NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 1 Discussion
Aggregate Assessment
Discussion Question:
In community and public health nursing, the target of care is the community, thus the community is the client receiving the care. The role of the nurse is to evaluate health concerns and develop an aggregate plan of care to address those concerns. Aggregates or target populations in the community may include child care centers, cities, counties, senior centers, homeless shelters, minority communities, faith-based organizations, work sites, schools, or other populations. Identify and discuss a few targeted populations in your community that are of interest to you, and explain your reasons for the selections identified.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 2 Discussion
Bi-weekly Practicum Journaling
Every two weeks, you will submit a reflective journal to the discussion forum for review by course faculty and your classmates. All are expected to engage and support one another by sharing these experiences in a supportive, constructive, and professional environment. Journaling is an active learning technique that is meant to enhance reflective practice (Blake, 2005). Reflective practice involves looking back over what has happened in the practice setting in an effort to improve performance or to encourage professional growth (Ruth-Sahd, 2003).
Your Weekly Practicum Journal is:
A personal, introspective subjective account that focuses on Healthy People 2020 and course objectives. You can include events that occurred, but be sure to describe your thoughts and feelings about those events. How did your perceptions change? What did you learn that was unexpected? Describe your thinking about your thoughts and feelings regarding the new learning you experienced.
Connected to South University’s College of Nursing Conceptual Framework Pillars (Caring, Communication, Critical Thinking, Professionalism, and Holism).
Connected to prior coursework and experiences through reflective analysis.
Written in a scholarly, academic style using APA style format. Two or three sentences are not sufficient nor are daily logs/reports of activities.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 3 Discussion
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered.
For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.
To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Select one of the following questions to discuss. Justify your response based on the readings and articles from the South University Online Library.
Health Problems: Which area, rural or urban, has the most health problems? Why? Identify four common health problems found in that area.
OR
Intervention Wheel
Using the Intervention Wheel in Chapter 9 of the course textbook, choose two of the interventions that you feel are most important and discuss how they can be used with an aggregate.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 4 Discussion
Bi-weekly Practicum Journaling
Every two weeks, you will submit a reflective journal to the discussion forum for review by course faculty and your classmates. All are expected to engage and support one another by sharing these experiences in a supportive, constructive, professional environment. Journaling is an active learning technique that is meant to enhance reflective practice (Blake, 2005). Reflective practice involves looking back over what has happened in the practice setting in an effort to improve performance or to encourage professional growth (Ruth-Sahd, 2003).
Your Weekly Practicum Journal is:
A personal, introspective subjective account that focuses on Healthy People 2020 and course objectives. You can include events that occurred, but be sure to describe your thoughts and feelings about those events. How did your perceptions change? What did you learn that was unexpected? Describe your thinking about your thoughts and feelings regarding the new learning you experienced.
Connected to South University’s College of Nursing Conceptual Framework Pillars (Caring, Communication, Critical Thinking, Professionalism, and Holism)
Connected to prior coursework and experiences through reflective analysis.
Written in a scholarly, academic style using APA style format. Two or three sentences are not sufficient nor are daily logs/reports of activities.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 5 Discussion
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered.
For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.
To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Select one of the following questions to discuss. Justify your response based on the readings and articles from the South University Online Library.
Epidemiological Issues
What epidemiological issues did you find in your community? What differentiates these as epidemiological issues vs. individual issues? For example, hypertension in the African American population is an epidemiological issue, but in the Caucasian population, it is an individual issue.
Chronic Diseases
Discuss the top two chronic diseases seen in adults in your area.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 6 Discussion
Bi-weekly Practicum Journaling
Every two weeks, you will submit a reflective journal to the discussion forum for review by course faculty and your classmates. All are expected to engage and support one another by sharing these experiences in a supportive, constructive, and professional environment. Journaling is an active learning technique that is meant to enhance reflective practice (Blake, 2005). Reflective practice involves looking back over what has happened in the practice setting in an effort to improve performance or to encourage professional growth (Ruth-Sahd, 2003).
Your Weekly Practicum Journal is:
A personal, introspective subjective account that focuses on Healthy People 2020 and course objectives. You can include events that occurred, but be sure to describe your thoughts and feelings about those events. How did your perceptions change? What did you learn that was unexpected? Describe your thinking about your thoughts and feelings regarding the new learning you experienced.
Connected to South University's College of Nursing Conceptual Framework Pillars (Caring, Communication, Critical Thinking, Professionalism, and Holism)
Connected to prior coursework and experiences through reflective analysis.
Written in a scholarly, academic style using APA style format. Two or three sentences are not sufficient nor are daily logs/reports of activities.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 7 Discussion
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered. Select one of the topics to discuss.
For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.
To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Select one of the following questions to discuss. Justify your response based on the readings and articles from the South University Online Library.
Health Promotion:
Using one of the health issues identified for your community, discuss health promotion areas at two of the three levels primary, secondary, or tertiary promotion. Justify your response from the readings or articles from the South University Online Library.
Poverty and the Community:
What is the poverty level in your community? How many people live below the poverty level in your community? What does this mean for your community (what issues arise from the poverty level and the number of people below the poverty level)? Justify your response based on the readings or articles from the South University Online Library.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 8 Discussion
Bi-weekly Practicum Journaling
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered. Select one of the topics to discuss.
For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.
To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Every two weeks, you will submit a reflective journal to the discussion forum for review by course faculty and your classmates. All are expected to engage and support one another by sharing these experiences in a supportive, constructive, professional environment. Journaling is an active learning technique that is meant to enhance reflective practice (Blake, 2005). Reflective practice involves looking back over what has happened in the practice setting in an effort to improve performance or to encourage professional growth (Ruth-Sahd, 2003).
Your Weekly Practicum Journal is:
A personal, introspective subjective account that focuses on Healthy People 2020 and course objectives. You can include events that occurred, but be sure to describe your thoughts and feelings about those events. How did your perceptions change? What did you learn that was unexpected? Describe your thinking about your thoughts and feelings regarding the new learning you experienced.
Connected to South University's College of Nursing Conceptual Framework Pillars (Caring, Communication, Critical Thinking, Professionalism, and Holism)
Connected to prior coursework and experiences through reflective analysis.
Written in a scholarly, academic style using APA style format. Two or three sentences are not sufficient nor are daily logs/reports of activities.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 9 Discussion
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered.
For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.
To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Select one of the following questions to discuss. Justify your response based on the readings and articles from the South University Online Library.
Causes of Death
Using the CDC website, conduct a search to compare the causes of death among two ethnicities of the same age or two ages of the same ethnicity.
Responsibilities of a Nurse
Discuss the following with regard to the role and responsibilities of a nurse in a community:
How are the roles of the BSN and the advanced practice nurse in community health different?
How are nurse practitioners utilized in your community?
Do they increase access to health care or work for physicians?
What are the requirements for nurse practitioners in your state?
What privileges do they have that general nurses do not have?
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 10 Discussion
Bi-weekly Practicum Journaling
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered. Select one of the topics to discuss.
For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.
To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Every two weeks, you will submit a reflective journal to the discussion forum for review by course faculty and your classmates. All are expected to engage and support one another by sharing these experiences in a supportive, constructive, professional environment. Journaling is an active learning technique that is meant to enhance reflective practice (Blake, 2005). Reflective practice involves looking back over what has happened in the practice setting in an effort to improve performance or to encourage professional growth (Ruth-Sahd, 2003).
Your Weekly Practicum Journal is:
A personal, introspective subjective account that focuses on Healthy People 2020 and course objectives. You can include events that occurred, but be sure to describe your thoughts and feelings about those events. How did your perceptions change? What did you learn that was unexpected? Describe your thinking about your thoughts and feelings regarding the new learning you experienced.
Connected to South University's College of Nursing Conceptual Framework Pillars (Caring, Communication, Critical Thinking, Professionalism, and Holism)
Connected to prior coursework and experiences through reflective analysis.
Written in a scholarly, academic style using APA style format. Two or three sentences are not sufficient nor are daily logs/reports of activities.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 1 Project
Aggregate Community Windshield Survey
The windshield survey assignment is due in Week 2. It is introduced in Week 1 to provide you with sufficient time to collect the required data. The assignment should be no more than 3 pages in length.
Windshield Surveys
With the use of public transportation or by driving a vehicle around the community, you can assess the common characteristics of the community of your selected aggregate. Key observations to make during a windshield survey include the following:
Age and condition of the homes in the community
Location and condition of parks and other recreational areas
Amount of space between homes and businesses
Neighborhood hangouts
Transportation in the community
Quality of streets and sidewalks
Types/numbers of stores and other businesses
People out in the community
Race/ethnicity
Cleanliness of the community
Billboards or other media displays
Places of worship
Availability of services—doctor, dentist, social centers, recreation centers, hospitals
By the due date assigned, submit your proposal to your instructor for approval.
In addition to the data collected in the windshield survey, include the following information about your aggregate:
Name of the aggregate
Geographical location and size
Population
A brief history
Explain, giving at least two reasons, why you selected this particular aggregate for your Capstone project.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 2 Project
Describing the Aggregate
By the due date assigned, submit a document describing your approved aggregate in detail.
Based on the focus of your practicum and the aggregate you will be working with, complete the windshield survey you began last week. Include information about the name of the aggregate, its geographical location and size, its population, and a brief history. Include information about the basic vital statistics of the aggregate such as the crude birth rate, infant mortality rate, life expectancy, the leading causes of death, and any other relevant statistical information related to the health of the aggregate from the windshield survey.
Explain, giving at least two reasons, why you selected this particular aggregate for your Capstone project.
Your response should be in the form of a 2- to 3-page Microsoft Word document. Use relevant charts and graphs to support the information you collected. Identify the sources of your information and describe how you went about collecting the information.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 4 Project
There are two parts to this assignment. Select a few members from the aggregate you have identified at your practicum site. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the aggregate and the community where the aggregate resides. Support your responses with examples.
Risk Assessment:
Complete a risk assessment using the information from chapter 18 "Community as Client: Assessment and Analysis” as a guide. Describe how the environment, home, and risk assessments were conducted, using your course textbook as a reference. Support your responses with examples.
Describe the results of the assessments, drawing conclusions about the strengths/weaknesses and risks to the aggregate as you see them.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 5 Project
Developing a Care Plan
Last week, you conducted a risk assessment to identify the health risks faced by the aggregate you selected. This week, begin working on a comprehensive care plan for the aggregate and submit it to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.
The care plan should propose a nursing diagnosis for the aggregate and include strategies to tackle the major health risks identified during the risk assessment.
In addition, it should include a disaster management plan with the following components:
List of disasters that might affect your aggregate (take into consideration the geographical location of the aggregate, past history, etc.)
Strategies for handling at least two disasters from the list
Recommendation for a disaster supplies kit
Note: The grading rubric for this assignment is available in Week 6 as you start this assignment in Week 5 but submit the completed assignment in Week 6.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 6 Project
Developing a Care Plan—Continued
Last week, you began working on a comprehensive care plan for the aggregate. The care plan is due this week.
Propose a nursing diagnosis and suggest interventions that address the major health risks identified from the risk assessment. In your care plan, include a list of disasters that may affect the aggregate and a disaster management plan.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 8 Project
Implementation of the Care Plan
You have developed a comprehensive care plan for the aggregate. Over the next two weeks, you will implement the plan for your aggregate.
The first step to effective implementation is planning. As you go about this task, answer the following questions:
What group have you selected (for example, three families with young children, a group of five AIDS patients, and so on)? What made you select this particular group?
What intervention(s) of the plan will you implement in the group?
What health risk do you expect to tackle by implementing this intervention?
What results do you expect?
How do you plan to implement this intervention? Do you have any specific strategy in mind? What resources will you need?
How long do you think it will take for the results to be seen?
What resources do you need?
Prepare a 2- to 3-page Microsoft Word document with your responses to the questions above and submit it to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.
Submit your proposed implementation to the Submissions Area simultaneously and discuss it with your classmates and your instructors—you may receive valuable feedback from them that will help in making your implementation more effective.
Mobilize the resources you need, talk to the small group, recruit volunteers, etc.
When your resources are in place, put your plan into action.
NSG4076 Capstone Synthesis
Week 10 Project
Evaluation of Plan Effectiveness Criteria
You spent the last few weeks implementing a portion of the comprehensive care plan you developed for the aggregate. An evaluation of plan effectiveness is now due.
In the evaluation component of the Capstone project, you are expected to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.
The following are some questions you should seek answers to:
Did I implement the intervention as planned? If not, what were the reasons?
Are there visible signs of success (for example, reduced health issues)? If yes, describe.
Interview at least two members of your group to learn their views about the effectiveness of the intervention.
Finally, compare the projected effectiveness of your plan before implementation with the actual effectiveness after implementation. You may want to use the responses to the above questions 1 and 2 to measure the actual effectiveness of the intervention.
The evaluation component of the final paper should describe your evaluation of the implementation. Include responses to points 1, 2, and 3 above. Also, include transcripts of the interviews with the participants from the group. The evaluation component of the final Microsoft Word submission document should be a minimum of 2 pages.
Over the past nine weeks, you selected an aggregate and conducted a risk assessment of its health, developed a care plan to address those health risks, planned an implement one intervention in a small group from the aggregate, and considered the effectiveness of the intervention on the health of the small group. It's time now for you to present your final submission of this Capstone project.
Your final submission comprises the documentation of the work accomplished through your Capstone project, a Microsoft Word Document that contains the evaluation and summary, a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation highlighting the main aspects of the project including the key things learned during the 10 weeks of working with this project, and the activities log. The activities log should be submitted to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.
The complete documentation of the work accomplished over the course of the project should contain a minimum of 6–7 pages in a Microsoft Word document and should include the following information:
A detailed description of the aggregate
A description of the aggregate's strengths and weaknesses
A risk assessment of the aggregate
Diagnoses based on the risk assessment
A detailed care plan for the aggregate
A description of how at least one intervention was implemented in the aggregate to address an identified issue
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention
The Microsoft PowerPoint presentation should be concise and should include the highlights of the Capstone project and the key things learned over the course of this project, from developing, implementing, and evaluating the care plan. Your presentation should not exceed 15 slides.
Submit your final Microsoft Word document containing the self-evaluation and complete summary to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned. Use bold sub-headings in the paper to differentiate between the evaluation and the summary information.
