SAMUEL MERRITT UNIVERSITY School of Nursing COURSE TITLE: N730L Capstone Residency CREDITS: 5 PREREQUISITES: Completion of all other courses in the DNP program FACULTY: DAY AND TIME: Proposed Dr. Cecily Cosby DNP Faculty Online/asynchronous/seminar. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to allow students to synthesize and integrate knowledge in the implementation of their capstone project in a specific practice setting. It is expected that each student will complete a minimum 250 hours of DNP practice immersion planned conjointly by the nurse doctorate student, the faculty advisor and the capstone project mentor. OBJECTIVES: 1. Implementation of the capstone project based on logic model format. 2. Prepare for and, if appropriate, begin evaluation of project based on evaluation plan. 3. Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability in designing, delivering, and evaluating evidence-based care to improve patient outcomes 4. Educate and guide individuals and groups through complex health and situational transitions. 5. Employ consultative and leadership skills with intra-professional and inter-professional teams to create change in healthcare and complex healthcare delivery systems. 6. Demonstrate competency in role acquisition of the DNP advanced practice nurse practitioner in utilizing and designing programs of practice/research. 7. Develop and enhance knowledge and skills in a specific area of practice by designing and implementing a programmatic/research based project. 8. Examine, interpret, and report the process and outcomes of your specific capstone project. 1
9. Develop a scholarly report of the capstone process and defend this process with a faculty committee. 10. Develop a Capstone Project Paper OR an article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. REQUIRED TEXT BOOKS: Buppert, C. (2008). Nurse practitioner's business practice and legal guide. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. ISBN: 0736749338 Burns, N. & Grove, S. (2008). The Practice of Nursing Research: Conduct, Critique, and Utilization. St. Louis: Elsevier. Johns, C. (2005). Becoming a reflective practitioner. MA: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN: 1405118334. Johns, C. (2006). Engaging reflection in practice. A narrative approach. MA: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN: 1405149736 RECOMMENDED BOOKS: Hamric, A.B., Spross, J.A., Hanson, C.M. (2005). Advanced nursing practice: An integrative approach (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company. ISBN: 0721603300. DNP Capstone Project Participant Guidelines Initial DNP Academic Advisor: Each student will be assigned an Initial DNP Academic Advisor after admission into the program. The initial advisor may be the graduate program director, the DNP coordinator, an instructor in the DNP program, or another graduate faculty member. All advisors will be familiar with the DNP program, have clinical expertise, and will be a member of the graduate faculty. The initial advisor will provide student direction during the first semester of the program and until the DNP Capstone Project Chair and the DNP Capstone Project Committee have been identified and constituted. DNP Capstone Project Chair: By the end of the second semester of the DNP Program, the student will identify their DNP Capstone Project Chair. This may be the student s Initial DNP Academic Advisor or another SMY SoN graduate faculty who has interest and experience in the student s Capstone Project topic or field. The SMU School of Nursing has a list of graduate faculty members available to serve as DNP Capstone Project Chairs, with their areas of research interest and clinical expertise (See faculty profiles). DNP Capstone Project Committee: After the DNP Capstone Project Chair has been identified, the student will meet with that faculty member to constitute his/her DNP Capstone Project Committee no later than the end of the second semester of the DNP program. The committee is comprised of a minimum of three (3) graduate faculty members, either from SMU or an outside agency. The major criterion for inclusion on the committee is graduate faculty status and expertise in the clinical nursing 2
phenomena of interest, the methodology used in the project, or other knowledge related to the student s DNP Capstone Project. DNP Capstone Project Mentor: DNP students will identify an appropriate doctorally-prepared Capstone Project Mentor (CPM) and will submit the mentor form for approval by the SMU DNP Capstone Advisor. The CPM must be an expert in the clinical, educational or administrative area in which the DNP student wishes to develop expertise. There are currently few nurses prepared at the DNP level who can serve as the clinical preceptor for DNP students. Therefore, the CPM will not necessarily be a DNP, but might be a nurse or other doctorally prepared professional, an APN or other nurse with considerable experience and recognition as an expert in a particular practice field; an MD with specialized training and experience, a nurse with an administrative position as the Director, Vice President, President, or CEO within a health care organization; a doctorallyprepared nurse educator; a nurse with a business or other degree; an ANP in private practice, etc. The CPM must hold a position in the organization where he/she can facilitate the DNP student s access to organizational information, decision makers, and other personnel in order to complete the development and implementation of the DNP student s practice project. Whenever possible and practical, the DNP student is encouraged to select a CPM outside their current work setting. In large organizations, for example, the DNP student would be placed with a CPM outside the department or unit where they are employed. The line between current employment and practice scholarship hours and project(s) must be clear to the organization, the CPM and the DNP Capstone Advisor. The selection of the CPM must be determined in consultation with the student s DNP Capstone Advisor. TEACHING/LEARNING STRATEGIES: Discussion/exposition/lecture notes, exploration through committee interaction, experiential learning, presentation of ideas and process, formal writing. EVALUATION CRITERIA: Capstone Project Report/Defense Paper or article to be submitted for publication Projects are reviewed and evaluated by a Faculty Advisor and Capstone Project Mentor. Prior to graduation with the DNP degree, each student will defend the capstone project and submit a summative paper or prepare an article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Academic Accommodations If you are eligible for course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented learning, physical or psychological disability, or if you have emergency medical information to share, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with Diane Hansen, Coordinator of Academic Support and Disabled Student Services as soon as possible. Students eligible for accommodation will receive a letter from Disabled Student Services, which advises faculty of the action required to provide appropriate accommodations. You are encouraged to make an appointment early so that the faculty has 3
adequate time (at least 2 weeks) to provide the needed accommodation. The student is responsible for providing each faculty (theory and clinical) with a copy of the letter from the Coordinator of Academic Support and Disabled Student Services outlining course adaptations or accommodations. Accommodations or adaptations will not be made unless the above named procedure is followed. Academic Integrity Samuel Merritt University affirms the belief that integrity, truth, respect, and honesty are the foundations for our interactions as an academic institution. All students are expected to abide by the policies of academic honesty and integrity as outlined in the catalog/student handbook. Please note the Code of Ethics in the Samuel Merritt University Catalogue. Since dishonesty in any form harms the individual, and the College, policies on academic integrity will be strictly enforced. We expect you to be familiar with the guidelines for behavior, to follow them, and to know the consequences of violating these standards of ethical behavior. Critical behaviors, which, if proven, may immediately result in failure of the course as well as disciplinary action by the College include: Purposeful falsification of a client record Blatant disregard of client confidentiality Denying responsibility for one s own deviation from standard practice Act or threat of intimidation, harassment, or physical aggression Actions, which places the client or others in physical or emotional jeopardy Abusive behavior towards clients Failure to disclose actions which place the client or others in physical or emotional jeopardy Ignoring the need for essential information before intervening Professional Behavior Education within the SMU School of Nursing supports and facilitates the development of knowledge and the professional qualities of warmth, empathy and congruence requisite to the creation of caring. Core values that reflect the philosophy and framework of SMU School of Nursing and reflect behavior congruent with professional practice will include but is not limited to the following: Development of a relationship that exhibits a caring philosophy Respectful and collaborative decision making as a foundation for relationships with clients, colleagues, faculty, staff, preceptors and health care providers. An ethic of caring reflected by appropriate emotional responses, communication, punctuality, hygiene and attire that seeks to preserve the wholeness and dignity of self and others. Appropriate self-disclosure and adherence to confidentiality of patients and others. Behavior that reflects responsibility and accountability for the safety of clients, self and others. Authenticity and trust are key attributes of caring students and conduct issues such as plagiarism or cheating will result in failure of course and dismissal from the program. 4
Military Statement Military students who have the potential to participate in military activities including training and deployment should consult with faculty prior to registration for a course, but no later than the end of the first week of classes, to determine the class attendance policy. At this time, the student should provide the instructor with a schedule of planned absences, preferably signed by the student s commander, in order to allow the instructor to evaluate and advise the student on the possible impact of the absences. In this case, faculty will consider absences due to participation in verified military activities to be excused absences, on par with those due to other unavoidable circumstances such as illness. Faculty judge the validity of student absences from class and may require documentation for excused absences. For classes requiring mandatory attendance incompatible with the number of planned absences, students will be advised to register, if possible, during a semester in which they will not be participating in these activities. As with any academic issue, students may exercise their right to appeal adverse attendance decisions. Should the faculty member and student be unable to agree on appropriate accommodation under this policy, either party shall have the right to request mediation from (in order) the department chair, the academic dean, and the vice chancellor for academic affairs. Required Technology Each student is required to have an email account and internet connection capabilities. You must know how to send attachments to the instructor if required. Access to internet materials and online course is essential. See for computer hardware and software requirements. Student Handbook You will find the current student handbook at: 5