Assessment of the Nursing Capstone: Demonstrating Proficiency in Essential Outcomes

Evaluation based on Artifacts Produced

This capstone will be assessed somewhat differently than other courses you have taken online at SNHU. There are two separate components that operate together to comprise the whole capstone experience and are not assessed separately. You will be evaluated on both artifacts as a one cohesive unit in determining whether you have demonstrated proficiency in each outcome. Your instructor will guide you through this process and will maintain a running narrative of your strengths and areas for development in relation to the outcomes as you progress through the class. Your work is expected to meet the highest professional standards.

This assessment will evaluate your mastery with respect to the following outcomes:

• Apply skills in using patient care technologies, information systems, and clinical decision support tools to promote safe nursing practice and quality patient outcomes

• Utilize evidence-based practice in planning, implementing, and evaluating outcomes of care

• Formulate strategies to promote health and prevent disease in individuals and populations across the life span

• Implement patient safety and quality initiatives within the complex clinical microsystem using leadership and communication skills

• Analyze trends in healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments and their implications for healthcare access, equity, and affordability

• Evaluate life-long learning and nursing engagement to promote personal and professional transformation

Explain the current situation of the targeted organization for your proposed change.

B. Develop arguments with evidence that support this need for change.

A. Identify a specific change theory that will assist you with planning stages of your change proposal

B. Identify activities needed prior to implementing your change, making theory-to-practice connections with each key element and impact of
change to the element

C. Discuss a plan for activities needed to leverage this element to promote change and identify the stakeholders that may be involved in these
activities. The activities you propose must cover multiple aspects of health practice surrounding the problem, including but not limited to:

Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify relevant clinical guidelines or institutional policies and procedures in designing quality improvement projects?

Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to exercise leadership by proposing improvementsto policy and procedures designed to ensure safety and promote quality?

Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to accurately identify direct and indirectstakeholdersin proposing safety and/or quality improvements?

Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to navigate complex stakeholder relationshipsin suggesting potential strategiesfor building buy-in?

Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to address stakeholder concernsin communicating the necessity and feasibility of proposed activities?

Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify institutionalstructuresthat help or hinder proposed change?

Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to analyze how relationships between patients, health, environment, and nursing interact in complex systemsto affect care?

1. Introduction: Open your statement with a few sentences about the importance of a philosophy of nursing practice. How does such a philosophy shape your identity and role as a nurse?

2. Assumptions: Discuss your assumptions about patients, health, environment, and nursing and the relationships among these variables. How does your nursing philosophy guide your interaction with patients, their families, and other healthcare professionals? How do professional integrity, equity, ethics, and the potential for bias factor into your assumptions?

3. Theoretical Foundation(s): Highlight the theoretical foundations that are important in your philosophy of nursing practice. You may have one or several. How do these foundations translate into your practice?