NRS 465 Benchmark Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval
University:
Grand Canyon University
NRS 465 Benchmark Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval
Paper Instructions
Assessment Description
In collaboration with the approved clinical preceptor, students will identify a specific evidence-based topic for the capstone project change proposal. Students should consider the clinical environment in which they are currently employed or have recently worked.
The capstone project topic can be a clinical practice problem, an organizational issue, a leadership or quality improvement initiative, or an unmet educational need specific to a patient population or community. The selected problem should encourage the student to engage in interprofessional collaborative practice.
Students should select a topic that aligns to their area of interest as well as the clinical practice setting in which practice hours are completed.
This project is only a proposal and will not be implemented in a practice setting.
Write a 750-1000-word description of your proposed capstone project topic. Include the following:
- Describe the problem or issue that will be the focus of the change proposal. Explain with which category (leadership or community) the selected topic would best align.
- Discuss the setting or context in which the problem or issue can be observed and describe the population affected by this problem or issue.
- Discuss the implications this clinical practice problem or issue has on nursing practice.
- Based on your needs assessment in Topic 1, describe why this is a priority for the community/clinical site or affected clinical population.
- Briefly describe the organizational structure (mission, vision, values, leadership structure, etc.) of the practicum site. What internal and external processes will impact care coordination for the selected population or community?
- How effective has the organization been in addressing the identified problem or issue?
- You are required to cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the past 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
- This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
- Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
- You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
We Work Hard So That You Don’t
We’ll write a 100% plagiarism-free paper in under 1 hour.
Sample Answer
Non-adherence to medications is a significant public health concern that affects patients and health populations, especially the elderly in long-term care facilities and communities. In their study, Jeyalakshmir et al. (2023) observe that elderly patients with co-existing comorbidities have high rates of non-adherence to medications for several reasons, particularly poly-pharmacy.
Further, Sutlu et al. (2023) assert that medication non-adherence is a critical patient safety issue that affects elderly patients, especially those from a low-income background. Again, Liu et al. (2023) opine that elderly patients have increased risk factors for medication non-adherence due to poly-pharmacy and multi-morbidity.
The purpose of this paper is to describe a proposed capstone project topic. The paper describes the issue, setting or context, implications on nursing practice, and the effectiveness of the organization in dealing with the problem.
Description of the Issue/ Problem
Non-adherence to medications is a critical patient care quality and safety issue that affects a significant number of patients, especially elderly individuals in various settings, from long-term care facilities to community-dwelling.
Studies show that non-adherence to medications among the elderly occurs due to several factors that include poly-pharmacy or taking different medications at the same time due to comorbidities associated with age. In their study, Dusetzina et al. (2023) assert that adults aged 65 years and older are likely not to adhere to medications due to costs.
Again, Hoel et al. (2020) are categorical that poly-pharmacy is a significant contributor to medication non-adherence. The prevalence of non-adherence to medication is about 22.3% among older adults. Additionally, medication non-adherence means that elderly patients do not complete their medications which increases susceptibility to adverse outcomes.
The identified issue aligns well with the community category since it needs a collaborative effort between providers, and caregivers, both in long-term care facilities and in community-dwelling. Reducing medication non-adherence requires all stakeholders to work together from a community perspective and develop effective interventions, including leveraging technologies.
Setting, Context, and Affected Population
The problem occurs in various long-term care facilities and community-dwelling like nursing homes and assisted living settings. As such, the practice setting for this problem includes long-term care facilities and community-dwelling. For instance, studies by Liu et al. (2023) and Ge et al. (2023) demonstrate through cross-sectional settings that non-adherence to medications occurs across various demographic groups.
However, elderly patients are more susceptible to unintentional non-adherence compared to other groups or demographic composition. Therefore, the elderly population is affected more compared to other demographical compositions.
Implications on Nursing Practice
The increasing prevalence of medication non-adherence has critical implications for nurses and nursing practice. For instance, it affects the quality of care offered to patients and increases the length of stay. As such, nurses work more catering to these patients leading to increased workload.
Non-adherence to medication affects the interaction between nurses and patients, especially if the latter fails to take medications on time (González-Bueno et al., 2021). As care providers and close to patients, nurses want a closer relationship and rapport to enhance outcomes.
Priority for the Community/Clinical Site
Based on the evaluation in the practicum setting and the community, this issue is a priority as non-adherence to medication has serious implications for patient outcomes and care delivery. Preventing non-adherence to medications is critical to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare resources (Dusetzina et al., 2023).
Non-adherence to medications due to costs means that policies should focus on ways to reduce the cost of medications for a majority to afford, especially elderly patients.
Organizational Structure and Care Coordination
The practicum site is a long-term care facility that has outpatient and inpatient elderly patients who get their treatment and management from its providers. The practicum integrates long-term care where the elderly can choose to reside or go home and occasionally come to interact with peers.
The mission of the facility is to be a beckon of hope and quality of life for the elderly individuals in the community. The facility values a patient-centered and holistic care approach based on its core values like love, kindness, and generosity from a spiritual perspective (Hoel et al., 2021).
The leadership structure includes a board of directors, a managing director, a chief nursing officer, and care providers, mainly nurse practitioners and nutritionists to help the elderly have a better diet.
The internal processes that influence care coordination in the facility entail staff training, development, and implementation of policies that serve the community and the facility, and resource allocations. External processes entail community support and family interactions that allow patients to get better information and advice, community engagement and partnership, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
For instance, healthcare providers must coordinate and ensure patients get the right prescriptions with reduced chances of poly-pharmacy due to their cognitive impairment emanating from aging.
Effectiveness of the organization to address the Problem
Non-adherence to medication is a critical issue that requires effective strategies and coordination among different players. The organization has developed several internal measures to address the problem of inpatients. However, these measures require more emphasis and practical interventions that leverage technology to enhance safety and quality of care (Dusetzina et al., 2023).
Non-adherence to medication continues with more elderly patients not remembering their schedule. As such, the integration of technologies helps address the issue and ensures effective measures to reduce non-adherence to medications.
Conclusion
Non-adherence to medication is a critical safety issue that impacts patients, especially elderly patients in inpatient settings. The proposed intervention is based on evidence because of its efficacy and benefits to patients. The organization is ready based on its structure to implement the proposed intervention and improve patient outcomes.
References
- Jeyalakshmi, K., Rao, M., Shashidhara, Y. N., Thunga, G., Ravishankar, N., Sudhakar, C., &
Devi, E. S. (2023). Determinants of medication non-adherence among the elderly with co-existing hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in rural areas of Udupi District in Karnataka, India. Patient preference and adherence, 17, 1641.
DOI 10.2147/PPA.S380784
- Liu, J., Yu, Y., Yan, S., Zeng, Y., Su, S., He, T., … & Yue, X. (2023). Risk factors for self-
reported medication adherence in community-dwelling older patients with multi-morbidity and poly-pharmacy a multicenter cross-sectional study. BMC geriatrics, 23(1) 75. DOI https //doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-03768-7
- Sütlü, S. (2023). Medication Adherence and its Affecting Factors among Older Adults. Anatolian
journal of family medicine, 6(2) 81-89. DOI 10.5505/anatoljfm.2023.83030
Ge, L., Heng, B. H., & Yap, C. W. (2023). Understanding the reasons and determinants of
medication non-adherence in community-dwelling adults a cross-sectional study comparing young and older age groups. BMC health services research, 23(1) 905. DOI https //doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09904-8
- González-Bueno, J., Sevilla-Sánchez, D., Puigoriol-Juvanteny, E., Molist-Brunet, N., Codina-
Jané, C., & Espaulella-Panicot, J. (2021). Factors associated with medication non-adherence among patients with multi-morbidity and poly-pharmacy admitted to an intermediate care center. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(18) 9606. DOI 10.3390/ijerph18189606
- Hoel, R. W., Connolly, R. M. G., & Takahashi, P. Y. (2021, January). Poly-pharmacy
management in older patients. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 96(1) 242-256. DOI https //doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.06.012
- Dusetzina, S. B., Besaw, R. J., Whitmore, C. C., Mattingly, T. J., Sinaiko, A. D., Keating, N. L.,
& Everson, J. (2023). Cost-related medication non-adherence and desire for medication cost information among adults aged 65 years and older in the US in 2022. JAMA Network Open, 6(5), e2314211-e2314211. DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.14211
We Work Hard So That You Don’t
We’ll write a 100% plagiarism-free paper in under 1 hour