NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 1 Discussion
DQ1 Identify
two GCU Library scholarly databases that will help you find the best research
articles to support your EBP proposal. Discuss why these two databases are
better than Google Scholar or a general Internet search.
DQ2 The
Institute of Medicine has stated a goal that 90% of practice be evidence-based
by 2020. According to HealthyPeople.gov, the United States is currently at
approximately 15%. Discuss two barriers that might hold nursing practice from
achieving this goal, and suggest ways in which identified barriers may be
addressed.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 2 Discussion
DQ1 During
your practicum, determine what clinical problem or issue the organization is
facing. Discuss two implications for nursing.
DQ2 What is
the main issue for your organization in addressing a solution to evidence-based
nursing practice? Discuss what might be the first step in addressing and
resolving this issue.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 3 Discussion
DQ1 Submit
a summary of six of your articles on the discussion board. Discuss one strength
and one weakness to each of these six articles on why the article may or may
not provide sufficient evidence for your practice change.
DQ2 Name
two different methods for evaluating evidence. Compare and contrast these two
methods.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 4 Discussion
DQ1 Why is
understanding the health care system at the local level important to consider
when planning an EBP implementation? Conduct research and solicit anecdotal
evidence from your course mentor that you will take into consideration for your
own change project.
DQ2 Compare
and contrast two change theories, and determine which theory makes the most
sense for implementing your specific EBP project. Why? Has your mentor used
either theory, and to what result?
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 5 Discussion
DQ1 Stakeholder
support is necessary for a successful change proposal project implementation.
Consider your internal stakeholders, such as the facility, unit or health care
setting where the change process is situated, and your external stakeholders,
like an individual or group outside the health care setting. Why is their
support necessary to the success of your project, and how you will go about
securing that support?
DQ2 Technology
is integral to successful implementation in many projects, through either support
or integration or both. Name at least one technology that could improve the
implementation process and the outcomes of your EBP project. Do you plan to use
this technology? If not, what are the barriers that prevent its use?
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 6 Discussion
DQ1 After
discussion with your mentor, name one financial aspect, one quality aspect, and
one clinical aspect that need to be taken into account for developing the
evidence-based practice project. Explain how your proposal will directly and
indirectly impact each of the aspects.
DQ2 Now
that you have completed a series of assignments that have led you into the
active project planning and development stage for your project, briefly
describe your proposed solution to address the problem, issue, suggestion,
initiative, or educational need and how it has changed since you first
envisioned it. What led to your current perspective and direction?
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 7 Discussion
DQ1 Describe
one internal and one external method for the dissemination of your EBP project
results. For example, an internal method may be the hospital board, and an
external method may be a professional nursing organization. Discuss why it is
important to report your results to both of these groups. How will your
communication strategies change for each group?
DQ2 In
order to evaluate an evidence-based practice project, it is important to be
able to determine the effectiveness of your change. Discuss one way you will be
able to evaluate whether your project made a difference in practice.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 8 Discussion
DQ1 Based
on how you will evaluate your EBP project, which independent and dependent
variables do you need to collect? Why?
DQ2 Not all
EBP projects result in statistically significant results. Define clinical
significance, and explain the difference between clinical and statistical
significance. How can you use clinical significance to support positive
outcomes in your project?
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 9 Discussion
DQ1 Discuss
one personal strength and one weakness you have regarding professional
presentations. Name one method for improvement for each of these, and discuss
why it is important for you to work on these skills if you want to present your
findings in a more formal setting.
DQ2 Sustaining
change can be difficult, as there are many variables that can affect
implementation. One critical component of EBP is to ensure that practice change
is part of an organization's culture so it will continue to impact outcomes
over time. Name two potential barriers that may prevent your EBP change
proposal from continuing to obtain the same desired results 6 months to a year
from now, and your strategies for overcoming these barriers.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 10 Discussion
DQ1 Dissemination
of EBP and research, such as presenting results at a conference or writing an
article for a journal, is an important part of professional practice. Identify
one professional journal and one nursing or health care conference where you
might present your project. Discuss why each of your choices is the best option
for you to disseminate your new knowledge.
DQ2 Discuss
why EBP is an essential component of the practice of a BSN-prepared RN.
Identify two ways in which you will continue to integrate evidence into your
practice and encourage it within your work environment. What obstacles could
challenge this plan, and what steps will you take to minimize their impact?
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 1 Assignment
Individual
Success Plan (ISP)
Planning is
the key to successful completion of this course and your overall program of
study. The Individual Success Plan (ISP) assignment requires early
collaboration with the course faculty and your course mentor. You will need to
establish a plan for successful completion of (1) deliverables associated with
weekly course objectives, (2), required practice immersion hours, and (3)
deliverables associated with your capstone project.
Access the
"Individual Success Plan" resource in the Topic Materials. Read the
information in the resource, including student expectations and instructions for
completing the ISP document.
Use the
"Individual Success Plan" to develop a personal plan for completing
your practice hours and how topic objectives will be met. Include the number of
hours you plan to set aside to meet your goals.
A
combination of 100 supervised clinical hours in community health and leadership
areas will be obtained through the application of the objectives listed in the
Guidelines for Undergraduate Field Experiences manual.
Practicum
immersion experiences are required in a community health setting.
Community-based settings should encourage community integration and
involvement; expand accessibility of services and supports; promote personal
preference, strengths, dignity; and empower people to participate in the
economic mainstream.
According
to HealthyPeople.gov, educational and community-based programs and strategies
are designed to reach people outside of traditional health care settings. These
settings may include schools, worksites, health care facilities, and
communities. Community health and leadership practice immersion can occur in
the same site and in conjunction with the evidence-based project in the NRS-490
course.
If you are
a registered nurse in Washington, your practicum experience must include a
minimum of 50 hours in a community health setting.
Students
should apply concepts from prior courses to critically examine and improve
their current practice. Students should also integrate scholarly readings to
develop case reports that demonstrate increasingly complex and proficient
practice.
Consider
the challenges you expect to encounter as you continue the practice hour and
competency requirements throughout this course. How might you overcome these
challenges?
You can
renegotiate these deliverables with your faculty and mentor throughout this
course and update your ISP accordingly.
Once your
ISP has been developed and accepted by your course faculty, you will have your
course mentor sign it at the beginning of, and upon completion of, each
assignment that incorporates practice immersion hours. You will track all
course practice immersion hours in the ISP.
APA format
is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
You are not
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 1 Assignment
Professional
Capstone and Practicum Documentation
The
Professional Capstone and Practicum course requires students to select a course
mentor. This mentor is not a preceptor, but an individual who will guide
students as they work to complete the practice immersion hour requirements for
this course. Students are not required to "shadow" their mentor.
The course
mentor should be someone who can provide professional development knowledge and
guidance and who possesses a genuine interest in working with students to
further their academic goals.
Selection,
approval, and retention of a course mentor must be completed as soon as
possible at the start of this course, as this individual will be working with
the student on each assignment that incorporates practice immersion hours.
Working with a course mentor is mandatory.
Once a
course mentor has agreed to serve in the role, you must complete and submit the
following required documentation so that practice experiences can begin in a
timely manner:
Field
Experience Site Information Form
Qualified
Mentor/Preceptor Summary Form
Mentor's
license, certification, and resume/curriculum vitae
The student
is responsible for obtaining all signatures for the paperwork submission.
Course faculty will approve all sites and mentors according to student learning
needs and specific course objectives.
Do not
initiate new work on practice-immersion-hour-based course assignments until
your course instructor has approved your course mentor.
Once a
course mentor is approved, students should contact the mentor within 1 week of
receiving the approval notification. Students are encouraged to make an
appointment to meet with their mentor in person and arrange to review the
NRS-490 course objectives and the Individual Success Plan (ISP).
For more
specific information on the course mentor process and roles and
responsibilities, refer to Section Three of the Guidelines for Undergraduate
Field Experiences resource.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 2 Assignment
Capstone
Project Topic Selection and Approval
In collaboration
with your approved course mentor, you will identify a specific evidence-based
practice proposal topic for the capstone project. Consider the clinical
environment in which you are currently working or have recently worked. The
capstone project topic can be a clinical practice problem, an organizational
issue, a quality improvement suggestion, a leadership initiative, or an
educational need appropriate to your area of interest as well as your practice
immersion (practicum) setting. Examples of the integration of community health,
leadership, and an EBP can be found on the "Educational and
Community-Based Programs" page of the Healthy People 2020 website.
Write a
500-750 word description of your proposed capstone project topic. Make sure to
include the following:
The
problem, issue, suggestion, initiative, or educational need that will be the
focus of the project
The setting
or context in which the problem, issue, suggestion, initiative, or educational
need can be observed.
A
description providing a high level of detail regarding the problem, issue,
suggestion, initiative, or educational need.
Impact of
the problem, issue, suggestion, initiative, or educational need on the work
environment, the quality of care provided by staff, and patient outcomes.
Significance
of the problem, issue, suggestion, initiative, or educational need and its
implications to nursing.
A proposed
solution to the identified project topic
You are
required to retrieve and assess a minimum of 8 peer-reviewed articles. Plan
your time accordingly to complete this assignment.
Prepare
this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide,
located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
You are
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the
directions in the Student Success Center.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 3 Assignment
PICOT
Statement Paper
Review the
Topic Materials and the work completed in NRS-433V to formulate a PICOT statement
for your capstone project.
A PICOT
starts with a designated patient population in a particular clinical area and
identifies clinical problems or issues that arise from clinical care. The
intervention should be an independent, specified nursing change intervention.
The intervention cannot require a provider prescription. Include a comparison
to a patient population not currently receiving the intervention, and specify
the timeframe needed to implement the change process.
Formulate a
PICOT statement using the PICOT format provided in the assigned readings. The
PICOT statement will provide a framework for your capstone project.
In a paper
of 500-750 words, clearly identify the clinical problem and how it can result
in a positive patient outcome.
Make sure
to address the following on the PICOT statement:
Evidence-Based
Solution
Nursing
Intervention
Patient
Care
Health Care
Agency
Nursing
Practice
Prepare
this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide,
located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This
assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the
assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions
in the Student Success Center.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 4 Assignment
Literature
Evaluation Table
In nursing
practice, accurate identification and application of research is essential to
achieving successful outcomes. Being able to articulate the information and
successfully summarize relevant peer-reviewed articles in a scholarly fashion
helps to support the student's ability and confidence to further develop and
synthesize the progressively more complex assignments that constitute the
components of the course change proposal capstone project.
For this
assignment, the student will provide a synopsis of eight peer-reviewed articles
from nursing journals using an evaluation table that determines the level and
strength of evidence for each of the eight articles. The articles should be
current within the last 5 years and closely relate to the PICOT statement
developed earlier in this course. The articles may include quantitative
research, descriptive analyses, longitudinal studies, or meta-analysis
articles. A systematic review may be used to provide background information for
the purpose or problem identified in the proposed capstone project. Use the
"Literature Evaluation Table" resource to complete this assignment.
While APA
style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing
is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA
documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in
the Student Success Center.
This
assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the
assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are not
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 6 Assignment
Literature
Review
While the
implementation plan prepares students to apply their research to the problem or
issue they have identified for their capstone change proposal project, the
literature review enables students to map out and move into the active planning
and development stages of the project.
A
literature review analyzes how current research supports the PICOT, as well as
identifies what is known and what is not known in the evidence. Students will
use the information from the earlier PICOT Statement Paper and Literature
Evaluation Table assignments to develop a 750-1,000 word review that includes
the following sections:
Title page
Introduction
section
A
comparison of research questions
A
comparison of sample populations
A
comparison of the limitations of the study
A
conclusion section, incorporating recommendations for further research
Prepare
this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide,
located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This
assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the
assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions
in the Student Success Center.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 9 Assignment
Benchmark -
Capstone Project Change Proposal
In this
assignment, students will pull together the change proposal project components
they have been working on throughout the course to create a proposal inclusive
of sections for each content focus area in the course. At the conclusion of
this project, the student will be able to apply evidence-based research steps
and processes required as the foundation to address a clinically oriented problem
or issue in future practice.
Students
will develop a 1,250-1,500 word paper that includes the following information
as it applies to the problem, issue, suggestion, initiative, or educational
need profiled in the capstone change proposal:
Background
Problem
statement
Purpose of
the change proposal
PICOT
Literature
search strategy employed
Evaluation
of the literature
Applicable
change or nursing theory utilized
Proposed
implementation plan with outcome measures
Identification
of potential barriers to plan implementation, and a discussion of how these
could be overcome
Appendix
section, if tables, graphs, surveys, educational materials, etc. are created
Review the
feedback from your instructor on the Topic 3 assignment, PICOT Statement Paper,
and Topic 6 assignment, Literature Review. Use the feedback to make appropriate
revisions to the portfolio components before submitting.
Prepare
this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide,
located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This
assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the
assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the
directions in the Student Success Center.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 10 Assignment
Benchmark -
Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal
Students
are required to maintain weekly reflective narratives throughout the course to
combine into one course-long reflective journal that integrates leadership and
inquiry into current practice as it applies to the Professional Capstone and
Practicum course.
In your
journal, you will reflect on the personal knowledge and skills gained
throughout this course. The journal should address a variable combination of
the following, depending on your specific practice immersion clinical
experiences:
New
practice approaches
Intraprofessional
collaboration
Health care
delivery and clinical systems
Ethical
considerations in health care
Population
health concerns
The role of
technology in improving health care outcomes
Health
policy
Leadership
and economic models
Health
disparities
Students
will outline what they have discovered about their professional practice,
personal strengths and weaknesses that surfaced, additional resources and
abilities that could be introduced to a given situation to influence optimal
outcomes, and finally, how the student met the competencies aligned to this
course.
While APA
style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing
is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA
documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in
the Student Success Center.
This
assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the
assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the
directions in the Student Success Center.
NRS490 Professional Capstone and Practicum
Week 10 Assignment
Scholarly
Activities
Throughout
the RN-to-BSN program, students are required to participate in scholarly
activities outside of clinical practice or professional practice. Examples of
scholarly activities include attending conferences, seminars, journal club,
grand rounds, morbidity and mortality meetings, interdisciplinary committees,
quality improvement committees, and any other opportunities available at your
site, within your community, or nationally.
You are
required to post one scholarly activity while you are in the BSN program, which
should be documented by the end of this course. In addition to this submission,
you are required to be involved and contribute to interdisciplinary initiatives
on a regular basis.
Submit, as
the assignment, a summary report of the scholarly activity, including who,
what, where, when and any relevant take-home points. Include the appropriate
program competencies associated with the scholarly activity as well as future
professional goals related to this activity. You may use the "Scholarly
Activity Summary" resource to help guide this assignment.
While APA
format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing
is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA
documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in
the Student Success Center.
You are not
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
