COURSE PROJECT

Introduction

This project is designed to provide the nursing student with an experiential learning practicum, in a setting where healthcare is delivered or health is influenced. Quality improvement projects allow the student to integrate newly learned nursing knowledge and skills. Students will integrate knowledge of nursing research, leadership and management, and nursing theories to design, implement, and create a poster project that will improve client outcomes. Written work, in the form of the project outline, literature search, and proposal, will be required and a poster will be submitted for the final grade.

You may select a project for your poster within your work or clinical setting, in collaboration with your clinical manager or supervisor, or based on articles you have read. You may also look to the community in which you live for ideas that will improve client health. The project should relate to patient/client care, prevention, education, and improving patient/client outcomes. This is intentionally a very broad approach; with the outcome impacting and benefiting a patient/client population and thus improve outcomes. For project ideas, talk with your nurse manager, instructor, or supervisor as they often have suggestions for a project that needs to be done. You might also have ideas for a project based on your experience in a particular clinical setting. Please share your final project idea with your instructor before starting your project.

Here are some ideas for your project:

• Develop a management proposal to address a quality care or patient safety issue, e.g., falls, medication errors
• Educating other healthcare providers regarding the safe and effective use of new technology, e.g., new article out on administering a certain medication
• Working with staff to write a policy that will improve communication among the staff in the unit
• Teach vulnerable patients or populations about avoiding health or environmental risks
• Collaborate with institutions, such as a day care center or homeless shelter, to develop and implement policies to minimize transmission of communicable diseases
• Develop a disaster/emergency preparedness plan for a specific population in a community
• Collaborate with your facility information technology (IT) staff to design or implement an electronic health record

PART C: Poster

Create a poster in which you present your topic. Below is a sample poster and template

The poster must include a synopsis of all of the above work you’ve done, neatly and creatively arranged in the order of the template. If you were able to instruct, implement, or otherwise present your ideas to the target audience, be sure to have a detailed evaluation. Was the goal achieved?