Critically appraise relevant policies and clinical governance in clinical practice.

ASSIGNMENT 1 FRONT SHEET

ONL721 Professional Practice and Strategy implementation in the context of Health Care Management

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Certification:  I certify that the whole of this work is the result of my individual effort and that all quotations from books, periodicals etc. have been acknowledged.
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Programme: WGU Online MBA		Level: Post Graduate
Academic Year:  20/21		Semester:  NA
Module title: Professional Practice and Strategy implementation in the context of Health Care Management		Assignment no.  1
Module code:  ONL721	Word guide: 750
Percentage Weighting of this assignment for the module: 25%
Issue date:	Return date:
Lecturer:	Second marker:

Notes for students: Electronic copy of assignment must be submitted through Turnitin. Students should ensure that they comply with Wrexham University’s plagiarism policy. Students should make correct use of the Harvard referencing method.

 

Learning Outcomes Tested in Assignments 1, 2 and 3: Critically appraise relevant policies and clinical governance in clinical practice. Justify approaches to strategy implementation considering resource implications. Critically evaluate methods of determining quality in health and social care.

 

Overall Comment:
	Mark (%)

Would students please note that achievement of the learning outcomes for this assessment is demonstrated against the assessment criteria shown below (which are not necessarily weighted equally).  All marks/grades remain indicative until they have been considered and confirmed by the Assessment Board

Assessment Criteria		Marks Awarded	Marks Available
1	Identify and discuss a key policy/ strategy for your area of practice, and complete a short rationale that critically analyses and evaluates the reasons for your choice of policy / strategy.  750 word essay	100%

Assignment 1 Guidelines

This assignment is to be written in essay format.

Drawing on the drivers for your chosen strategy or policy which may be internal or external, you are required to provide a rationale on your decision (why you identified/chose that particular key policy/strategy), and explain your rationale in the context of patient safety/quality improvement.

You must underpin your rationale with clinical governance. 

This assignment must be supported by relevant academic theory.

While this assignment is weighted at 25%, your marks will be out of 100%

Please make sure that you correctly cite and reference all secondary sources you use, and include a reference list. All referenced work should be obtained from credible sources such as academic journals and textbooks.

All written work must be in line with Harvard referencing.

Reference lists and any appendices/additional documents will not be included in your final word count.

Masters level Marking Criteria

No work has been submitted in the time allowed, or the work submitted demonstrates little or no understanding of the task or the subject matter.  This may be evident where the work is substantially incoherent, irrelevant or lacking in factual content, or where these shortcomings are present in combination such that the work as a whole is unsound.  Major errors of fact, or evidence of substantially poor cognitive or other relevant skills will also lead to a fail.	Fail: Marks below 30%
The work shows some knowledge and required skills are present to a degree.  There may be appreciable error or omission of facts, poor structure, misdirection to the task, or poor conceptualisation or illustration of the work.  Evidence of analysis and evaluation is weak.  There will be indications in the work that the candidate is capable of improving it by further application to the task	Fail: Marks in the range 30% – 39%
The work contains sufficient descriptive information.  There is some analysis and explanation with appropriate illustration and example, and some attempt to evaluate.  The work will generally be coherent and relevant, it will contain some useful proposals or solutions related to familiar solutions and there will be some attempt at originality.  It will be communicated clearly.	Pass: Marks in the range of 40% – 49%
The work contains all the necessary contextual information.  There will be adequate analysis, explanation and conceptualisation, with appropriate illustration and example, and sound attempts to evaluate and judge.  The work will be substantially coherent and will contain relevant and feasible proposals or solutions related to familiar situations, some responses to uncertainty or ambiguity and some acknowledgements of the implications of change.	Pass: Marks in the range of 50% – 59%
The work will contain complete explanations using most available information.  There will be substantial analysis; the ability to recognise evidence, use ideas, conceptualise, evaluate and judge in familiar situations will be clearly demonstrated.  Proposals or solutions will be contextually relevant and useful, with substantial evidence of the skill necessary to operationalize them in a variety of situations, including those in which uncertainty, ambiguity or change are present.  The work will provide evidence of originality and of useful knowledge transfer to novel situations.  It will be coherent and convincing.	Pass: Marks in the range of 60% - 69%
The work will clearly demonstrate the ability to analyse accurately, reliably and fully, all relevant information; to use evidence; to conceptualise, evaluate and judge; to propose and operationalise effective solutions, and to show substantial originality and creativity in a variety of familiar situations or in the face of ambiguity, uncertainty or change.  It will demonstrate valuable knowledge transfer and propose feasible solutions for a wide range of situations.  Evidence of the ability to innovate will be present.	Pass: Marks in the range of 70% and above

Sample Answer

Identify and discuss a key policy/ strategy for your area of practice, and complete a short rationale that critically analyses and evaluates the reasons for your choice of policy / strategy

In contemporary healthcare settings, the integration of policies that prioritize patient safety and quality improvement is pivotal. This essay critically evaluates the [chosen policy/strategy] within the context of [specific area of practice], offering a rationale for its selection and underpinning the discussion with clinical governance principles.

Rationale for Policy/Strategy Selection

The selected policy, [name of the policy], is integral to addressing challenges in [specific area of practice, e.g., infection control, patient discharge, medication safety]. Its adoption is driven by both external factors, such as national healthcare standards or legal requirements, and internal considerations like institutional performance metrics or feedback from patient satisfaction surveys. For instance, the policy aligns with the National Health Service (NHS) Quality Strategy, emphasizing safety, effectiveness, and patient-centered care (NHS, 2024).

The rationale behind prioritizing this policy is its direct correlation to enhancing patient safety and quality improvement. Evidence suggests that the implementation of [policy name] has led to measurable improvements in [specific metrics, e.g., reduced hospital-acquired infections or improved patient outcomes]. Furthermore, its alignment with clinical governance frameworks ensures a systematic approach to accountability, risk management, and continuous improvement.

Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

Patient safety remains a cornerstone of healthcare delivery. The [policy name] addresses [specific patient safety concern], thereby mitigating risks and fostering a culture of safety. Quality improvement initiatives embedded within the policy, such as [specific initiatives, e.g., mandatory training, real-time monitoring systems], ensure that clinical standards are consistently met.

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