Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Capstone Project

All students enrolled in the University of Southern Indiana Doctor of Nursing Practice Program will complete an evidence-based capstone project. The capstone project is a culmination of the knowledge gained in the DNP courses. This project will demonstrate identification and resolution of a practice problem through the scholarship of application. The primary objective of these projects is the improvement of healthcare outcomes in the practice setting. These evidence based projects may include changes in the healthcare delivery system, organizational changes that impact healthcare at the local, regional and national level and legislation and health care policies that reduce healthcare disparities. Students will fully identify their project during the first semester capstone course (see plan below) and continue to develop it through subsequent capstone courses. The project must be completed before graduation.

The DNP capstone project plan will include:

• Overview of the project.
• Problem statement and background information
• The need and feasibility of the project including market/risk analysis
• Project objectives
• Evaluation plan with methodology and measures included
• Timeframe that is reasonable and comprehensive.
• Budget (if applicable) with funding sources identified.

Types of DNP projects

• System modification for quality improvement processes
• Analyze a state or national health care policy and propose a change in the model or implementation of policy
• Develop and implement information technologies to improve outcomes
• Compare care and teaching models, potential cost savings, and outcomes.
• Design and evaluate health care or health education programs.
• Lead interprofessional collaborative projects to implement regional, state, or national policy and evaluate care models.
• Lead consumer and professional coalition projects to develop, implement or evaluate programs

To meet graduation requirements, the capstone project will include:

• Poster presentation of the capstone project proposal at a professional conference as part of completion of the second capstone course
• Podium presentation of the completed project at a regional, state or national professional conference at the completion of the fourth capstone course.
• A submitted manuscript of the completed project to a peer reviewed professional journal at the completion of the fourth capstone course.
• An executive summary of the completed project submitted to the capstone project faculty and capstone project mentor at the completion of the fourth capstone project

Examples of DNP Projects

Faculty evaluation of student clinical proficiency

There is a gap in the nursing literature of empirical data on student evaluation in the clinical setting. A project was developed to describe the use of anecdotal notes in student evaluation by clinical nursing faculty. The initial component of the project was the development of a quantitative instrument to collect data from clinical nursing faculty members. Following instrument development, expert panel review, and initial content validity and reliability testing, the instrument was distributed to regional nursing programs. After analysis of descriptive data, a tool for faculty use was developed. A framework for clinical evaluation was also proposed based on regional clinical nursing faculty feedback. This framework will serve as the basis of future investigation of clinical evaluation.

Assessment of mental health needs in an incarcerated population

This project focused on a needs assessment that identified the need for expedient mental health assessments in an incarcerated population. A review of the literature was conducted and revealed that a large number of inmates suffered from mental illness that were either undiagnosed or untreated in jails and prisons. In addition, the needs assessment revealed that the correctional health system lacked trained mental health professionals to conduct mental health assessments in a timely manner which added to the burgeoning problem. This project resulted in an opportunity for nursing students to conduct mental health assessments and inmates being evaluated sooner for mental health problems. This project is an example of a practice problem that had a direct clinical impact on the mental health needs of an incarcerated population.

Telehealth services for patients with end stage renal disease

This evidence based project implemented telehealth nurse practitioner services for clients in rural areas with end stage renal disease. Clients with end stage renal disease were seen regularly by the nurse practitioner and the medical doctor however the use of telehealth services were a value added service for the clients. The purpose of telehealth services was to enable the nurse practitioner and the client to interact more often between office visits. The literature supports the link between increased client-provider interaction and better patient outcomes. This increased interaction allowed the nurse practitioner to address client concerns early which allayed the anxiety associated with the uncertainty of end stage diseases.

Magnet Status Project

In the movement toward Magnet status, a need was identified to establish a theoretical framework for patient care in a 500-bed hospital. Based on the organizational goal to foster a caring/spiritual patient care atmosphere, Swanson's Theory of Caring and Watson's Philosophy and Science of Caring was adopted. All staff were inserviced on the theoretical model over an eight week time frame. Patient satisfaction scores were then evaluated before and after the project. A significant difference in patient satisfaction scores was identified as a result of the project.