| Course | DNP 716 Leadership of Innovation in Health Care |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Creative presentation (news brief) based on a peer interview |
| Length | About 438 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 716 Module 1
Local Nurse Builds a Door That Stays Open: A News Brief on a Peer's Leadership Journey
Student Name
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University
DNP 716: Leadership of Innovation in Health Care
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Local Nurse Builds a Door That Stays Open: A News Brief on a Peer's Leadership Journey
The News Brief
MESA, Ariz. When Dana, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, started her career as a staff nurse on an inpatient psychiatric unit, she noticed the same patients returning every few weeks. "They weren't failing treatment," she says. "They were falling through the gap between the emergency room and the next appointment."
Scene one: the night shift. As a new nurse, Dana spent breaks calling outpatient clinics to find appointments for patients being discharged. No one asked her to. Her charge nurse began sending other nurses to learn how she did it.
Scene two: the charge nurse years. Promoted to charge nurse, she started a weekly fifteen-minute meeting where staff could raise one problem and leave with one owner. "I stopped trying to be the person with the answers," she says. "My job was to make sure the people closest to the patient were heard."
Scene three: the crisis unit. After finishing her nurse practitioner degree, Dana joined a planning group for a 24-hour crisis stabilization unit. She insisted on including peer support specialists, people with lived experience of mental illness, in the design meetings. The unit now operates with peers on every shift.
Asked what leadership means to her, Dana answers without hesitation: "Clearing the path so other people can do their best work."
The Framework That Fits
Northouse (2022) describes servant leadership as an approach in which leaders put followers first, attend to their growth and use their influence for the benefit of the community. Dana's story fits on three counts: she noticed patients' needs before her own role required it, she shifted from answering problems to giving others ownership, and she widened who had a voice in designing care. Transformational leadership also fits in part, since she communicated a compelling purpose, but her own words emphasize serving and removing barriers rather than inspiring from the front. Relational styles of this kind are associated with better outcomes for nurses and work environments (Cummings et al., 2018).
A Complexity Lens
Her crisis unit also shows enabling leadership, creating conditions in which new solutions can emerge from interaction rather than being dictated (Uhl-Bien et al., 2007). Bringing peer specialists into design added different perspectives to the system.
Interview Questions Used
1. Tell me about a moment early in your career that changed how you saw your role.
2. When did you first realize people were following you?
3. What do you do now that you would not have done ten years ago?
4. What does leadership mean to you, in one sentence?
References
Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S. P., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2018). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 85, 19-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.04.016
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage.
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
Reading the DNP 716 Module 1 assignment instructions
The Leadership Foundation is a 60-point creative presentation scheduled for Weeks 2 to 4, the module on leadership theory. You interview an assigned peer and portray their leadership trajectory, along with the leadership theory or framework that best represents them. The syllabus invites any creative method, including storyboards, news briefs, poetry and blogs. Expect faculty to look for an accurate, respectful portrayal grounded in the interview and a reasoned link to theory. Schedule the interview early, ask permission to quote, and confirm the presentation format and time limit in Canvas. Your peer will interview you too. Give your peer a copy of the finished piece before you present, both as a courtesy and to catch any errors in their story.
Inside the DNP 716 Module 1 example
The presentation uses one creative form, a news brief, and follows its conventions: dateline, lead, scenes and quotes. Three scenes trace the trajectory from staff nurse to system builder, each showing a change in how the peer led. A section names the best-fitting theory from the course text, explains the fit point by point and considers a second theory before setting it aside. A complexity lens connects the portrayal to the next module. The interview questions are listed so faculty can see how the portrayal was built. The peer is a composite and given a first name only. The theory section quotes the peer's own words as evidence, which makes the fit between person and framework easy for faculty to check.
DNP 716 Module 1 rubric: what earns full marks
Leadership foundation presentations are typically graded on depth of the interview, a clear leadership trajectory, creativity and fit of the chosen format, accurate application of leadership theory, a reasoned choice among theories, and respectful, professional portrayal of the peer. Faculty look for theory applied to specific moments rather than attached as a label. Comparing two theories before choosing one shows critical thinking. Quotes from the interview bring the portrayal to life. A format that suits the story, rather than one chosen for novelty, earns credit. Accuracy matters, so check details with your peer before presenting. Faculty also notice whether the creative format suits the person; a news brief fits a public achievement, while a poem might suit a quieter journey.
DNP 716 Module 1 help from the desk
Portrayals often summarize a résumé. Ask about turning points, then build the creative piece around two or three of them. Another weakness is naming a theory without showing where it appears in the peer's actions. Choose a format you can execute well. Get permission before sharing personal details. If you would like help turning your peer interview into a creative leadership portrayal, send your interview notes and the prompt to the desk. Record the interview, with permission, so you can quote accurately, and send your peer a draft before you present it. Keep a copy of your interview notes, since faculty may ask how you chose the scenes.
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 716 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free DNP 716 Module 1 sample paper?
The leadership foundation news brief above is complete: a peer's trajectory in three scenes, servant leadership applied to her actions, a complexity lens and the interview questions.
How many points is the DNP 716 Leadership Foundation?
The Leadership Foundation creative presentation is worth 60 points.
What creative formats can I use for the DNP 716 Leadership Foundation?
The syllabus allows any creative method, including storyboards, news briefs, poetry and blogs.
Whose leadership do I portray in DNP 716?
An assigned peer, whom you interview about their leadership trajectory.
What is servant leadership?
An approach in which leaders put followers first, support their growth and use influence for the benefit of the community.