91121 - Innovative Models of Caring and Ethics in Nursing (RN)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the student should possess knowledge and skills to create a professional environment that promotes excellence, generates an effective communication climate, promotes decision-making, accountability, and autonomy of professionals.

Course contents

1. Organisational culture: theories, models and applications in healthcare organisations

• Definition, functions and levels according to Schein
  
•  Cultural models by Hofstede and Hall
  
•  Constituent elements and impact on care processes
•  Role in change and innovation processes in healthcare.

2. Innovative Models of Change Management, Organisational Communication, Leadership and Team Management

• Organisational communication, knowledge management and communication processes in healthcare organisations
  
• Change management models: organisational learning, models by Lewin, Kotter and Rogers, resistance to change and the EPOC taxonomy
  
• Leadership in the healthcare professions: trait, behavioural, contingency and relational theories; transactional and transformational leadership
  
• Management of working groups: types of groups, team development, group processes and key decision-making pitfals (conformity, groupthink, the Abilene paradox and polarisation).

3. Decision-making processes, clinical and organisational governance, and performance in healthcare systems

• Clinical and organisational decision-making processes: rational decision-making, bounded rationality and intuitive decision-making
• Clinical and care prioritisation, heuristics, cognitive biases and decision quality in healthcare systems.
  

4. Innovative organisational models and innovation in healthcare services

• The evolution of organisational models in healthcare organisations: organisational paradigms, departmental models, organisation by level of care, hospital-community integration, and models for the management of chronic conditions
• Organisational models of nursing care and the development of professional practice: Functional Nursing, Team Nursing, Primary Nursing, Patient-Focused Nursing, Nursing Case Management, Shared Governance and Advanced Practice Nursing
• Organisational innovation and the redesign of care processes according to the principles of Lean Healthcare: patient flow analysis, process improvement tools, Bed Management, Push and Pull models, capacity management and waste reduction
• Value-Based Healthcare: value-oriented organisational design, measurement of clinical and care outcomes, performance management, digital innovation, telemedicine and the transformation of healthcare services
• Compromised nursing care (Missed Nursing Care and Unfinished Nursing Care): organisational determinants, impact on the quality and safety of care, prevention models and strategies for continuous improvement.

 

Readings/Bibliography

• Baraldi S., Cicchetti A., Cifalinò A., & Mascia D. (2015). Innovazione organizzativa e ruoli emergenti in sanità. Le sfide per i professionisti della salute. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
• Salvemini S. (2017). Organizzazione Aziendale, Milano:Egea
• Vainieri M., Barchielli C., Bellè N. (2020). Modelli organizzativi e performance dell'assistenza infermieristica. Bologna: il Mulino.

Recommended Readings

• Orlandi C., Pennini A., Porcelli B., Casati G. (2025), Manuale di management per le professioni sanitarie. Milano: McGraw-Hill.
  
• Agnetis, A., Salvadori, I., & Theodule, M. (Eds.). (2025).Lean Healthcare Management: idee per una sanità più efficiente. L’esperienza e i progetti del Master LHCM dell’Università di Siena, 2014–2024 (Vol. 17). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-94310-2
  
• Cavaliere, B. (2026). La leadership nelle professioni sanitarie in Italia. Una guida ai concorsi e alla tua carriera. Torino: Edizioni Viveo

Teaching methods

Lectures, group work, case study solutions, classroom exercises.

Assessment methods

 

Assessment of learning takes the form of an individual written examination held in class, designed to ascertain whether the course’s learning objectives have been met and to evaluate the extent to which students have acquired the knowledge, analytical skills and practical abilities developed during the course.

The written examination consists of:

• open-ended questions, designed to assess knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical concepts covered during the course;
• critical analysis questions relating to organisational models, innovation processes, leadership and human resource management;
• an organisational case study, in which the student must analyse the context, identify the main organisational challenges, propose coherent solutions and justify their choices on the basis of the theoretical and organisational models and regulatory frameworks covered during the course.

Assessment is on a scale of 30 and takes the following criteria into account:

• the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the knowledge demonstrated;
  
• the ability to critically analyse organisational problems;
  
• the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to solving the proposed case study;
• the appropriateness of the organisational solutions proposed;
• the correct use of technical and scientific terminology.

The examination is considered passed with a mark of 18/30 or higher.

The examination will be conducted in accordance with the University Regulations and any applicable provisions.

 

Final mark scale
The assessment is marked out of 30 and takes into account the level of theoretical knowledge acquired, critical analysis skills, the application of organisational models to the case study, the appropriateness of the solutions proposed, and the use of technical and scientific terminology.
Mark 30 with Distinction – 30
- Excellent command of the theoretical knowledge relating to organisational models, innovation processes, leadership, human resource management and the regulatory frameworks covered in the course.
- Ability to analyse the organisational case critically and independently, identifying in depth the critical issues and the relationships between the various elements of the context.
- Rigorous and fully consistent application of theoretical models in formulating effective, realistic and adequately justified organisational solutions.
- Comprehensive, logical and well-structured argumentation, with precise and appropriate use of technical and scientific terminology.

Mark: 29–25
- Good command of the theoretical knowledge and the main organisational models covered.
- Ability to analyse the case critically and identify the main organisational issues.
- Correct application of theoretical knowledge in proposing coherent and adequately justified solutions.
- Appropriate technical language and clear, coherent reasoning.

Mark 24–20
- Accurate and, on the whole, adequate knowledge of the course content.
- Ability to understand the case study and analyse its main aspects, with a reasonable degree of independence.
- Basic but correct application of theoretical models in defining organisational solutions.
- Sufficiently clear reasoning and generally correct use of technical and scientific terminology.

Mark 19–18
- Essential and partially correct understanding of the main course content.
- Limited ability to analyse the case study and identify organisational issues.
- Application of theoretical models limited to fundamental aspects, with proposals only partially justified.
- Overall, a satisfactory piece of work with a basic use of technical and scientific terminology.

Teaching tools

PC and video projector, teaching materials, teaching resources on Virtual https://virtuale.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Luciana Ridolfi