What is the JMU Nursing Capstone?
The JMU Nursing Capstone is a culminating experience for nursing students, designed to prepare them for the challenges of professional practice. The Capstone is a semester-long course that integrates all aspects of nursing education, including clinical practice, research, and theory.
Why are the learning objectives important?
The JMU Nursing Capstone learning objectives are important because they provide students with a clear understanding of what they are expected to know and be able to do by the end of the course. The learning objectives are aligned with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Next Generation Licensure Examination (NCLEX-NG) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) Scope and Standards of Practice.
How to use this outline
This outline can be used as a guide for studying for the JMU Nursing Capstone or for writing a paper on the topic. The outline covers the four main learning objectives of the Capstone:
- Apply the nursing process to provide comprehensive care to patients and clients across the lifespan.
- Integrate evidence-based practice into nursing care.
- Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide coordinated care to patients and clients.
- Demonstrate leadership and professional accountability in nursing practice.
Each learning objective is broken down into subheadings, which provide more specific information about what students are expected to know and be able to do.
Learning Objective 1: Apply the nursing process to provide comprehensive care to patients and clients across the lifespan.
The nursing process is a systematic approach to providing nursing care. It consists of the following steps:
- Assessment: Gathering data about the patient or client’s health status.
- Diagnosis: Identifying the patient or client’s nursing problems.
- Planning: Developing a plan of care to address the patient or client’s nursing problems.
- Implementation: Putting the plan of care into action.
- Evaluation: Assessing the effectiveness of the plan of care and making necessary adjustments.
Subheading 1: Assess the health status of patients and clients across the lifespan.
In order to provide comprehensive care, nurses must be able to assess the health status of patients and clients across the lifespan. This includes assessing physical, psychological, social, and cultural factors.
Subheading 2: Formulate nursing diagnoses based on assessment findings.
Once a nurse has assessed the patient or client’s health status, they can begin to formulate nursing diagnoses. Nursing diagnoses are statements of the patient or client’s nursing problems.
Subheading 3: Develop and implement a plan of care that meets the individual needs of patients and clients across the lifespan.
The plan of care is a document that outlines the goals, nursing interventions, and evaluation criteria for the patient or client. The plan of care should be individualized to meet the specific needs of the patient or client.
Subheading 4: Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan of care and make necessary adjustments.
It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan of care on an ongoing basis. This allows the nurse to make necessary adjustments to ensure that the patient or client is receiving the best possible care.
Learning Objective 2: Integrate evidence-based practice into nursing care.
Evidence-based practice is the process of using the best available research evidence to make decisions about patient care. Nurses should be able to identify, appraise, and apply research evidence to their practice.
Subheading 1: Identify and appraise relevant research evidence.
Nurses can identify relevant research evidence by searching databases, reading journals, and attending conferences. Once they have identified relevant research evidence, they need to appraise it to determine its quality and relevance to their practice.
Subheading 2: Apply research evidence to nursing practice.
Once a nurse has appraised research evidence, they can begin to apply it to their practice. This may involve changing their practice patterns or implementing new interventions.
Subheading 3: Evaluate the outcomes of evidence-based practice interventions.
It is important to evaluate the outcomes of evidence-based practice interventions to determine their effectiveness. This allows nurses to identify which interventions are most effective for their patients and clients.
Learning Objective 3: Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide coordinated care to patients and clients.
Nurses work in teams with other healthcare professionals, such as doctors, social workers, and pharmacists. It is important for nurses to be able to collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide coordinated care to their patients and clients.
Subheading 1: Identify and communicate with other healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients and clients.
Nurses need to be able to identify and communicate with other healthcare professionals who are involved in the care of their patients and clients. This includes doctors, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and physical therapists.
Subheading 2: Participate in interprofessional teams to develop and implement care plans.
Nurses should participate in interprofessional teams to develop and implement care plans for their patients and clients. Interprofessional teams are groups of healthcare professionals from different disciplines who work together to provide coordinated care.
Subheading 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of interprofessional collaboration.
It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of interprofessional collaboration. This allows nurses to identify areas where collaboration can be improved.
Learning Objective 4: Demonstrate leadership and professional accountability in nursing practice.
Nurses play an important role in leading and managing the care of their patients and clients. Nurses should also be accountable for their practice and for the care of their patients and clients.
Subheading 1: Advocate for the rights and well-being of patients and clients.
Nurses have a responsibility to advocate for the rights and well-being of their patients and clients. This includes advocating for their patients’ and clients’ right to informed consent, their right to confidentiality, and their right to quality care.
Subheading 2: Promote quality and patient safety.
Nurses play an important role in promoting quality and patient safety. Nurses should be able to identify and report potential safety hazards. They should also be able to implement quality improvement initiatives.
Subheading 3: Engage in lifelong learning and professional development.
Nurses need to engage in lifelong learning and professional development to maintain their skills and knowledge. Nurses can do this by attending conferences, taking continuing education courses, and reading nursing journals.
Conclusion
The JMU Nursing Capstone learning objectives are designed to prepare students for the challenges of professional practice. By meeting the learning objectives, students will be able to provide comprehensive care to patients and clients across the lifespan, integrate evidence-based practice into their care, collaborate with other healthcare professionals, and demonstrate leadership and professional accountability.
Tips for success in the JMU Nursing Capstone
Here are some tips for success in the JMU Nursing Capstone:
- Start early. The Capstone is a challenging course, so it is important to start early and give yourself plenty of time to complete the assignments.
- Be organized. The Capstone requires a lot of organization. Keep track of your assignments, deadlines, and due dates.
- Ask for help when you need it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your instructor, classmates, or other healthcare professionals.
- Take advantage of your resources. The JMU School of Nursing offers a variety of resources to help students succeed in the Capstone, such as tutoring, writing assistance, and research support.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between the JMU Nursing Capstone and other nursing capstone programs?
A: The JMU Nursing Capstone is a unique program that integrates all aspects of nursing education, including clinical practice, research, and theory. The Capstone also emphasizes interprofessional collaboration and leadership.
Q: What are the prerequisites for the JMU Nursing Capstone?
A: The prerequisites for the JMU Nursing Capstone are as follows:
- Completion of all nursing courses in the curriculum
- Passing the NCLEX-RN exam
- Maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher
Q: How long is the JMU Nursing Capstone?
A: The JMU Nursing Capstone is one semester long.
Q: What is the format of the JMU Nursing Capstone?
A: The JMU Nursing Capstone is a hybrid course. This means that students will participate in both online and in-person activities. The online activities will include readings, discussions, and assignments. The in-person activities will include clinical practice, research, and leadership development.
Q: How is the JMU Nursing Capstone evaluated?
A: The JMU Nursing Capstone is evaluated using a variety of methods, including clinical performance, written assignments, and a final project.
