| Course | DNP 709 Individual and Innovation Leadership in Healthcare Practice |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 7 |
| Paper type | Discussion board post and replies |
| Length | About 444 words, 4 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 7
Square Pegs and Round Holes: What Apollo 13 Teaches About Leading in Complexity
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
Square Pegs and Round Holes: What Apollo 13 Teaches About Leading in Complexity
Initial Post
Apollo 13 (Howard, 1995) shows a crisis no plan anticipated. After an oxygen tank explodes, the crew and Mission Control face problems whose causes interact: power, cooling, carbon dioxide and trajectory all depend on each other, and solving one changes the others. It is a complex adaptive system: many agents act with some freedom, nobody can fully predict them, and every move by one shifts the situation for the rest (Plsek & Greenhalgh, 2001). The spacecraft and the people working to save it fit that description.
The film's most famous scene shows engineers dumping a box of parts on a table, the same items the astronauts have on board, and building a way to fit a square carbon dioxide filter into a round opening. No one ordered a particular design. The leader set a goal and a constraint, used only what is on the ship, and let the team find a solution. Complexity leadership theory calls this enabling leadership: creating conditions in which adaptive solutions can emerge, while administrative leadership keeps the structure working and the two are kept in tension (Uhl-Bien et al., 2007).
I saw the same pattern during a respiratory virus surge at my hospital. Our first response was administrative: new policies every day, which nurses could not keep up with. What worked was simpler. The chief nursing officer set three rules, protect staff, keep patients moving and tell us what you need, and units invented their own solutions, such as converting a procedure area into overflow beds. Plsek and Greenhalgh (2001) suggest that a few simple rules often guide complex systems better than detailed instructions, and that matched our experience.
For a culture of innovation, the lesson is that leaders should not try to control everything. They should set direction, provide resources and protect the people closest to the problem while they experiment.
Reply to a Classmate (Nurse Informaticist)
You argued that Gene Kranz's "failure is not an option" is a poor model because it discourages admitting failure. I agree that the line can be misused. In context, though, he was rejecting resignation, not honesty; his team reported bad news constantly. Maybe the healthcare version is "giving up is not an option, but reporting failure is required." How did your team handle bad news during the electronic record go-live?
Reply to a Classmate (Emergency Department Charge Nurse)
Your point that the emergency department is complex every day, not just in crises, made me rethink my post. If that is true, simple rules should be part of normal operations. What would your department's three rules be?
References
Howard, R. (Director). (1995). Apollo 13 [Film]. Imagine Entertainment; Universal Pictures.
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
Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(4), 298-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.04.002
What the DNP 709 Module 7 instructions ask for
The posted syllabus grades the Complexity discussion board at 50 points, individually, as a written scholarly dialogue within your learning community on innovation and complexity leadership. It falls in Week 11, Navigating complexity, and the film Apollo 13 is listed among the required course materials, with the evaluation table naming the assignment a film review. Faculty provide the discussion prompts in Canvas, so read them before watching. Expect to post an initial response that applies complexity concepts to the film and to practice, then reply to classmates. Watch the film with the prompts beside you and note scenes you can cite. Rent or stream the film early in the term, since waiting until Week 11 leaves little time to watch it carefully.
Inside the DNP 709 Module 7 example
The initial post opens with a definition of a complex adaptive system and shows how the film fits it. One scene, the improvised filter, carries the main argument, and complexity leadership theory names what the leaders in that scene did. The post then moves to a real hospital surge, which shows the writer can transfer the idea to practice, and ends with a lesson for innovation culture. Two replies build on classmates' points, add a new angle and ask a question, which keeps the dialogue going. Scenes are described briefly rather than retold. Citations support the theory rather than the plot. Both replies name the classmate by role and respond to a specific argument, which is the difference between dialogue and agreement.
DNP 709 Module 7 rubric: what earns full marks
Discussion boards are usually graded on depth and accuracy in applying course concepts, use of scholarly sources, connection to practice, substantive replies that extend classmates' ideas, timeliness and clear writing. Faculty look for posts that analyze the film through theory rather than summarize it. Specific scenes used as evidence make the analysis concrete. Applying the lesson to a real healthcare situation shows transfer. Replies that disagree respectfully or ask a real question earn more credit than "great post." Posting on time matters too, because a late first post leaves classmates nothing to answer. Posts that bring in a second source on complexity, beyond the film, usually show the depth faculty are looking for.
DNP 709 Module 7 help with common mistakes
The usual trap is a plot summary with a sentence of theory at the end. Choose one or two scenes and analyze them. Another is using complexity as a buzzword; define it from a source and show which features appear. Bring the lesson back to health care. Write replies that add something. If you would like help with the complexity discussion board, send the faculty prompts to the desk. Keep the post within the length requested and avoid quoting long film dialogue. Cite the film in APA format. Post early so classmates have time to respond to you. Take notes with timestamps while you watch, so you can describe scenes accurately without retelling them.
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 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free DNP 709 Module 7 sample paper?
The complexity discussion above is complete: an initial post reading Apollo 13 through complexity science and complexity leadership theory, applied to a hospital surge, with two replies.
What film is required in DNP 709?
The syllabus lists Apollo 13 (1995), directed by Ron Howard.
How many points is the DNP 709 complexity discussion board?
It is worth 50 points.
What is a complex adaptive system?
A system of people, or other agents, whose choices cannot be fully predicted and who keep changing conditions for one another.
How do I cite Apollo 13 in APA?
Howard, R. (Director). (1995). Apollo 13 [Film]. Imagine Entertainment; Universal Pictures.