This document provides an introduction to applying project management methodology in healthcare settings. It lists skills important for both nursing and project management such as analytical thinking, organization, communication, and time management. The document discusses how these overlapping skills indicate that project management principles can benefit healthcare. It prompts readers to consider how to communicate the value of project management to nurses and motivate them to use related methods. Finally, it provides several required readings on applying project management in healthcare contexts.

1. Discussion: Introduction to Project Management
Consider the following list of skills and their importance in
being an effective nurse:
Analytical thinking and decision making
Organization
Motivation
Flexibility
Written and verbal communication skills
Leadership
Facilitation
Time management
Collaboration and negotiation
Interpersonal skills
In actuality, this list came from a job description in project
management. In daily nursing routines, nurses often apply many
of the same skills that are common to project management.
In this Discussion, you are introduced to the value and use of
project management in health care settings.
To prepare:
Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources on
the applications of project management in health care.
Select an article from the Project Management Institute (PMI)
website or the Walden Library databases that demonstrates how
project management methodology can be applied in health care
settings.
Consider how you might communicate the value of project
management in health care settings to a group of nurses who are
unfamiliar with the discipline.

2. Consider strategies you might employ to motivate nurses to use
project management methodology.
By Day 3
Post
by tomorrow 8/30/16 550 words with a minimum of 3 references
from the list provided under Required Readings. Apply the level
1 headings as numbered below:
1) A brief summary of the article you selected (with reference).
2) Explain the beneficial application of project management
methodology highlighted by the article.
3) Describe how you would communicate the value of project
management to nurses who are unfamiliar with the discipline.
4) Generate at least two strategies for motivating nurses to
utilize project management methodology.
Required Readings
Coplan, S., & Masuda, D. (2011).
Project management for healthcare information technology
. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Chapter 1, “Introduction” (pp. 1–9)
This chapter reviews the current state of the United States’
health care system and health care information technology and
how project management, information technology, and change

3. management can help improve the system.
Chapter 2, “Integrating Project, Information Technology, and
Change Management” (pp. 11–31)
This chapter examines management methodologies and areas of
knowledge in the different types of management. The chapter
correlates each process group with a specific knowledge area.
Project Management Institute. (2013).
A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK
guide)
(5th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Author.
Chapter 1, “Introduction” (pp. 1–18)
This chapter provides definitions of projects and project
management terms and concepts. The authors explain the
relationship between project management and the other forms of
management.
Chapter 2, “Organizational Influences and Project Life Cycle”
(pp. 19–46)
This chapter explores the primary structure of a project. The
chapter describes the project life cycle and organizational
influences on project management.

4. Dimick, C. (2011). The project management plus: Project
management skills create opportunities for HIM professionals.
Journal of AHIMA, 82
(8), 28–31.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article provides insight into how project management
skills may be applied in many jobs. The author demonstrates
how health information management and project management
impact one another.
Gunasekaran, S. (2008). Project management: The importance
of project management in EMR implementations should never
be undervalued.
Healthcare Informatics, 25
(2), 86, 88.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article stresses the importance of various project
management methodologies in the implementation of an
electronic medical record system. The article provides basic
recommendations, such as defining success criteria, organizing
work on a weekly and monthly basis, making a project calendar
public, and standardizing status reports.
Hills, L. S. (2010). Forty project management strategies for the
medical practice staff.
The Journal of Medical Practice Management, 25

5. (5), 271–275.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases
This article provides 40 project management strategies that
may be used in managing large and small projects in medical
practices. The author also describes common errors that medical
practices commit in their attempts at project management.
Ho, J. (2010). Project management in health informatics.
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 151
, 413–424.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases
This article describes project management’s role in modern
management and health informatics. The author describes the
project lifecycle, the process of developing a plan, risk
management, and important communication processes.
Kropf, R., & Scalzi, G. (2008). Great project management = IT
success
. Physician Executive, 34
(3), 38–40.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases
In this article, the authors examine how project management
can save time and money during the implementation of
information technology projects. The authors stress the
importance of assembling a well-trained team to create systems

6. and monitor project progress.
Overgaard, P. M. (2010). Get the keys to successful project
management.
Nursing Management, 41
(6), 53–54.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases
This article explains how project management techniques can
be used in the nursing process. The author specifies the overlap
in the domains of nursing and project management.
Sa Couto, J. (2008). Project management can help to reduce
costs and improve quality in health care services.
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 14
(1), 48–52.
Retrieved from theWalden Library databases.
In this article, the author discusses how project management can
bring productivity gains to the health care field. The author
explores how adopting project management in health care could
impact the work of physicians.
Su, C.-H., & Yeh, N.-C. (2008). Exploring project management
as a practical solution to long-term care service.
Social Work in Health Care, 47
(3), 232–258.

7. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases
This article examines how project management methodology can
provide practical solutions for the field of long-term care
management. The authors also discuss how project management
methodology can be applied to Medicare practices.
Suhonen, M., & Paasivaara, L. (2011). Nurse managers’
challenges in project management. Journal of Nursing
Management, 19(8), 1028–1036.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases
In this article, the authors explore the role of nurse managers in
project management. The article highlights the three primary
challenges that nurse managers face in project management in
health care.
Microsoft Corporation. (2012a). Getting started: Introduction to
project management. Retrieved from
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project-help/getting-started-
introduction-to-project-management-
HA010359477.aspx?CTT=3
This web page provides an overview of basic project
management concepts. It also provides links to other pages that
demonstrate how to apply the aforementioned concepts in
Microsoft Project 2010.

8. Project Management Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5,
2013, from http://www.pmi.org/
This is the website of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
The website contains resources and information for PMI
certifications; professional development; community
involvement; business solutions; project management guides
and standards; and project management articles, tools, and
templates.