| Course | HCR 420 Professional Role Development Health Care Coordination |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Analytical paper |
| Length | About 491 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | BS in Health Care Coordination |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCR 420 Module 1
Leading and Managing in One Role: Why Care Coordinators Need Both
Student Name
BS in Health Care Coordination, Arizona State University
HCR 420: Professional Role Development: Health Care Coordination
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Leading and Managing in One Role: Why Care Coordinators Need Both
Two Different Jobs
Management is about order: planning, organizing, staffing, budgeting and controlling so that work gets done reliably. Leadership is about direction and people: setting a shared purpose, motivating others and guiding change. A common way to put it is that managers cope with complexity while leaders cope with change. In health care coordination, the difference is not about job titles. A coordinator with no direct reports still leads whenever she persuades a physician to call a patient, and still manages whenever she builds a schedule of follow-up visits.
One Week, Both Skills
Consider Ms. Chen, a coordinator organizing the discharge of an 80-year-old woman with dementia, diabetes and a daughter who lives out of state.
| Task | Management or leadership | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Arranging home health, equipment and the first clinic visit | Management | Organizing resources and timelines |
| Checking insurance authorization for a skilled nursing stay | Management | Following rules and processes |
| Convening the nurse, physician, social worker and daughter to agree on a goal | Leadership | Building a shared purpose across disciplines |
| Persuading the team to try a family video call at discharge | Leadership | Introducing change without authority |
| Tracking whether each task is done before discharge | Management | Control and follow-through |
| Calming a frustrated daughter and earning her trust | Leadership | Relationship and influence |
Why the Distinction Matters
Without management, good intentions fail: equipment does not arrive and appointments are missed. Without leadership, a well-organized plan may not be one the team or family believes in. Evidence from nursing shows the value of the people side. Pooling 129 studies of nursing staff, Cummings et al. (2018) reported that nurses led by people who attend to relationships were more satisfied and described healthier workplaces, whereas leaders who attended only to tasks were tied to worse results for the workforce. Among physicians, the leadership behaviors of immediate supervisors, such as recognizing good work and keeping people informed, were strongly associated with lower burnout (Shanafelt et al., 2015).
How They Work Together in Coordination
The best coordinators move between modes. They manage the details that make a plan reliable and lead the conversations that make it shared. Coordination programs that reduced hospital admissions had coordinators who acted as a communication hub for providers, a role that mixes organizing information with influencing people (Brown et al., 2012). Interprofessional collaboration depends on both: clear roles and timelines (management) and trust and a common goal (leadership). For patients, the result is care that is organized and person-centered.
Implications for My Professional Development
I am naturally organized and comfortable with management tasks. My growth area is leadership: speaking up with physicians, guiding a team through disagreement and introducing new ideas. I plan to practice by leading one team huddle a week in my internship and seeking feedback afterward.
Conclusion
Leadership and management are distinct but inseparable in care coordination. Coordinators who balance both improve how teams work and how patients experience care.
References
Brown, R. S., Peikes, D., Peterson, G., Schore, J., & Razafindrakoto, C. M. (2012). Six features of Medicare coordinated care demonstration programs that cut hospital admissions of high-risk patients. Health Affairs, 31(6), 1156-1166. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2012.0393
Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S. P. M., & 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
Shanafelt, T. D., Gorringe, G., Menaker, R., Storz, K. A., Reeves, D., Buskirk, S. J., Sloan, J. A., & Swensen, S. J. (2015). Impact of organizational leadership on physician burnout and satisfaction. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 90(4), 432-440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.01.012
Reading the HCR 420 Module 1 assignment instructions
Two papers share 40 points in HCR 420, and Leadership vs. Management comes first. According to the syllabus, it should help you understand how leadership and management differ and how they depend on each other in health care coordination, and it asks how the two sets of competencies feed professional role development, interprofessional collaboration and high-quality, patient-centered care, with theory tied to practice. Canvas carries the complete prompt and its rubric. The course applies APA 7th edition to all written work and deducts for citation and formatting slips. Because HCR 420 is a role development course, a closing paragraph that names your own strengths and growth areas suits the purpose of the paper. Pair the course readings with one or more research sources so the claims about leadership rest on evidence rather than opinion.
How the HCR 420 Module 1 example is put together
The sample first defines management and leadership in plain terms and explains why a coordinator without a supervisory title still does both. Its centerpiece is a table that sorts six tasks from one realistic week into management or leadership, with a reason for each. Evidence from a systematic review of nursing leadership and a study of physician supervisors shows why the people side matters. A section explains how the two work together in interprofessional teams, a short paragraph names the writer's own growth area and plan, and the conclusion restates the thesis. The structure moves from definition to application to evidence to self-assessment, which matches the assignment's stated goals.
Reading the HCR 420 Module 1 grading rubric
Half of HCR 420's 40 paper points sit on this assignment's Canvas rubric. Readers give credit for definitions that are precise, an explanation of how leadership and management differ yet depend on each other, application to real coordination situations, at least one source beyond the course materials, attention to interprofessional work and patient-centered care, an honest self-assessment and clean APA 7th edition. Points go when the paper casts management as the dull half and leadership as the admirable one, when the examples could come from any office, when it forgets that coordinators usually lead colleagues they do not supervise and when the self-assessment says only that the writer wants to grow. Specific tasks from a coordination week and a named next step for the writer's development are what lift a paper above the average in this course.
HCR 420 Module 1 help: mistakes that cost marks
Start by listing tasks from a real or realistic week of coordination work and sort each one; the distinction becomes clear quickly. Use one strong research source to show why leadership behaviors matter for teams and outcomes. Avoid ranking the two; the assignment is about how they fit together. Write the self-assessment honestly and end with a specific step you will take. Check APA formatting before submitting, since the course deducts for errors. If you would like help choosing examples from your own workplace without identifying anyone, the desk can talk it through with you. Keep the paper about coordination rather than general business leadership.
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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HCR 420 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HCR 420 Module 1 sample paper?
This page has a full HCR 420 Module 1 sample: a leadership versus management paper for health care coordination.
What is the difference between leadership and management?
Management organizes resources and processes so work gets done reliably; leadership sets direction, builds trust and guides people through change.
Do care coordinators need leadership skills without supervising anyone?
Yes. Coordinators lead through influence when they align a team and family around a goal or introduce a change.
How much are the HCR 420 papers worth?
The two papers are worth 40 points together, in a course worth 222.5 points.
Does leadership style affect health care workers?
Yes. Nurses whose leaders invest in relationships report more satisfaction and healthier workplaces than nurses led by task alone.