Course Title: People in Health Care Organizations

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: People in Health Care Organizations

Credit Points: 12.00

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
PUBH1354	Bundoora Campus	Postgraduate	150H Health Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 2 2007, Sem 2 2008, Sem 1 2009

Course Coordinator: Ms Faye Partridge

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 99257554

Course Coordinator Email: faye.partridge@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Bundoora Campus: Bldg 201.7.07

Course Coordinator Availability: Nornally during business hours

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Registration with the Nurses Board of Victoria as a Division 1 Nurse

or

equivalent registration in the state or territory in which the applicant is employed.

NURS 1046 Management Principles and Practice is a pre-requisite for this course

Course Description

This course builds on the course Management Principles and Practice. The course is comprised of two modules.

Module 1 aims to introduce the student to the concepts central to an understanding of the behavior of individuals in organizations and the structure and functioning of groups in the workplace. Theories and structures involved in managing the people aspects of the change process will be examined. Consideration will be given to the characteristics of organizational behavior and change specific to health care professionals and their work.

Module 2 will focus on the gaining of knowledge and skills necessary to administer effectively the human resources of the nursing department/division or agency. Opportunity is provided for students to apply theory to their area of practice through discussion and role play. Particular emphasis is placed on the nurse manager’s role in managing the human resources, including staff development, interviewing skills, employment processes and curriculum vitae development.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

The dimensions of capability developed in the course include:
3. Advanced knowledge in specialised area;
4. Professional responsibility and accountability to make ethical decisions;
6. Operate as a team member to lead, manage and contribute to an enabling environment that promotes safety, health and human dignity.

At the end of the course you should be able to:
• Analyse specific organisational behaviour models in relation to health care professionals in the workplace;
• Recognise the effects that the organisational structure has on individual and group performance;
• Identify the human variables affecting individuals, groups, and organisational structures in the workplace;
• Identify and discuss contemporary change management strategies and their effect on the organisation, individuals and groups;
• Recognise the effect of a positive organisational culture on productivity and outcome measures;
• Review the theories of human resource management ;
• Discuss and evaluate the management of human resource allocation and its effect on the health care setting;
• Evaluate contemporary recruitment strategies and processes.

The underpinning knowledge and skill developed in the course includes:
• Identify specific organisational behavioural models and their application in the health care environment.
• Compare and contrast the effects of the differing organisational models in relation to individuals in the workplace
• Recognise the impact of individual behaviours in the work environment.
• Review the effect of change management strategies in the work environment.
• Compare and contrast staff development models;
• Understand the inter-relationship of an organisational structure that encourages a positive organisational culture. to achieve organisational effectiveness

Overview of Learning Activities

Semester 1 - Online Learning

Fully online learning

Semester 2 - Blended Learning
Face to face Seminars x 5
Online guided learning

Overview of Learning Resources

Fully online learning
Online guided learning
Prescribed and recommended texts and readings,
DLS and on line resources
Online discussion

Blended Learning
Face to face Seminars x 5
Classroom discussion
Directed learning exercises
Additional readings 

Overview of Assessment

Development of Curriculum Vitae

Case Study
Analysis of an organisation’s performance