This document provides a scoring guide for assessing proficiency in policy, organizational behavior, and leadership skills relevant for nurse leaders. It outlines criteria for competencies such as comparing compliance rates between organizations, identifying financial implications of compliance, explaining the importance of compliance, describing changes to improve a specific measure, outlining an implementation plan, and identifying and overcoming barriers to change. Nurse leaders are evaluated on their ability to investigate these areas, communicate recommendations clearly and professionally, and demonstrate conceptual understanding of issues across organizational levels that impact patient-centered care.

1. Policy and Organizational Behavior Scoring Guide
CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT
DISTINGUISHED
Compare the
compliance rates of
a specific measure
for different
organizations.
Does not compare the
compliance rates of a
specific measure for
different organizations.
Describes the
compliance rates of
a specific measure
for different
organizations but
does not do a
comparison.
Compares the
compliance rates of
a specific measure
for different
organizations.
Compares and contrasts
the compliance rates of

2. a specific measure for
different organizations.
Identify the financial
implications
associated with
compliance.
Does not identify the
financial implications
associated with
compliance.
Describes financial
challenges but does
not associate them
with compliance.
Identifies the
financial implications
associated with
compliance.
Identifies the financial
implications associated
with compliance and
describes how the
financial implications
affect the entire
organization.
Explain the
importance of
compliance in terms
of policy, regulation,
and finance.

3. Does not explain the
importance of
compliance in terms of
policy, regulation, and
finance.
Explains the
importance of
compliance in terms
of policy, regulation,
or finance but not all
three.
Explains the
importance of
compliance in terms
of policy, regulation,
and finance.
Explains the importance
of compliance in terms
of policy, regulation, and
finance, including the
consequences of
ignoring compliance.
Describe changes
that would improve
compliance of a
specific measure.
Does not describe
changes that would
improve compliance of
a specific measure.

4. Describes changes,
but it is not clear how
the changes would
improve compliance
of a specific
measure.
Describes changes
that would improve
compliance of a
specific measure.
Describes changes that
would improve
compliance of a specific
measure and explains
how the changes would
contribute to overall
quality improvement.
Identify the people
affected by changes
to a specific
compliance
measure.
Does not identify the
people affected by
changes to a specific
compliance measure.
Identifies the people
affected by changes
but does not show a
connection between

5. the changes and a
specific compliance
measure.
Identifies the people
affected by changes
to a specific
compliance
measure.
Identifies the people
affected by changes to a
specific compliance
measure and outlines
how the changes will
affect each role.
Outline a plan to
implement changes
to a specific
compliance
measure.
Does not outline a
plan to implement
changes to a specific
compliance measure.
Describes a plan to
implement changes
to a specific
compliance measure
but does not provide
an outline.
Outlines a plan to

6. implement changes
to a specific
compliance
measure.
Outlines a plan to
implement changes to a
specific compliance
measure that includes
considerations such as
timelines, training, cost,
or other elements.
Identify
organizational
barriers to change.
Does not identify
organizational barriers
to change.
Identifies barriers to
change but does not
make it clear that the
barriers are
organizational in
nature.
Identifies
organizational
barriers to change.
Identifies organizational
barriers to change and
examines possible
causes for the barriers.

7. Explain strategies to
overcome
organizational
barriers to change.
Does not explain
strategies to overcome
organizational barriers
to change.
Lists strategies to
overcome
organizational
barriers to change.
Explains strategies
to overcome
organizational
barriers to change.
Analyzes strategies to
overcome organizational
barriers to change to
determine which
CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT
DISTINGUISHED
strategies will be most
effective for a specific
organization.
Write coherently to

8. support a central
idea in appropriate
APA format, with
correct grammar,
usage, and
mechanics as
expected of a
nursing
professional.
Writing does not
support a central idea
in appropriate APA
format. Does not use
correct grammar,
usage, and mechanics
as expected of a
nursing professional.
Writing supports an
idea. APA format is
inconsistent,
containing major
errors of grammar,
usage, and
mechanics.
Writing coherently
supports a central
idea in appropriate
APA format and with
few errors of
grammar, usage,
and mechanics.
Writing is coherent,

9. using evidence to
support a central idea in
a consistently
appropriate APA format
with correct grammar,
usage, and mechanics
as expected of a nursing
professional.
Overview
Investigate your organization's compliance rate with one
specific core measure of your choice and write a 2-3-page
(maximum) executive summary analyzing the financial and
regulatory impact of organizational compliance with your
chosen measure. Include recommendations for improving
performance on the measure.
In order to promote safe, caring, patient-centered environments,
nurse leaders must both conceptually understand and be
proficient at performing a wide variety of leadership skills.
Effective nursing leaders develop and maintain awareness of
issues that emerge at many levels within and outside of their
organizations. In addition to developing self-assessing
competencies necessary for their roles, nurse leaders must also
acquire organizational and systems leadership skill sets.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will
demonstrate your proficiency in the following course
competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 4: Policy, Finance, and Regulations - Understand
the scope and role of policy, finance, and regulatory
environments in relationship to individual and population
outcomes.
Compare the compliance rates of a specific measure for
different organizations.
Identify the financial implications associated with compliance.

10. Explain the importance of compliance in terms of policy,
regulation, and finance.
Competency 5: Communication - Communicate effectively with
all members of the health care team, including
interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaboration for quality
outcomes.
Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate APA
format, with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected
of a nursing professional.
Competency 6: Organizational and Systems Management -
Apply knowledge of organizational behavior, nursing theory,
and systems (micro- and macro-) as appropriate for the scope
and role of one's own practice.
Identify the people affected by changes to a specific compliance
measure.
Outline a plan to implement changes to a specific compliance
measure.
Identify organizational barriers to change.
Explain strategies to overcome organizational barriers to
change.
Competency 9: Professional Role - Incorporate the qualities,
skills, behaviors, and knowledge required to function as a
patient advocate, practice high-quality care, assess and evaluate
patient outcomes, and provide leadership in improving care.
Describe changes that would improve compliance of a specific
measure.
Context
In this program, you have examined the role, concepts, and
principles of health care policy and how legal and regulatory
agencies interact with professional nursing practice. You have
also looked closely at the factors that impact disparities in
health care access. This understanding of health care policy, as
well as the multicultural, socioeconomic, political, legal, and
regulatory elements that affect individuals, communities, and
vulnerable populations, positions nurses to bring about change

11. through effective communication with colleagues, consumers,
and officials. Added to this is your demonstrated knowledge of
financial management and cost containment, as well as how they
affect quality of care.
Toggle Drawer
Questions to Consider
To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider
the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a
work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the
business community.
What is the relationship between financial reimbursement and
quality of care?
How can nurses and health care organizations influence health
policy?
What is the process in your organization to initiate, implement,
and support improvement changes?
Suggested Resources
To help you prepare for this assessment, review the resources
you used and the assessments you completed in BSN-FP4006,
BSN-FP4008, and BSN-FP4012.
Assessment Instructions
For this assessment, write an executive summary analyzing the
financial and regulatory impact of organizational compliance
with a specific core measure of your choice. The summary must
include recommendations for improving performance on the
measure.
You must be able to explain the financial implications
associated with the measure, as well as its importance in terms
of policy, regulation, and finance. This is another good
opportunity to consult with a key stakeholder within the
organization. Talking to someone who works closely with the
organization's finances can help you develop a deeper
understanding of the financial aspects of compliance. You also
need to suggest ways your organization can improve compliance
and how you would implement changes and overcome obstacles.
This may seem like an enormous undertaking, but you should

12. approach it as if you were to present this information to your
supervisor or manager. Keeping in mind that people in these
positions do not have time to read a 10-12-page report, you
would typically give them only an executive summary of your
analyses and recommendations. That means that you will need
to be very clear and very concise with the information you
choose to include in the executive summary. Say as much as
possible with as few words as possible.
Directions
Select a core measure and investigate your organization's
compliance rate with the measure. In your executive summary,
address the following:
Compare the compliance rates of your organization with those
of other organizations.
Identify the financial implications associated with the measure.
Explain why the measure is important in terms of policy,
regulation, and finance.
Describe changes that could be made that would improve
compliance with the measure.
Identify the people who would be affected by the changes.
Outline a plan to implement the changes within the
organization.
Identify obstacles you would expect to encounter.
Explain your strategies for overcoming obstacles.
Additional Requirements
Format: Include a title page and references page. As this is an
executive summary, do not use APA style and formatting. To
determine the appropriate format, it may be helpful for you to
review the documents used in your organization. How do they
look? What kind of language is used in memos? These can help
guide your development of this executive summary. Certainly,
feel free to use bullet points as appropriate.
Length: Write a 2-3-page (maximum) summary of your
information, not including the title page and references page.

13. References: You must still reference scholarly resources to
support your work. Use at least three current scholarly or
professional resources.
Font: Use 12-point, Times New Roman font.