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.

Topic:  Improving Medication Reconciliation Accuracy at Admission and Discharge

Medication errors often occur during care transitions. This project could introduce a nurse-led medication reconciliation checklist or electronic workflow enhancement. Measurable outcomes may include medication discrepancies, readmission rates related to medication errors, and patient understanding of discharge medications.

This project is only a proposal and will not be implemented in a practice setting.

Write a 750-word description of your proposed capstone project topic. Include the following:

1. 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. 
2. Discuss the setting or context in which the problem or issue can be observed and describe the population affected by this problem or issue. 
3. Discuss the implications this clinical practice problem or issue has on nursing practice.
4. Based on your needs assessment in Topic 1, describe why this is a priority for the community/clinical site or affected clinical population. 
5. 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? 
6. 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.