Capstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capstone - Essay Example Special academic programs serve the purpose of arming nurses with tailor made skills meant to enhance workplace related competence. Upon acquiring the required theoretical knowledge, nursing students may demonstrate their ability to articulate the acquired skills in duties within actual healthcare facility settings. At this juncture, I will examine my professional and intellectual growth upon completion of the nursing program. A nurse is free to choose any project as long as it addresses practical, real world challenges using the knowledge and skills gained while pursuing their graduate program. A capstone project entails a paper and presentation which uses the nurse’s experience to address a particular challenge identified in a proposal. A capstone program aims to evaluate nurse’s ability to identify a problem, formulate a relevant research question, use correct methods to tackle the research question and identify how their knowledge relates to current scholars and stu dies. The nurse should also be able to demonstrate the ability to organize information, interpret significance, write a good prose and use evidence and example to develop his study. Capstone portfolio is a benchmark assessment for the program and provides an opportunity for assessment by multiple parties. It help an individual assess himself as a nurse and long time learner and professional (Huba and Freed, 2000) because after graduation, the individual is involved in a process of continuous reflecting, self-assessment and self-guided scholarly and professional growth. When information from your capstone portfolio is used, it provides a forum for assessment by employers or other people from whom the individual seeks specific opportunities. Assessment plan for capstone portfolio is comprehensive as there is minimum requirement (average grade point) to qualify for the program and other qualifications an individual is supposed to meet like the need to provide finger prints, check of cr iminal records and computer competency. Then in the course of the program there is constant assessment by instructor on the courses undertaken and grades earned in return. In other cases a nurse is expected to pass a certain specified course before they can be allowed to undertake another course. This could also apply in courses where one needs to pass in the theoretical classes before they can be allowed into the field for practical work or internship. Classroom experience provides a basic framework before you are allowed into the field which is used as a forum to assess how good one has gripped the concepts that were taught. Upon completion of the program, I have acknowledged importance of acquiring informed consent from clients during clinical and social care procedures. Professional conduct of nursing involves explicitly defined guidelines concerning ethical practices. In addition, the program emphasizes the importance of nursing professional conduct towards the cultural require ments in a nurse-client relationship. In my practical encounter with geriatrics patients, I have learned that clients may refuse to undertake certain clinical procedures, even if those procedures are beneficial to their wellbeing. Throughout the course, I appreciate the fact that clients have a right to decline treatment. As a nurse, I will only be able to administer clinical procedures after acquiring voluntary and informed consent from a patient. According to Heartfield and Andre (2011), this relates to