Design and Implementation of a Nursing Capstone Across a Multisite Health System.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Academic-Practice Partnerships
• Clinical Preceptorship

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted nursing education.
• A college of nursing and healthcare organization formed a partnership to address these challenges.
• The Jefferson Capstone Experience (JCE) was developed as an innovative education model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the expedited design, implementation, and evaluation of the JCE.
• To assess the effectiveness of the JCE in preparing undergraduate nursing students.
• To evaluate the impact of the JCE on the hiring of new-to-practice nurses.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method program evaluation was employed.
• Data collection included surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Participants included students, faculty, and preceptors.

Main Results:

• High levels of satisfaction were reported by both students and preceptors.
• Effective communication, collaboration, and organization were key factors.
• A significant number of JCE graduates secured employment with their clinical partners.

Conclusions:

• Despite logistical challenges, the JCE provided an immersive and positive learning experience.
• The program successfully created a robust hiring pipeline for newly graduated nurses.
• The academic-practice model demonstrated value in nursing workforce development.