Developing yourself for clinical leadership

This 25-hour course is aimed at doctors, nurses or allied health professionals working within the health service at various stages in their careers. It is a self-contained introduction to leadership behaviours and skills for clinicians, the second in a series of 13 continuing professional development (CPD) courses on various aspects of clinical leadership. Whereas the first course What is clinical leadership? (GB080) focuses on the range of areas where clinicians are now expected to demonstrate leadership, this course explores the kinds of personal characteristics and abilities relevant to carrying these out. It invites you to develop a personal leadership style that plays to your own preferences and strengths.

What you will study

The course introduces you to different aspects of clinical leadership, including taking part in service improvement work within your own team and working collaboratively with other teams to improve the wider 'patient journey'. It then offers a number of frameworks, including the Myers Briggs Type Inventory and the concept of Emotional Intelligence, for assessing how you currently tackle situations and relate to colleagues. Using online assessments, you will be encouraged to assess your personal style and your current strengths relevant to different aspects of clinical leadership, and then to think about how you might develop your personal abilities further in the light of how you want your clinical leadership roles to develop. The course emphasises the valid contribution of different personality types and approaches to leadership, rather than portraying a single best way to lead. It advocates the importance of self-knowledge as a basis for further development as a leader.

The course is based on four six-hour sessions of online study. The learning materials are in a variety of formats including articles, case studies, and audio interviews of clinicians within the NHS, describing how they are involved in various aspects of clinical leadership. Whilst studying the course you will be supported by a learning adviser. By the end of the course, you will have completed an analysis of your strengths and priorities for developing yourself as a clinical leader. You will submit this to your learning adviser for feedback, and so obtain a Certificate of Completion for your CPD record.

You will learn

On completing the course you will have clarified your own values, preferences and strengths in how you approach your clinical practice and take up various aspects of leadership. You will also have deepened your understanding of the different kinds of personal ability and intelligence that are relevant for clinical leadership, and understood ways you can build on your current strengths to increase your effectiveness in working with others and providing leadership.

Entry

Although there are no formal academic requirements to study any of our CPD courses, you are expected to have some experience in the field and the course assumes a familiarity with the subject. However, if you want to go on to complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Leadership (K04) it is required that you hold an honours degree or equivalent.

This course has been developed in conjunction with BMJ Learning. If you register for this course, they would like to contact you about further learning opportunities. If you do not want to receive information from BMJ, please mark the relevant opt-out box on your registration agreement.

You can register and begin this course at any time during the life of the course. You can study at your own pace and submit your work-based activity at any date before the final submission date for the course. Information about the final submission date is available when you register for the course.

GB081 counts towards the assessment module Leading health service delivery and improvement (B832) which forms part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Leadership (K04).  If you are working towards this postgraduate qualification you have two choices.  You can either complete some or all of the requisite CPD courses prior to registering for B832 or you can register for B832 and the CPD courses at the same time, following a recommended study pattern. Please be aware that the latter option will require you to commit to approximately 12 hours of study per week so you may wish to consider this when making your choice.

Outside the UK

This course has been written primarily for a UK context, but will have relevance to other contexts.

If you have a disability

The study materials are delivered online. Learners who use screen readers or who cannot use a mouse will not be able to access some materials or some activities without assistance. Written transcripts of the audio interviews are available on the website. If you are a new learner with the OU, make sure that you have our publication Meeting Your Needs .

Study materials

What's included

All learning materials, exercises, study support and work-based activity are delivered entirely online.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
• If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
• If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.6 or later.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Learner support

Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you direct within 24 hours. Other support is available via the course forum, library, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.

Work-based activity

The work-based activity for this course has been designed as an integrated ongoing activity that you submit at the end of your study. It will enable you to reflect on your learning and apply it to your professional work.

Your questions

Try our frequently asked questions.

Come and meet us at an event near you.

Or contact an adviser by Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90 +44(0) 845 366 60 35

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