover all the required material. The following is a suggested format though you are encouraged to be creative and sequence your work in the most logical way.
a. Briefly discuss the importance of leadership by incorporating recent events within healthcare (for example, Lucy Letby case, Clive Treacey: Independent Review (Dawkins, 2021); Ockenden (2022) report; Public Accounts Committees report into mental health services for children and young people (2019); Opening the door to change NHS safety culture and the need for transformation (CQC, 2018); Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Report (2018); House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (2017); Academy of Medical Colleges in Scotland (2015); Mazars (2015) review; Morecambe Bay Investigation (Kirkup, 2015); Care Quality Commission (2015); Francis (2013) report; DoH (2012) report on Winterbourne View Hospital). (Learning Outcome 3) (Session 1, 10). This is not an exhaustive list, but try to focus on key developments in the last 5 – 10 years where possible.. These are examples to get you started and you are advised to consider events and/or reports relevant to your field of nursing.
b. Explore 2 – 3 relevant leadership and/or management theories, comparing them, whilst also relating them to nursing practice and working within multi disciplinary teams (MDTs). Again, link this to your field of nursing practice. (Learning Outcomes 1) (Session 3)
c. Identify the role of leadership for practice improvement and quality of care underpinned by policy, again with particular focus on your field of nursing. Comment on the impact of service improvement on patient safety, quality of care, and working in teams or delegation. (Learning Outcomes 3, 4) (Session 7, 8/9)
d. Explore the key theoretical concepts in team working within MDTs, this could include team dynamics, values, attributes, and possible challenges. Also explore the concept and importance of role modelling in leaderhip and why it is essential to develop networking skills in team working. Comment on the impact of these on patient safety and quality of care. (Learning Outcomes 1, 3) (Session 2, 6, 5, 8/9)
e. Explore the concept of delegation as a leadership and management tool that supports effective MDT working. Ensure that you explore how delegation links to leadership and management and the impact on patient safety and quality of care. Highlight common themes found in delegation in nursing to ensure effective delegation. Also, highlight the challenges experienced within delegation. Conside the NMC guidance and comment on impact on patient safety and quality of care. (Learning Outcomes 1, 3) (Session 4, 5, 8/9)
f. Describe or define digital technology/ information technology (IT) used in healthcare. Identify and comment on the use of digital data, IT, and information sharing in healthcare in relation to leadership and innovation to ensure quality of care, patient safety, and effective MDT working. (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4) (Session 1, 6, 8/9)
g. Identify a gap in clinical practice/ healthcare that need service improvement through innovative practice. You may refer to the Year 2 – Evaluating Evidence for Translation into Nursing Practice module to support you to identify the gap. This could then form the basis for your innovation project on service improvement in Year 3 (Level 6). Briefly outline the steps you are going to take whilst you are in Year 2 to prepare for your Level 6 (Year 3) innovation project, (these steps can be in both at placement and in the University). Following the outlined steps, develop a detailed action plan with SMART goals and a self-developed checklist and present as appendices. (Learning Outcomes 2, 4) (Session 6, 7)
Part 2: Your Year 1 reflection (500 words)
You do not need a reflective model for Part 2, just write reflectively on your experience from placement. For this part you can write your reflective piece in the first person where you can use the pronouns “I,” “me,” “we,” and “us,” in order to reflect on your Year 1 experience from your perspective. Use academic language and relevant literature to support your discussion here.
a. Reflect on one situation from placement that made you realise the importance of team working in healthcare. Briefly describe what happened, discuss what was good and what could be done differently, and explore what you learnt from the situation and how you felt about it. Consider and evaluate the role of the nurse in the situation. Briefly identify and evaluate the roles of other MDT members in the situation and comment on the impact on patient safety and quality care in the situation. Use approx 250 words. (Learning Outcome 1) (Session 2, 8/9)
b. Reflect on your experience when a task was delegated to you during Year 1 placement or in your role as a Nursing Associate (for RNDAs). Discuss how this was undertaken, what worked and what could have been done differently, and summarise how you felt about being delegated a task and how this impacted on patient safety and quality of care. Use approx. no more than 250 words. (Learning Outcome 3) (Session 4, 5, 8/9)
Conclusion (200 – 250 words)
Your conclusion is for both parts, Part 1 & 2. No references or new information should be added to the conclusion.
a. Summary: Put a short concluding statement of approximately 50 words then summarise the key learning points that have emerged from the (Part 1) commentary and (Part 2) your reflection.
b. Recommendations: Make 2 – 4 recommendations on what needs to be done in light of your findings and conclusions.
References.
Appropriate referencing is an important element of academic writing. Ensure that you have used the most up-to-date UWL referencing guide available from the library using the Harvard referencing style (see Cite Them Right guidance). Please be aware that the referencing guide is regularly updated.
Appendices.
Appendices serve both the writer and the reader of your commentary. In an appendix, you can include material that supports your work but that would be distracting or too long in the text of the commentary, for example in this assignment, the action plan with SMART goals and the self-developed checklist. Material in an appendix must be relevant to the commentary. Links and references between the appendix and the commentary need to be made in the main text (in other words, ensure that you appropriately signpost the reader to the appendix in the body of your commentary). There is no need to put images of cited information in the appendix as the reader can use your citation to look at these if necessary.
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