| Course | DNP 709 Individual and Innovation Leadership in Healthcare Practice |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 10 |
| Paper type | Innovation leadership synthesis paper |
| Length | About 651 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | Doctor of Nursing Practice |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for DNP 709 Module 10
From Approachable to Accountable: A Synthesis of My Growth as an Innovation Leader
Student Name
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University
DNP 709: Individual and Innovation Leadership in Healthcare Practice
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
From Approachable to Accountable: A Synthesis of My Growth as an Innovation Leader
Where I Started
In Module 1 I said I wanted a unit where a nurse's idea gets tested within a month of being raised. My self-assessment explained why that would be hard for me: I build trust easily but avoid conflict and move slowly when change feels risky.
What Happened to My Three Commitments
The two adopted ideas, a supply cart relocated near the farthest rooms and a pre-discharge medication teaching card, came from nurses in their first or second year, which suggests the huddle reached people who had not spoken before.
| Commitment | Result by Week 16 |
|---|---|
| Answer each staff idea inside 14 days | Achieved for 17 of 21 ideas; four waited longer during a staffing crisis |
| Friday idea huddle with smallest test | Held 11 of 14 weeks; six ideas tested, two adopted |
| Ask before I tell in one-on-ones | Partly; I still default to advice under time pressure |
Shift 1: From Planning to Testing
The Experimenter was my weakest face (Kelley & Littman, 2016). The complexity module changed my view: in a complex adaptive system, the effects of a change cannot be fully predicted, so small tests teach more than detailed plans (Plsek & Greenhalgh, 2001). Our team's hospital-at-home case was built around a ten-patient pilot for that reason. On my unit, I now ask "what is the smallest test?" before "what is the plan?"
Shift 2: From Avoiding to Addressing
The conflict plan was the hardest assignment. I held the conversation with the night charge nurse in Week 11. It was uncomfortable, and she was angry for a week. Assignments are now checked against acuity, and the newer nurse who had asked to transfer decided to stay. Ethical leadership includes correcting conduct, not only modeling it (Brown et al., 2005), and I now see avoidance as a choice with costs.
What Did Not Change
I still slip into telling rather than asking when I am busy, and I still find it hard to let a test fail in front of senior staff. These are my goals for the next year.
Evidence From Others
I repeated the three-word exercise from my self-assessment at the end of the term. The two staff nurses again chose "fair" and "available," but one replaced "calm" with "decisive." My director replaced "slow" with "testing." One term is too short to call that a lasting change, and both nurses work with me daily and may be kind. Still, the shift in the director's word matches the huddle data: six ideas tested in fourteen weeks, where the previous quarter tested none.
Connecting to the DNP Role
The doctoral Essentials expect nurses at this level to lead change across systems, use evidence and measurement, and develop as leaders over a career (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). This course gave me practice in each, on a small scale. The idea huddle is a system change on one unit, the run chart in my portfolio plan is measurement, and the conflict plan is personal development with a record of results. The next step is to carry the same habits into a project with more departments and higher stakes, where my tendency to wait for safety will cost more.
Portfolio Plan for My First Year as a DNP Leader
1. Evidence of innovation: document three small tests of change on my unit with run charts.
2. Evidence of team leadership: lead an interprofessional pilot, ideally the hospital-at-home pilot if approved.
3. Evidence of growth: repeat the emotional intelligence inventory in twelve months and compare results.
4. Evidence of influence: present the idea huddle at the hospital's nursing practice council.
Conclusion
This course gave me a vocabulary for what I already valued and exposed what I avoided. My leadership now has to be measured not by how approachable I am, but by how many good ideas reach patients.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf
Brown, M. E., Treviño, L. K., & Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.03.002
Kelley, T., & Littman, J. (2016). The ten faces of innovation: Strategies for heightening creativity. Profile Books.
Plsek, P. E., & Greenhalgh, T. (2001). The challenge of complexity in health care. BMJ, 323(7313), 625-628. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7313.625
DNP 709 Module 10 instructions, in plain terms
The posted syllabus grades the Innovation Leader Synthesis at 100 points as an individual paper due in Week 16, the lesson on modeling innovation and leadership in the final module, Innovation and Performance. Its title and the course outcome on composing a personal portfolio for innovation and leadership suggest a reflective synthesis across the whole term. Expect to draw on your earlier assignments, evaluate your growth with evidence, connect it to course concepts and look ahead to your role as a DNP-prepared leader. Canvas holds the full prompt and rubric. Keep your earlier assignments and any data you gathered, because the synthesis depends on them. The synthesis is the last assignment, so give yourself time to reread earlier papers and pull the evidence you need.
How this DNP 709 Module 10 example is built
The paper begins where the writer started, quoting her own vision and self-assessment, so growth can be measured against a baseline. A table reports what happened to each commitment with numbers. Two sections describe the main shifts in thinking, each tied to a course concept, a source and a concrete change in practice. A short section admits what did not change, which gives the synthesis credibility. The portfolio plan lists evidence she will collect in her first year, and the conclusion restates her growth in one sentence. Every earlier assignment is referenced at least once. Reporting results for each commitment in a table lets faculty check claims of growth against the writer's own earlier promises.
Where the marks sit in the DNP 709 Module 10 rubric
Synthesis papers are usually graded on integration of course content across modules, evidence of personal growth, critical reflection including limitations, connection to the DNP leadership role, a forward-looking plan and scholarly writing. Strong papers use the student's own assignments as evidence and measure change rather than asserting it. Linking each shift to a course concept and source shows that learning is grounded. Honest reflection on what did not change earns credit. A specific portfolio plan with evidence to collect shows readiness for practice. A clear thesis about growth gives the paper shape. Papers that quote the student's own earlier words, then show what changed, demonstrate reflection more convincingly than general statements.
DNP 709 Module 10 help: mistakes that cost marks
Many synthesis drafts simply walk through the modules in order. Write about how you changed, using your assignments as evidence. Another is claiming growth with no measure; count something. Include what did not change. Tie each insight to a course concept and source. If you would like help writing your innovation leader synthesis, send your earlier assignments and the prompt to the desk. End with concrete next steps you can be held to. Check that your portfolio plan names evidence you can actually collect at work. Reread your first reflection before you start. Pick two shifts that you can support with evidence rather than five you can only describe.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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DNP 709 Module 10 questions, answered
Where can I find a free DNP 709 Module 10 sample paper?
The innovation leader synthesis above is complete: commitments measured, two shifts tied to course concepts, what did not change, and a portfolio plan for a DNP-prepared leader.
How many points is the DNP 709 Innovation Leader Synthesis?
It is a 100-point individual paper in Week 16.
What should a DNP leadership synthesis paper include?
Your starting point, evidence of growth from course assignments, links to course concepts, honest limitations and a plan for future practice.
What is a leadership portfolio for DNP students?
A collection of evidence, such as projects, data and presentations, that shows your innovation and leadership growth.
When is the DNP 709 synthesis paper due?
The syllabus places it in Week 16, the final week of the course.