Practice Doctorate Resource Center

NONPF Subcommittee on Capstone Project

Katherine Crabtree, Chair

Subcommittee Members:  Katherine Crabtree, DNSc, FAAN, APRN, BC, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Chair;  Mary Burman, PhD, APRN, BC, University of Wyoming; Patricia Clinton, PhD, ARNP, FAANP, University of Iowa; Kate Fiandt, DNS, APRN, FAANP, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Sally Reel, PhD, APRN, CFNP, FAAN, FAANP, University of Arizona; and Carol Savrin, ND, CPNP, APRN, BC, Case Western Reserve University

 Charge to the Subcommittee on Capstone Project: To deliberate on the essential components of the capstone project for preparing practice doctorates in nursing, including examining the competencies identified by the National Panel for NP Practice Doctorate Competencies and the essential identified by the AACN DNP Task Force; and to discuss the related issue of the initial transition period as master’s prepared faculty teaching in master’s NP programs enter DNP programs.

 Questions to begin the conversation with the subcommittee.

 A. Characteristics of Capstone Projects in a DNP program (Reflecting on “Essentials” and core competencies): 

1.    What is the purpose of the capstone project in a DNP program? 

2.    How does it reflect the culmination of knowledge and skills developed during the program? Achievement of the DNP competencies?  

3.    How does the project differ based on the student’s practice specialty, whether their focus is on individuals, populations or systems? 

4.     Is the capstone project a product of the clinical residency? 

5.    How is clinical scholarship defined? What is considered a scholarly product of the capstone project?  

6.    What criteria might be used to evaluate a capstone project?

a. Is there evidence of clinical scholarship?

b. Is there evidence of creativity, synthesis, integration, application of knowledge?

c. Does the project demonstrate clinical expertise, clinical decision making?

d. Is the project a demonstration of advanced practice competency? What was the identified need for the project? Was the project selected of adequate complexity? Was it feasible? Were several alternatives considered?

e. What aspects of the project involve vision, leadership, policy?

f. How does the project build upon knowledge, relate to theory, the literature, foster practice related research?

g. Who will benefit from this work? Does this project raise the bar for quality of care delivery? Was there evidence of collaboration?

h. How does the project advance our knowledge about practice? Does the project resolve a controversy? Bring together disparate views, offer new insights or directions? Does the project raise questions about conventional care?  

7.    Is the capstone project an independent project led by the student or a collaborative project in which students each contribute expertise?  

8.    What research skills are invoked? What types of data are collected, analyzed, interpreted? 

9.    How will the results of the project be disseminated?

                       .

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
1522 K Street, NW, Ste. 702
Washington, DC 20005
tel: (202) 289-8044 ● fax: (202) 289-8046
nonpf@nonpf.org

President: Joanne Pohl, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN