Importance of charismatic leadership among nurse leaders
Exploring evidence-based fall prevention strategies in hospital settings. You could evaluate different risk assessment tools and multi-factorial intervention programs that have been shown to reduce fall rates among elderly patients. Some specific aspects to examine include hourly rounding protocols, bed alarms, education programs for patients and staff, etc. You’ll find many recent research studies published between 2016-2023 that explore best practices in this area.
Understanding the role of nurse leadership in quality improvement initiatives to reduce hospital-acquired infections. Nurse leaders play an important part in establishing safety culture and implementing protocols. Your project could review strategies nurse managers and directors have used successfully to lower rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, etc.
Examining the impact of nurse staffing levels and workload on patient outcomes. Staffing shortages are an ongoing challenge, so your capstone could analyze recent studies on how nurse-to-patient ratios, overtime hours, and perceived stress influence things like falls, pressure ulcers, medication errors, readmission rates, and length of stay.
Assessing models of interprofessional collaboration between nurses and other providers to improve care transitions. With an aging population and rising rates of chronic illness, smooth handoffs between care settings are critical. You may want to explore team-based and technology-enabled approaches that facilitate communication and continuity of care.
A few references to include would be:
Galuska, L. (2018). Preventing patient falls: A systematic approach to identification of risk factors and evidence-based prevention. MEDSURG Nursing, 27(5), 317–320.
Kessler, B., Claude-Gutekunst, M., Donchez, A. M., Dries, B. L., & Snyder, M. M. (2021). Using a care transitions model to improve outcomes for patients with heart failure. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 36(1), 13–18.
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
The Joint Commission. (2022). National patient safety goals. https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/national-patient-safety-goals/

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