Nursing Capstone Projects Ideas
Most nursing students struggle to come up with their nursing capstone project ideas because they are not aware of what their supervisors expect them to discuss in their projects. Whether you are pursuing BSN, MSN, or DNP, choosing a suitable nursing capstone project idea is very critical. Unlike the thesis that is based on practical theories, the capstone project requires a breakdown of a problem with evidence to back it up.
Every nursing student wishes to come up with a unique and relatively easy-to-handle nursing project topic with plenty of supporting evidence, facts, and convincing enough to earn you the best grades. So, if you are looking for the best nursing capstone project ideas for your BSN, MSN or DNP, then you have come to the right place.
We have compiled a list of several creative nursing capstone project ideas that are viable for research and writing a comprehensive nursing capstone paper. Besides, we will provide you with valuable insights to ensure you have chosen the most appropriate topic for your capstone project.
What is Nursing Capstone Project?
A nursing capstone project is a nursing academic paper that consolidates facts, experiments, and practical work experience to identify viable solutions to real nursing issues using knowledge gains from nursing classes and nursing working experience. When doing a capstone graduate you will be paired with practicing professionals to guide you.
The practicing nurse will provide advice not only on the design but also shares with you real-life nursing experiences. As such, the nursing student will improve their professional skills, therefore attaining the capstone project’s primary purpose. An excellent nursing capstone project should feature a persuasive argument, be evidence-based while reinforcing the best nursing practices.
Importance of Capstone Projects to Nursing Students
The nursing capstone project serves to attain many goals in the nursing course and profession as a whole. Nonetheless, the main goals are anchored in the need for nursing students to demonstrate theoretical knowledge in solving practice-based issues in different nursing specialties. Here is why it is important to write a nursing capstone project:
Capstone project offers nursing students to combine work from class with professional practice: While you are writing your nursing capstone project, you will be able to apply various nursing theories, ideas, models, and frameworks to help enhance your nursing professional development.
Capstone project helps define a problem or opportunity in nursing practice or the healthcare system as a whole: For instance, a rise in the rates of childhood obesity is a problem that a nursing capstone project can come up with actionable strategies to address the issue.
Capstone projects enable understanding community needs: By writing of nursing capstone projects, a nursing student can be able to identify and address the healthcare issues and needs within a local community setup.
Capstone projects help to have a look at the nursing world from a systems approach point of view: Capstone project is often taken during the final year in college or university thus helps nursing students to make a significant difference in the healthcare setting and the community as a whole. This is mainly because the capstone project they will write will try to solve systematic issues in their specialty areas.
Capstone projects help develop an interest in a given specialty: when researching and working on your nursing capstone project, you may in the process develop an interest in a particular nursing specialty that you can further your studies on to greater levels.
A good nursing capstone project must reflect the use of data, research ethics, statistics, leadership, and program theory and pave the way by a capstone research proposal.
What is the Difference Between a Nursing Capstone Project and Nursing Thesis?
When you are getting closer to the end of your nursing course, you will most likely be assigned a capstone project or thesis. It is quite confusing for most nursing students on which is which between these two academic papers. So, if you have been confusing thesis and capstone projects, today we’ll help you make a difference.
Most nursing programs, whether undergraduate or graduate levels require that students complete either a nursing thesis or a capstone project. A thesis is an academic paper that requires focusing on a general issue and offer insights to the reader while a capstone narrows down to focusing on a particular nursing problem, concern, or issue.
Moreover, a nursing thesis presents a theory or solution whereas a capstone project prescribes the problem using an evidence-based approach. While a capstone project is usually assigned from undergraduate to graduate level, a nursing thesis is only assigned to graduate nursing students.
The difference between the thesis and capstone is also seen in coverage. A nursing capstone project is more focused compared to the thesis is not as focused. The reason behind this is that a capstone project tends to demonstrate an understanding of the topic via a detailed analytical approach.
Contrary to a nursing thesis entails a generation of hypothesis or research questions, conducting research, analysis of data, explanation of the findings, and concluding and recommending the evidence-based practice.
Regardless of the difference, both the capstone projects and nursing thesis form grounds for evidence-based practice in nursing.
Structure a Nursing Capstone Project Follows
When writing a nursing capstone project, a student nurse is required to follow a basic format. A well-structured nursing capstone project paper features the following sections:
Abstract
The first section of a nursing capstone project is an abstract. This is a brief, often a single-paged explanation of what your nursing project is all about and what it aims to attain. In the abstract, you are required to state in brief the introduction, thesis statement, and the following sections. By doing so, the reader is able to know what to expect in the preceding chapters of the project. Besides, it ignites the reader’s curiosity on continuing to read your project.
Introduction
The introduction follows the abstract and it should as well be brief. The introduction should state the background of the problem, thesis statement and give an outline of your capstone project. The thesis statement should come out clearly and straight to the point at the end of the introduction.
Literature Review
The literature review sets the background of the previous project topics while demonstrating the relevance and viability of your capstone project topic. Make sure to identify the key themes and projects while pointing out the gaps that are existing in that particular capstone project. Most importantly, you must back up your review with references from viable and dependable articles and journals.
Methods and Material
In this section, you are required to write the material you used in your capstone project. Materials in this sense refer to instruments, equipment, and treatment administered. Be sure to explain how you utilized the materials and why you choose those specific materials for your capstone project. Citing your sources in this section is very critical. Moreover, provide statistical methods or test you used to analyze your data.
Results and Discussion
This section requires you to present your capstone project findings. Also, expound on the limitations, speculations, and deductive arguments you experienced with your capstone project. Present your experimental data by using graphs while backing them with reliable sources from reputable articles and journals.
Conclusion
The conclusion is the last part of the nursing capstone paper. In this section, be sure to illustrate the knowledge you generated from your nursing capstone project. Also, bring out your solution towards solving the capstone problem while following it with future recommendations about the capstone topic. Most importantly, don’t introduce any new idea(s) in the conclusion section.
Nursing Capstone Project Ideas
Nursing Informatics Capstone Project Ideas
Developing and improving the safety and security of patients through comprehensive data research
Adoption of e-learning in healthcare management
How to utilize modern-day systems for reliable nursing information
Investigating methods for storing and keeping nursing informatics data
A study of the advantages and disadvantages of the current health records system
Reviewing the impact of nursing informatics on the quality of nursing services
What is the current situation of nursing informatics in developing countries?
Which degree should come first – CS or Nursing
Big data and ethics – Can they coexist?
Storage systems for seniors
Can informatics be applied in rural areas?
How should government affect the automatizing processes?
Assisting recovery centres
Data governance in healthcare settings
Technologies from professional nursing training
Ethics and data management in healthcare
How to improve nursing practice by using electronic health recording
The use of technology to bridge the nurse shortage gaps in rural areas
Collaborative decision making through shared governance in healthcare
Keeping nursing professionals updated through informatics
Using data to improve discharge decisions
Use of healthcare information technology to support evidence-based practice in
nursing
Role of nursing informatics in quality improvement
Importance of clinical support decision making systems
Nurse informatics competencies
Gaining more from biometric analysis
Barriers to competency development in nursing informatics
Controversial issues on nursing informatics
Use of electronic medical records in acute care
The use of simulation from nursing students
Health informatics integration into nursing education
Digital literacy’s development for students in nursing schools
Using smartphones from inpatient education and management
Potential dangers for biometric in the nursing sector
Pediatric Nursing Capstone Project Ideas
Childhood obesity: A population health issue
Evaluation of pragmatic language patterns in autistic children
Blindness in children receiving oxygen therapy: Risk-reducing strategies
Obesity in children and adolescents: Prevention strategies
Prenatal exposure to nicotine: Health effects
Asthma in children: Diagnosis and management
Childhood obesity: Identification, prevention, screening, and management
Early life exposure that promotes heart disease later in life
Role of early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in childhood obesity
Stem cells and their usage in the treatment of pediatric diseases
HHV6: Pathogenesis, immunology, and treatment
Opportunistic fungal infections: Pathogenesis and treatment
Surfactant replacement therapy for premature infants: Beneficial effects
Common measles complications in children
Menengitis in children: Prevention and vaccination
Animal models for respiratory diseases: The investigation of the pathogenesis
Neuroblastoma in children: Understanding racial differences
Anorexia and related changes in brain function and behavior
Movement disorder in children: understanding and treatment
ADHD in children: Efficacy of dance and music therapy
Efficacy of mind-body therapy in children with ADHD
Infant nutrition: Prevention of obesity and eating disorders
Eating disorder in children: Effects on growth and health
Acute renal insufficiency: Nursing care and treatment
Kidney stones in children: Preventive strategies
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: Management strategies
Children with type 1 diabetes from ethnic minorities: Risk factors
Autism in children: Benefits of medication techniques
Understanding metabolic syndrome: Symptoms and causes
Emergency Nursing Capstone Project Ideas
Is tracking patients in the emergency with the help of an App good for their friends and family?
Could emergency calls be simplified?
How many people ride in ambulances around the world?
How to improve rural access to emergency care
Triage and psychiatric screening improvements
Identification and treatment of abused women
Alcohol and drug screening for adolescent patients
Best strategies for overcoming pepper spray exposure
Dealing with human trafficking in HR
Effects of tasers on cardiac disorders
Pediatric shock and trauma
Improving care for hospital staff after the unexpected death of a child
Nasal administration of medicines
Improving patient behavior
Terrorist attacks: How can nurses improve personal preparedness?
Effects of colors on ER patients
Handling pediatric fall victims
Should all nurses have access to the ER?
Analyzing the link between compassion fatigue and exercise among medical surgery nurses
The correlation between caring behavior and emotional intelligence for nurses in emergency rooms
Strategies to curb distress among isolated marrow and blood transplant patient post-transplantation
How to enhance safety in operating rooms
Dealing with the aftermath of a cancer surgery
Ways to boost patient flow in an urgent care facility
Nursing Leadership Capstone Project Ideas
Why nursing organizations matter in shaping the nursing future
How leadership accountability differs between developing and developed countries
Contrasting and comparing the roles of nurse leadership in public and private hospitals
What leadership traits represent excellence?
Do pharmaceutical companies have the right to overprice medication?
Nurse leadership behavior and qualities
Ways to maintain team leadership to enhance team’s collaboration
Training programs for nurse leaders
How nurses should approach transactional leadership
Nursing education and leadership
Why nurse leadership matters
Nursing leadership and management styles
Leadership and student nurses
How nurse leaders can address burnout among nurses
Weaknesses and strengths of change nurses
Short-term and long-term goals for nurse leaders
Why nurse leaders should adhere to ethical practices
How nurse leaders should approach stress management
Role of nurse leaders in preventing violence in emergency rooms
The best ways for nurse leaders to start and manage change
Long term and short term goals for clinical leaders
Challenges facing modern nurse leaders
Impact of nurse engagement and inclusion on patient outcomes
Impact of nurse leadership on patient outcomes
How nurse leaders can initiate and manage change
Significance of communication among interprofessional team nurse leaders
The link between nurse leadership and change management
Effective nursing leadership styles
Role of nurse managers in healthcare
Professional development strategies for nurses
Theories that support nurse leadership
Role of transformational leadership among nurse managers
What is leadership from a nursing perspective?
The future of nurse leadership
Leadership characteristics that represent excellence
Health Promotion Nursing Capstone Project Ideas
How effective is school health promotion?
How to create new strategies and implement them in brain health programs
Why does health promotion matter during disease outbreaks?
How school-based interventions can prevent mental health issues among children
How to communicate essential health information to the community
How to raise awareness about cyberbullying and prevent it
New ways to prevent HIV and promote health
Community-based programs for helping seniors exercise safely
Ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the old age
Late-life depression management programs for the elderly
Youth inactivity: Ways of raising awareness
Smoking cessation: The study of obstacles
Ideas for quitting smoking: New techniques
Communication and sharing of preventative medicine techniques: New ways
Planning meaningful activities with older adults as a means of reducing depressive symptoms
New strategies in fostering cancer-preventive behaviors
New ways of educating young people about the importance of having a positive body image
Involvement of children in various physical activities: Promotion strategies
Workplace wellness programs as ways of supporting healthy behavior
Motivation to change inactive behavior in young people
New ways of increasing worker’s participation in shaping the working environment
The effects of second-hand smoking: Ways of raising awareness
The importance of vaccines for the hepatitis B virus in cancer prevention
Non-occupational factors in the general environment: Ways of raising awareness
UV radiation and skin cancer: Ways of raising awareness
Physical inactivity as a major cause of death in developed countries
Managing the global epidemic: Ways of raising health awareness
HIV prevention: New ways of health promotion
Disease outbreaks: The role of health promotion
Brain exercise: Understanding key principles
The role of school-based interventions in preventing childhood mental health problems
Health childhood development: Health education for children
Ways of raising awareness on the routes of transmitting infectious diseases
The efficacy of school health promotion
Brain health programs: Creating new strategies on a small budget
Cyberbullying: Ways of raising awareness and prevention
Workplace policies: Depression management promotion
Healthy eating habits as a means of preventing the development of diet-associated cancer
Occupational health and safety programs for people working in dangerous conditions
Nursing Capstone Project Ideas for Mental Health
Impacts of bullying at the workplace for new nurses
The use of cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques in psychiatric facilities
Development of a new mental health guide for educators
The link between homelessness and mental health issues
How domestic violence affects children
Cultural-based mental health programs
The efficiency of yoga in maintaining mental health
Addressing stigma among carers and patients with mental health issues
Art therapy and mental health
Mental health nursing for adolescents
Outcome measures for an inpatient with mental health issues
Lateral violence among nurses
Understanding postnatal depression among women
Access to mental health services by aboriginals and specific population
Impacts of teenage suicides
Use of expressive art therapy for positive youth development
Preparing student nurses to manage trauma in health facilities
Preventing falls in psychiatric facilities
Mental health simulation models for AND students
Putting postnasal depression into perspective
Detrimental effects of sexual assault on children
Evaluating readiness for psychological rehabilitation
Is it possible to manage dementia patients with non-pharmacological methods?
Investigating how autonomous decision making is affected by mental illness
Women’s Health Nursing Capstone Project Ideas
Nutritional management during pregnancy
Uterine cancer and fibroids in women
Using tramadol and codeine products in breastfeeding women
Emergency contraception / birth control
Exclusive breastfeeding and immune levels of children
Female genital mutilation and women sexual health
Factors that influence the decision to breastfeed
Postmenstrual syndrome and hormonal changes
Addressing the mental health of pregnant women in rural areas
The link between HPV and cervical cancer
Breastfeeding, jobs, and women of low socio-economic status
Preterm babies and infant mortality among African-American women
Use of supplements when breastfeeding
Normal versus cesarean surgery
Postpartum depression among women
Urine incontinence in women
Birth control approach among women
Preventing pregnant women from Zika Virus
Constipation after cesarean surgery
Gestational diabetes management
Mammography to detect breast cancers in women
Breast pumps and breastfeeding
Patient Falls Nursing Capstone Project Ideas
Evidence-based practice falls intervention strategies in hospital settings
Potential causes of fall risk patient
Nursing interventions to prevent falls
The use of technology to prevent falls
Use of exercise in reducing falls among elderly patients
Effects of implementing evidence-based fall risk scale on fall rates
Multifactorial interventions for the prevention of falls among elderly patients
Creating a safety culture that prevent falls
Factors contributing to psychiatric patient falls in hospitals
Standardized fall risk assessment tool
Quality improvement program for reducing falls in medical-surgical units
Fall prevention practices at home
Environmental assessment and modification as a fall management strategy
Patient fall education and patient safety
Role of pharmacists in addressing patient falls
An interdisciplinary approach to fall management in clinical settings
Safety awareness activities for elderly patients
Impacts of visiting home nurses on reducing in-patient falls
Home safety modifications to reduce fall injuries among geriatric patients
Impacts of the design of healthcare environments on patient fall
Medical personnel attitude and knowledge about in-patient falls
The use of cameras in monitoring to prevent falls among elderly patients
When choosing your nursing capstone project idea, feasibility should be one of the core guiding factors. Make sure not to be overly broad since you may lose focus of your project. Equally, being too narrow will rob you of enough ideas which will affect the quality of your project in the long run.
Also, be sure to select a unique idea that will arouse your interest and capture your supervisor’s attention and that of the reader. Most importantly, your final capstone project idea should be appropriate and relevant to your nursing specialty. Keep in mind that your capstone project’s main objective is to demonstrate your knowledge and nursing skills.
Finally, make sure you write your capstone project with strict adherence to the academic writing style while following all the requirements in the rubric and your university guidelines. Use formal language without being overly technical and do not oversimplify your concepts. Ideally, makes your capstone project document easy for other fraternity members to follow and understand.
