Preparing students for health care delivery of the future: a service education partnership

In conclusion, redesigning the senior leadership management theory course in our undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program to incorporate new concepts of managed care, case management, critical paths, and multidisciplinary collaborations was successful. Providing students with a "real world" project developing critical paths provided an opportunity for them to make a contribution to an organization while learning verbal and written collaborative skills that may prove crucial to their future in nursing. Critical path development projects will be pursued until those specific needs of the organization have been met. Other opportunities will become obvious for class projects as new challenges are presented for organizations to address in this ever-changing health care delivery system.