NUR 456 FINAL PRACTICE PROJECT

One of the major assignments in your last course, NUR 456: Application of Professional Nursing
Concepts is a practice project. The possibilities of what students may design as their final practice project
is endless! Find something you are passionate about or feel you can make a difference. We will work with
you to design a project that allows you to jump through as few institutional hoops as possible as we know
this is a very time consuming and tedious process. We recommend that you envision a project that does
not require an affiliation agreement with an agency. If this is necessary, it can often take over a month for
all the reviews and finalization. This time delay could delay your graduation. The requirements for the
practice project are:
1. Your preceptor must be a BSN nurse
2. You must have a preceptor agreement signed
3. You must have an agency agreement signed. This is a one page agreement (not a full affiliation
agreement)
4. You must spend 15 hours a week working on your project. This is NOT expected to be 15 hours
per week directly with your preceptor. This may be a specified period of time brainstorming,
discussing progress, etc with your preceptor and the other time is independent work on your
project for a total of 15 hours a week.

Keep in mind that this project is not intended to be a direct patient care project. This project is expected to
use the higher level leadership, management, research, teaching, analysis, information technology,
and/or implementation skills you have developed in this program. It is not a JU requirement that the
project be completed in an acute care setting and it is not a requirement of Jacksonville University that
you have an affiliation agreement with the institution. However, be aware that this is often a requirement
of the institution. As before, it is recommended that you design a practice project that does not require an
affiliation agreement.

I have included multiple previous student practice projects here to help you better envision what the
possibilities are. We look forward to seeing your creativity and passions come to life in this last class.
Again, the possibilities are endless!

Project Title: Reduction of Young Teen Pregnancy/STD in US

Problem Statement: The teenage pregnancy rate in teens is higher in the United States then many other
countries. Education is directed towards older teens of 17 years of age and above. In truth many young
teen mothers state their first sexual encounter was younger than the age of 15 and is in most cases
unprotected. Sexual Education in the schools in not usually allowed prior to Highschool. Parents of school
aged children as young as 13 years old need to be strongly encouraged to allow their students to
participate in the education of Birth Control and STD's including Abstinence as the primary use of Birth
Control.
Plan: To reintroduce a curriculum in the schools that is age appropriate to 6th and 7th grade students
engaging the risks of teenage pregnancy and the importance of the use of Birth Control; encouraging the
use of Abstinence as the primary source of Birth Control.
Goal: Have an Abstinence/STD and Pregnancy Awareness Course for 6th and 7th grade mandated in
schools in the state of Florida.
“Deliverables”: Developmentally appropriate curriculum about STD’s and Birth Control

Project Title: Diabetes Training Module for the School Employee

Problem Statement: Diabetes is chronic health problem for some school students and school nurses are
not available full time at all schools everyday. Training is needed in schools to provide diabetes education
to the faculty and staff to meet the needs of these students and the requirements of the new Georgia Law
(House Bill 879).
Plan: To develop a training module of diabetes education that will be available in the schools and meets
the requirements of the law.

Goal: All schools will have this diabetes training module available for staff education.

“Deliverables”: Training Module on Diabetes for school nurses and school staff

Project: Preventing cross contamination of Hepatitis B in the chronic hemodialysis setting.

Problem Statement: Assuring that staff caring for a hepatitis B antigen patient, do not care for those who
are susceptible to the virus

Plan: To work with the infection control department in developing a plan to ensure staff who care for those
who are hepatitis B antigen positive do not care for those patient's who are susceptible to the hepatitis B
virus

Goal: Ensure safe practice of the chronic dialysis staff in caring for patients who are susceptible to the
hepatitis B virus.

“Deliverables”: 1) Policy development on caring for patients with Hep B antigen positive. 2) Surveillance
plan of ensuring compliance to the policy

Project Title: Revise current visitation policy for the Post Anesthesia Care Area
Problem statement: The policy is very vague and it centers around patient-family centered care which
allows for visitation by family members within an hour of the patients arrival time. Families/friends visit,
however, they call consistently, usually every hour throughout the patient's stay in order to visit again or to
receive updates. This is a huge distraction for staff members.

Plan: Develop visitation policy that will allow for family satisfaction, but most importantly protects staff
members concerned with HIPAA violation when families are present and other patient arrives in the PACU
from OR.

Goal: Develop a more concrete visitation policy, so as families and staff member have a better
understand of how it should be.

“Deliverables”: Visitation policy for PACU in one institution

Project Title: Wellness program for the Church of the Crucifixion

Problem statement: In the African American community hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and obesity
are chronic medical conditions plaguing the population. More community based programs need to be
established to teach this community how to make healthier life style choices.
Plan: Develop a parish based wellness program where church members will receive teaching on ways to
improve dietary habits. Also learn strategies to reduce health risk factors.
Goal: Promote a healthy lifestyle and increase the overall health and wellness for the congregation of the
Church of the crucifixion.
“Deliverables”: 1) Wellness program curriculum for parish nursing program. 2) Development of benchmark
measures and timelines for evaluating effectiveness of program
Title: Animal-assisted therapy for mental health improvement
Problem Statement: Pet therapy has increasingly been shown to be a useful nursing intervention that
provides patients with an emotional outlet that increases their sense of emotional well-being. This form of
therapy is underutilized in many healthcare institutions where is would be most beneficial (mental health
and long-term care facilities).
Plan: To develop an educational program (oral presentation and related PowerPoint visuals) for providers
of healthcare that demonstrates the benefit of pet therapy on patients' mental health.
Goal: To educate and promote the use of animal-assisted therapy in the healthcare setting
“Deliverables”: 1) Educational presentation on benefits of Pet Therapy 2) List of potential sites for
implementation of Pet Therapy
Project Title: Journal Club
Problem Statement: Currently health coaches are not required to read and analyze research articles at
U.S. Preventive Medicine on a regular basis. A journal club can be a mechanism to encourage review of
evidence-based practice research articles and increasing skills at analyzing and summarizing articles for
other staff members and promote lifelong learning.
Plan: Organize a journal club for health coaches at U.S. Preventive Medicine by establishing guidelines
for locating articles that contain evidence-based practice, how to critique research articles, and allowing
discussion of findings at weekly staff meetings.
Goal: Design a journal club for health coaches at U.S. Preventive Medicine in which research articles are
read, analyzed and discussed at staff meetings during the year.
“Deliverables”: 1) Develop guidelines for conducting a journal club for health coaches 2) Recruit
participants for journal club 3) Conduct first journal club meeting 4) Provide evaluation of first club
meeting with recommendations for increased participation
Project Title: Anemia management in the Hemodialysis Patient: What part can the patient play?
Problem Statement: Lack of knowledge in the hemodialysis patient can lead to poor anemia management
outcomes.
Plan: Educate the hemodialysis patient about what anemia management is; why it is important to come to
treatment; importance of keeping themselves healthy and free of infection as well as what part good
nutrition and bone health plays in their anemia status.
Goal: Informed hemodialysis patients that can take an active role in their health and anemia status thus
helping to meet their goals of good anemia management.
“Deliverables”: 1) Curriculum of anemia management for dialysis patient to occur on three separate visits.
2) Protocol for recruiting patients for the curriculum 3) Guidelines for evaluating effectiveness of
curriculum
Project Title: Improving quality monitoring for food allergy program in Lincoln County.
Problem Statement: Numerous children with food allergies can rapidly experience life threatening
situations. I want to develop a tool that allows for QI implementation of our food allergy policies.
Plan: Development of a food allergy monitoring tool; develop a process for performing checks; and
develop a schedule for QI checks.
Goal: Develop and implement a QI tool for monitoring food allergies in Lincoln County to reduce the
potential for food allergy related life threatening situations.
“Deliverables”: 1) Food allergy monitoring tool 2) Process for utilizing monitoring tool 3) Content and
process for educating school personnel
Project title: Patient and family education on congestive heart failure.
Problem statement: Many people are unaware of the warning signs and symptoms, risk factors, and
preventative measures associated with congestive heart failure.
Plan: Develop a curriculum for patient's and family members of patients diagnosed with congestive heart
failure.
Goal: Create and easy to understand information packet for patients and family members of patients
diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
“Deliverables”: 1) Information packet for patients and families on congested heart failure 2) Procedure for
assessing effectiveness of packet use for patients
Project Title: Asthma Management and organization review for school age children.
Problem Statement: Asthma is an acute or chronic lung condition that causes difficulty breathing,
wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing when triggered by some external source or event. The current
plan in place allows for treatments to be performed by the nursing staff with minimal push for the students
to self-administer inhalers outside of the nurses presence.
Plan: Analyze the education push to teach the students capable of self-administration of inhalers, and
management of asthma treatment and prevention. Build the educational plan for management of asthma
with students as the target audience.
Goal: Asthma students to have an increased knowledge of the management of asthma triggers, and still
be able to maximize their activity level.
“Deliverables”: 1) Developmentally appropriate curriculum of asthma management 2) Procedure for
identifying children for the education 3) Plan for evaluating effectiveness of the curriculum

Project Title: Transition and Refinement of an Infusion Clinic Program

Problem Statement: Currently, pain infusion patients are scheduled by clerical staff with no consideration
for the availability of staff or space. In addition, there are few standards of practice with regards to nursing
care for these patients. Orders are written on encounter forms with little direction for nursing.
Plan: Work with the clerical, nursing and physician staff to transition the scheduling of pain infusion
patients to nursing, create and revise order sets for infusions, and create/revise pre-procedure education
for patients.
Goal: Create a more efficient infusion program with the ability to assess resources to meet the needs of
more urgent patients, provide a safer framework for nursing practice and better prepare patients for their
infusion.
“Deliverables”: 1) Clinical Decision Guidelines for Scheduling infusion clinic patients 2) Educational plan
for informing staff on Clinical Decision Guidelines for Scheduling 3) Evaluation of education to staff
regarding Clinical Decision Guidelines
Project Title: Planning and Proposing a Policy for Family at Bedside during a Code.
Problem Statement: At the present time families are not always allowed at the bedside of an Adult or
Pediatric Code. There is no thought to the effect this has on the patient's outcome or the families coping
process. Consideration needs to be made to include the family and staff in the coping of different code
situations.
Plan: Work with the nursing, education and physician staff to propose a policy and training on the
presence of families at bedside for codes.
Goal: Create a proposal for a more conducive proposed policy with the thought of family's feelings in
coping with a code situation. Provide a plan that is safe and efficient to help staff and families cope with
the various situations and help in the healing process regardless of the outcome. Define what and when
family is safe to be at bedside and what situations would exclude them.
“Deliverables”: Family at the Bedside during Code Policy to be presented to hospital
Project Title: Family Centered Care in a pediatric Emergency department.
Problem statement: Families are not always aware of what is going on with their child's care or are asked
to partake in it. In some hospitals, families are asked to leave the room when procedures are taking place,
leaving the patient fearful and filled with anxiety. With family centered care, the family is included in all
patient care. This helps the patient feel more in control and safe knowing their loved one will be beside
them during this difficult time.
Plan: Included families and patient in all parts of interventions the child may need while in the emergency
department.
Goal: Within 8 weeks, give all families an option to be present during their children's care and try to make
their hospital stay result in less anxiety.
“Deliverables”: Policy for Family Presence During ER Interventions

Project Title: "The ABC's of Diagnostic Tests"

Problem Statement: Many times nurses on the unit are unaware of certain diagnostic tests. They are
unsure of the patient's experience, the preparation required and what the results mean. There is no
current educational program for nurses to attend to get this information.
Plan: Work with the Nursing Education Department to develop an all day seminar for nurses to learn
about diagnostic procedures. Collaborate with the technical staff in each department to develop a learning
section for each area such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, interventional radiology...
Goal: To plan for an all day seminar to educate nurses regarding all of our diagnostic areas. Plan
objectives, coordinate a date and location, get the proper documentation in order to be able to provide
credits, and assist the team with their power point presentation.
“Deliverables”: Curriculum for Diagnostic Test Seminar
Project Title: Stress Management for Care Providers to Use and Share

Problem Statement: Stress affects how we care for ourselves and remain available to help others. The
many demands and distractions at work and in our lives reduce the ability to manage stress for ourselves
as care providers or to help clients and colleagues manage their own stress.

Plan: Analyze, design and build a stress management toolkit for the care team.

Goal: Provide resources for the care team to use and share among themselves and their clients.
“Deliverables”: 1) Stress Management Toolkit 2) Procedure for evaluating use and effectiveness of tool kit
Project Title: Restoration and Resilience of Post-deployment Soldiers and their families using
Integrated State-of-the-art Treatment Modalities
Problem Statement: Restoring optimal functioning and battle-readiness to physiologically, psychologically
and spiritually challenge post-deployment soldiers and their families is challenging. Using integrated
state-of-the-art treatment modalities to stimulate maximum resilience in Acute Inpatient Psychiatric
Hospitals is one approach to this.
Plan: The project would educate the nursing staff and other healthcare professionals on new trends and
treatments of PTSD, Chemical dependence and depression for our post-deployment soldiers. I will use
evidenced based literature to show how new state of the art treatment modalities are being used with
these soldiers and their families to help the soldiers overcome dysfunctional emotions and behaviors and
develop the coping skills they need to handle or deal with the stresses or stressors of everyday life.
Goal: Develop a webpage that will provide information on assessment and treatment of post-deployment
soldiers to increase knowledge and dispel myths associated with these individuals and their experiences.
“Deliverables”: Webpage