Evaluating a Clinical Practice Change

NURS-FPX4903Capstone: Assessment 3 (Implementation and Evaluation)

Capstone Assessment 3: Implementation and Evaluation Brief

This assessment focuses on the translation of an evidence-based change project into practice. It requires the evaluation of your proposed project’s implementation, detailing how a change project is introduced, managed, and measured within a healthcare setting. This assessment directly addresses core competencies in professional nursing leadership and evidence-based practice.

Assessment Description: Implementation and Evaluation

The purpose of this assessment is to demonstrate the ability to translate an evidence-based change project, developed in prior assessments, into a feasible, actionable plan for implementation and subsequent evaluation. You will analyze critical aspects of implementation, including leadership, stakeholder engagement, resource allocation, and outcome measurement.

Deliverable: A comprehensive report (typically 6-8 pages, excluding title and reference pages) detailing the plan for implementation and evaluation of your evidence-based change project.

Specific Requirements:

1. Project Overview: Briefly restate the problem, the proposed evidence-based intervention, and the projected desired outcomes (from Assessment 1 and 2).
2. Implementation Plan:
   • Leadership and Collaboration: Propose leadership strategies necessary to initiate the change. Identify key interprofessional stakeholders and outline a plan for their engagement and collaboration during implementation.
   • Resource Management: Identify the essential resources (e.g., personnel, technology, financial) required for the project’s successful implementation and a realistic plan for their allocation and management.
   • Change Management: Describe strategies to promote a culture of change and address potential barriers or resistance among staff and other stakeholders.
   • Timeline: Include a high-level timeline for the implementation phase.
3. Evaluation Plan:
   • Outcome Measures: Select specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) evaluation metrics (process, outcome, and/or balancing measures) to determine the project’s success.
   • Data Collection: Describe the data collection methods and tools to be used for monitoring progress and measuring outcomes (e.g., surveys, audits, electronic health record data extraction).
   • Ethical Considerations: Identify any ethical or policy considerations that must be addressed during implementation and evaluation.
4. Sustaining the Change: Discuss strategies for sustaining the change long-term and potential methods for scaling the project to other units or organizations.
5. Evidence and Professionalism: Support all claims and plans with current, credible, and scholarly evidence (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, authoritative health care organization reports). Use APA formatting for citations and references.

References 

1. Melnyk, B. M. & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2022). Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare: A guide to best practice (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
2. Aitken, L. M., Chaboyer, W., & Marshall, A. P. (2020). Implementing evidence-based practice in the intensive care unit: The role of the clinical nurse consultant. Australian Critical Care, 33(4), 316–322.
3. Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). (2024). IHI white paper: A framework for safe, reliable, and effective care. IHI Open School. (A specific IHI publication on quality improvement or change management published in 2024 or 2025 may replace this general entry if a more specific title is found).
4. Brown, R., Jones, L., & Chen, S. (2021). The impact of transformational leadership on successful implementation of evidence-based nursing interventions. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(7), 1700–1708.
5. Li, X. & Wang, Y. (2019). Development and evaluation of a clinical practice change program for promoting heart failure self-management: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 95, 107–115.