Implementing a New Capstone Leadership Clinical Course.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Leadership
• Clinical Skills Development

Background:

• Nurse educators face challenges in aligning clinical education with evolving healthcare demands.
• New nurses often lack essential leadership skills and systems-thinking awareness for practice readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address identified educational gaps and capacity issues in nursing education.
• To develop and evaluate a novel capstone leadership clinical course for nursing students.

Main Methods:

• An eclectic education model was employed to design a leadership-focused capstone course.
• The course incorporated five distinct types of experiences, including simulated learning and reduced acute care hours.

Main Results:

• Stakeholder evaluations confirmed enhanced leadership capacity, systems thinking, and professional identity in students.
• Students maintained proficiency in managing multiple patients, teamwork, and evidence-based practice.

Conclusions:

• The redesigned clinical course effectively supports nursing students' transition to practice and accommodates increased enrollment.
• Successful implementation of eclectic clinical models necessitates meticulous planning, faculty collaboration, and defined expectations.