Nursing capstone projects allow students to explore a topic of their choosing that is relevant to the nursing profession. This gives students an opportunity to delve more deeply into an area of nursing that most interests them. To choose a project alignment with their interests and goals, students should start by reflecting on what drew them to nursing in the first place and what aspects of nursing they are most passionate about. Common areas nursing students gravitate towards include med-surg nursing, public health, nursing education, nursing leadership/management, pediatric nursing, maternal-child health, mental health nursing, and more.
Students should make a list of 2-3 nursing specialty areas or topics they are most interested in to steer their search. They can also list any populations they want to focus on such as geriatrics, children, women’s health, underserved groups etc. Next, students should brainstorm some ideas for how to explore their topic of interest through a research or evidence-based practice project. Some potential formats include: conducting a literature review on a specific nursing issue, developing an educational program, creating a new hospital guidelines/protocols, developing a quality improvement project, or program evaluation.
Students can meet with their capstone advisor, faculty mentors, or potential project site preceptors to discuss their interests and get input on viable project ideas. Asking others in their desired specialty area about current issues or opportunities for process improvement is a great way to spark project topics. Students may also want to search academic databases and journals to see what recent studies have been conducted within their interest area to identify gaps in research. Exploring professional nursing organization websites can also yield potential projects. For example, reviewing clinical practice guidelines from groups like the American Nurses Association may surface new projects.
Once a few potential topics are generated, students need to evaluate which project idea is the best fit considering the course requirements and their learning objectives. They should ask themselves questions like: Is this a nursing issue I’m passionate enough about to dedicate 100+ hours to? Will this project provide me experience applicable to my career goals? Do I have adequate resources/contacts needed to complete it? Can I complete the project within the given time frame? Consulting with their advisor can help narrow the options based on feasibility.
Students may also want to connect with nurses in their desired specialty field for a informational interview to learn more about the topic area and how their project idea could contribute value. Thisnetworking is also a opportunity for students to learn about the work environment, current issues, and how their project could be of benefit after graduation when they being their career. Learning what real-world problems the capstone could potentially address makes for a very strong project proposal.
Once a project topic is chosen that aligns with student interests and career goals, an extensive literature review must be conducted to explore what research has already been done on the topic and identify gaps. This will allow the student to develop an evidence-based practice question or purpose statement to focus the direction of their project and analysis in a way that contributes something novel. Developing goals and objectives followed by a solid methodology for implementation and evaluation further crystallizes the scope and intended impact. Ongoing consultation with the project site preceptor, advisor and colleagues ensures the plans stay on track and yield meaningful outcomes.
Through self-reflection on interests, exploration of specialty fields and topics, consultation with knowledgeable individuals, and design of a feasible evidence-based practice question – nursing students can choose a capstone project that speaks to their passions and provides applicability for their envisioned career pathway. Selecting an aligning topic leverages this major undertaking as a springboard towards professional goals through tangible experience and knowledge gained.