bsn capstone project writing

bsn capstone project writing

Effective Strategies for Writing a BSN Capstone Project

1. Introduction to BSN Capstone Projects

As a practical degree designed to prepare students for real-world experiences in their profession, many programs require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) capstone project. A BSN capstone project is a high-quality research study that might be informed by a group assignment or a combination of other studies, but each student is responsible for conducting his/her own analysis. A capstone project should be focused primarily on developing a new program, process, or procedure. The capstone project presents the problem the student has identified/observed, a thorough review of the literature, and data to support the capstone project’s recommendations. This is why a committee of professionals will thoroughly review each student’s capstone project to determine if the capstone project is relevant, well-conducted, and can be easily and quickly implemented in the student’s organization.

A BSN capstone project can be a nerve-wracking and overwhelming experience for many students. Not only is a BSN capstone project extremely important, which can add to the stress level, but it is often composed of many other small assignments. It is easy to get swept up in worry about the format of the final document and lose sight of the capstone project as a whole. Writing this final capstone document in sections or as smaller assignments can help to make the task seem more doable. Additionally, the following guide is designed to help alleviate your stress and provide a practical approach to breaking down your BSN capstone project.

2. Key Components of a Successful BSN Capstone Project

As students pursue a BSN degree and a career as a nurse, they will likely be required to complete a capstone project. A capstone project is designed to help students demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired in their discipline. When it comes to nursing, a capstone project is often designed to highlight a medical issue, concern, or intervention. Building a project around a question or topic will provide the background of the project. Your capstone project may seem like a lot of work, but it will be easier if you break it into smaller pieces. Nail down your topic or intervention strategy before determining your research question or objective. The key components of a good capstone project are the research question, the literature review, the theoretical foundation, the methods, the analysis of the results, and the conclusion.

The research question is the single most important key to a successful project. If you don’t have a strong and relevant question, your project is likely to fail. In your research question, you will identify the question or problem you have with this issue. This will become the first part of the introduction. The literature review is a summary of the details that have been published about the topic. Keep this section concise and to the point. The literature review does not tell you, just the background and detail stories regarding the project. You will certainly use the background in this section to help explain the significance of the project you are going to undertake. The theoretical framework identifies the underlying theory that is used to base your study. The theoretical foundation can be a simple idea, a nursing theory, or a historical time frame that has been shown to be relevant to this topic.

3. Research Methods and Data Analysis in BSN Capstone Projects

Research Method

One of the most important questions in the writing of BSN Capstone Project is your ability to collect relevant information. At this stage, a student should determine the method to be used in gathering data about the subject matter. Narration, case studies, survey, and experimental studies are some of the research methods a nursing student can use. Primarily, a student that focuses his or her interest in gathering additional evidence on the subject matter may prefer to collect data through using experimentation. An experimental study involves data collection via observation, questionnaires, or interviewing involved participants before and after the intervention. Experiment for that matter uses random assignment protocols to assign respondents to either experimental or control groups. This random assignment guarantees that no known or unknown variable causes differences between the two groups. The result of subjects that belongs to the experimental group is used to infer a causality which is an indication of assumed success. Random assignment guarantees that at the beginning of the experimental study, the two groups are equal on all known dimensions. In a situation where this method is used, the student identifies the analysis as experimental study in the methods section of the project to clear their intentions to readers. Furthermore, students can use a survey method to gather information. When the method is identified as a survey, a student describes the survey instrument and mentions how data will be collected, summarized, analyzed, and interpreted in the methodology section. A sample survey method uses the following design such as correlation, difference, expressive, and predictive research designs. In a typical case scenario, the student uses instrumentation that enables him or her interprets survey finding over a period. A questionnaire is one of the most popular instruments used in BSN capstone projects. At this point, students desiring to use a survey to collect data acknowledge in the methodology section that data will be collected through a survey instrument.

Data analysis is a very important section of the BSN capstone project writing. Data analysis will explain to the reader how capable you are in handling data. After recording data, the next step is to exhibit your results. Your result should be clear, lucid, and informative. In order to do this, questions such as “what statistical calculation do I use?” and “why should I use it?” are very critical. This part of your project is the most difficult. To come out clean, a student may require the help of a statistician. As an overview, the subsequent presentations briefly discussed procedures frequently employed in analyzing dependent variable such as direct question what has to be done with the data. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique divides dependent variable into different groups. In a situation where means of independent value are significantly different, the researcher can conclude that the dependent variable(s) is suffering from statistical difference based on one of the analysis of variance technique. Correlation and regression are predominantly employed in the stated BSN capstone project. Data are collected on two or more variables. For example, two independent variables are X1, and X2. Another dependent variable is Y. Analysis of correlation is used to describe the relationship of variables and if they are related or associated. The second step after knowing the relationship or association is to examine the relationship to determine how variables are affected by each other. If a direct line is used, it means that the independent variable is used to predict or determine or explain one dependent variable. If possible, a statistician would need to be involved in this stage to ensure its effectiveness.

4. Writing and Formatting Guidelines for BSN Capstone Projects

Because of the research element associated with the BSN project, it is essential that your written project effectively communicates and conveys your thoughts, findings, and intentions to the reader. For this reason, the project should make use of formal and scientific academic writing conventions. This includes the development of understanding and application of academic and scientific writing style and appropriate diction use. The academic and disciplinary conventions utilized in the project include the use of in-text citations and an in-depth review of the literature to contextualize the described problem or project. The application of APA citation and reference style may vary according to the students’ major and college choice. Consult your college’s academic handbook to clarify.

BSN Capstone Projects are typically written following an accepted publication structure (e.g. sequence of four, five, or six headings) or section headings set students are intended to orient them to research. Generally, acceptable headings include: 1. Introduction (and Literature Review) 2. Methodology 3. Results 4. Discussion 5. Implications and Recommendations (or Conclusions and Recommendations) 6. References. Each division should begin on a new page and should be labeled at the top of the page with the division description centered and in bold type. For example, “INTRODUCTION” should be centered and in bold at the top of the next new page that follows the first. It is the same heading and format utilized with the “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED” and “LIST OF TABLES”.

5. Conclusion and Final Tips for Completing a Strong BSN Capstone Project

We conclude now, pressing upon you the importance of submitting a final copy of your BSN Capstone Project by the due date. Make no mistake; the program will enforce the deadline and not entertain late submissions. If you require accommodations, be proactive and communicate with everyone involved. Expect the unexpected because any mistake in the submission process will delay uploading your project to ScholarsArchive and subsequently prevent you from meeting the submission deadline.

There is no denying that you may feel overwhelmed. However, planning appropriately and keeping cool under pressure will help you prioritize your time and resources. Regular communication with your project team, course faculty, and mentors will provide further guidance and coaching. This paper offers you pertinent strategic guidance for you to empower and dictate the success of your BSN Capstone Project. Our attempts to prepare you have come to an end. After eight weeks, 25 pages, and numerous lab hours advocating for a patient problem (and loving some aspects of it and hating others), it’s finally all over. It wasn’t all fun, but I really can’t think of a better way to end my time at this fabulous university. Good luck—you’re going to need it—but congratulations to myself, too. I did it, and I know I’m going to be an amazing BSN nurse.