Nursing capstone projects allow students to demonstrate their mastery of nursing knowledge and clinical skills by conducting an independent research project on a topic of relevance to the nursing profession. There are several research methodologies commonly used in nursing capstone projects.
A very common methodology is conducting a literature review. For a literature review, the student will identify a specific topic or issue within nursing and comprehensively review the existing published literature on that subject. This can involve evaluating and synthesizing dozens of research studies, journal articles, papers and other sources. Through a literature review, a student can explore what is already known on a topic, identify gaps in knowledge, emerging issues and determine recommendations for future areas of study. Literature reviews allow students to thoroughly analyze a topic without direct data collection.
Surveys are also frequently used in nursing capstone projects. A student will design a questionnaire or structured interview schedule to collect original data by surveying nurses, patients, caregivers or other relevant groups. Surveys are useful for gathering demographic information, opinions, experiences, behaviors, needs assessments and more. Students must clearly define a target population, determine an appropriate sample size, develop survey items and format, administer the survey in an ethical way, analyze the results and draw conclusions. Surveys can provide insights into perceptions and trends across a population.
Another common methodology is a pilot study, which involves implementing a small-scale preliminary study to test aspects of a proposed research design and methodology. For example, a student may pilot test a new patient education program, screening tool, clinical protocol or other innovative approach. Through a pilot study, they can evaluate feasibility, identify challenges or unintended outcomes, collect preliminary data and determine if a full-scale study is warranted. Pilot studies help refine a research idea before large-scale implementation and investment of resources.
Qualitative methodologies, which rely on observational techniques instead of numeric data, are also popular choices. Common options include focus groups, interviews and case studies. For instance, a student may conduct focus groups to explore patient experiences during care transitions or conduct one-on-one interviews to understand nurses’ views on self-care practices. These techniques generate rich narrative data useful for illuminating perspectives, generating hypotheses or contextualizing quantitative results. Case studies, which involve in-depth analysis of one or more exemplar cases, can highlight best practices.
Secondary data analysis is another methodology where students analyze existing data sets from sources such as large health surveys, electronic health records or national databases. Using statistical techniques, they may evaluate relationships between clinical variables, compare outcomes across populations or investigate trends over time. While they did not directly collect the raw data, secondary analysis allows exploration of valuable information sources.
Some students also conduct original quantitative research through observational or experimental studies. Observational studies examine relationships by measuring exposures, characteristics and outcomes without direct manipulation—for example, a correlational study of nurse staffing levels and patient satisfaction scores. Experimental designs directly manipulate variables and assign subjects randomly to control and intervention groups to test causal hypotheses—such as a randomized controlled trial testing the impact of a nursing intervention on patient morbidity. This ‘gold standard’ approach provides the strongest evidence but requires greater resources.
Nursing capstone projects employ a wide array of research methodologies commonly used in the healthcare field such as literature reviews, surveys, pilot studies, qualitative approaches, secondary data analysis and quantitative research designs. Students must select the design and methods strategically aligned with their research question, objectives, scope, population, available resources and intended implications. A solid methodology is key to conducting high-quality nursing research and knowledge generation through capstone projects.