In the final year of your nursing studies, you may need to do a capstone project. It is a culminating exercise of your studies that enable you to demonstrate your theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

Capstone project nursing often involves an investigative writing assignment which ends in a presentation. That is, you get to research a particular topic, note down your findings, and later present it before a panel.

Nursing Capstone Project Process

1.    Choose a Topic
As with most projects, starting is often the most challenging part. For the capstone project, identifying ideal DNP project ideas is a critical step. It’s so because your choice of capstone topic will either be a source of motivation or act as a deterrent to your efforts.

It’s advisable to pick an interesting topic that solves a complex problem. However, it shouldn’t be too complicated that you aren’t able to provide a suitable solution as per your knowledge and abilities.

2.    Conduct Research
It’s an essential part of the capstone writing process. It’s useful when looking for potential topic ideas. In that, it helps you identify good topics for the project, as you familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of a particular point of view.

Once you narrow down the topic of interest and its scope, it’s time to do an evidence-based assessment of it.

3.    Identify reliable sources
A narrow topic allows for direct discussion. That is, if you opt for a broad topic, you may not be able to solve the identified problem or even come up with a concrete answer for it.

Look for resources that are relevant to the research problem and reliable, too. They add to the credibility of your arguments. Also, remember to keep track of your references.

Get Started in your Capstone Project in Nursing

4.    Develop a working Strategy
Writing the capstone project may take longer than it would, working other college academic papers. Therefore, you need to allocate adequate time to it. Typically, it involves reading, analysis, and then noting down your findings.
The capstone presentation, is often the last step of the process. Whereby you summarize your paper into a presentation. That means you need to put more effort into the other stages of the capstone writing process.

5.    Create an Outline
It’s the foundation on which you will build your material. It also acts as a guide to help you identify the necessary information you need to include. As with most academic writing papers, the basic structure of the Capstone project in nursing is an introduction, Review of Literature, Methodology, then followed by a Conclusion.

6.    Make a Rough Draft
Your first draft of the capstone paper doesn’t need to be perfect. Start with the sections you are most comfortable with and leave the difficult parts for later. Use the findings of your research to draw your conclusions.
Also, be clear and concise in conveying your message.

7.    Polish it and develop an appealing presentation
If you’ve been asked to follow a specific format, then ensure that you do. Take time to go over your work and make any necessary changes. Only include relevant information.

As you make your presentation, include your findings and conclusions. The conclusion demonstrates your knowledge and problem-solving ability. Keep this in mind.

Final Word on Doing a Nursing Capstone Project
Choosing a good topic for your nursing capstone project will keep you motivated throughout the process. Ensure that you get your supervisor’s approval on the relevancy of the subject. Then, exert the needed effort to producing a top-notch paper and presentation.