NUR 300 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The world of professional nursing practice and health policy is ever evolving to meet the new dynamics of care needs in every setting. As a registered nurse, you
are accountable and responsible for making decisions that are consistent with safe, competent, and ethical practices on a daily basis. You also face a variety of
complex issues that impact the delivery of your nursing care.
A professional practice issue is any issue or situation that either compromises client care or service by placing a client at risk or affects a nurse’s ability to provide
care or service consistent with standards and guidelines and agencies’ and organizations’ policies or procedures.
The final project for this course is a formal written paper that addresses a professional nursing practice issue of your choosing, with your instructor’s approval.
You will use evidence-based, peer-reviewed journals and professional databases to identify current literature about the professional practice issue you choose.
In addition, you will use literature sources to identify a relevant nursing conceptual framework (or model) that is relevant to the nursing issue that you have
chosen. A summation of the literature will be provided. Following this, you will write about the relationships that exist between the literature review of the issue
and the current state of nursing practice. Conversely, you might also write about points of contrast between the literature and the actual state of nursing
practice. In concluding the paper, you should reiterate the professional nursing practice issue and identify the most salient points of the literature review. The
nursing framework will be briefly summarized in terms of how it was related to the practice issue. Finally, you will be asked to briefly reflect upon the writing and
identify whether or not the literature review provided support for the issue. Implications of the research for your own practice will complete thepaper.
Outcomes
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
 Analyze advanced nursing practice roles in investigating potential professional development opportunities
 Employ appropriate scholarly healthcare resources in researching clinical practice issues
 Employ nursing conceptual frameworks in informing evidence-based clinical practice solutions
 Assess the implications of licensure, certification, and scope of practice on professional nurses’ ability to deliver safe, quality care
 Assess the impact of changing healthcare delivery systems on nursing practice for improving client care
Prompt
This project is a formal paper that addresses a professional nursing practice issue of your choice (see the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s website
for topic ideas). You may also consider topics such as staffing ratios, the merits of the BSN degree, delegation to unlicensed assistive personnel, or the role of the
professional nurse in assisted suicide, with your instructor’s approval. To cover the appropriate range of the research, you should consider using between three
and five scholarly or professional sources that establish context for your issue, literature review, legal and ethical implications, relevance to nursing practice, and
your conclusion. For this assignment, use the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) database and Cochrane database to identify
current information on the topic. Current peer-reviewed, scholarly journals may also be used.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction
a) Identify your selected nursing practice issue.
b) Provide a brief explanation of why you selected it.
II. Literature Review: In order to cover the appropriate range of the research, you should consider using between three and five peer-reviewed journals
and/or scholarly or professional databases as your sources of information.
a) Identify the current journals, databases, or other sources you have chosen to serve as the basis of your paper.
b) Justify why you feel the sources you have chosen are the most appropriate ones for yourissue.
c) Discuss how you selected the research material from those sources that most appropriately address yourissue.
d) Summarize the information you have collected from your research with regard to your issue. In other words, read your chosen articles and
summarize what the authors are saying. Be sure to use proper APA format for your citations.
III. Drawing Connections
a) Discuss the extent to which the literature supports the professional issue. In other words, think about whether or not the literature reflects the
current issue or problem. Does the literature agree or disagree? In what way? Discuss what the authors are saying with regard to theissue.
b) Analyze your issue in terms of its legal and ethical implications. Be sure to provide specific examples to substantiate your claims.
c) Assess your issue for its implications on professional licensure.
IV. Relevance to Healthcare Delivery
a) Explain the relationship between your issue and overall healthcare delivery.
b) Assess the extent to which your issue might improve or hinder patient care. Be sure to provide current scholarly evidence to support your
position.
V. Theoretical Foundations
a) Select a current conceptual framework that most appropriately applies to your issue. What are the main points of the conceptual model? How
do these points relate to your selected issue? Be sure to explain your rationale behind yourselection.
b) Suggest an alternative conceptual framework that might appropriately apply to your issue, being sure to substantiate your claims with specific
examples and research.
VI. Concluding Reflection
a) What impact do you feel the issue you selected might have on your own practice as a professional nurse? Be sure to provide current scholarly
evidence to support your position.
b) Discuss the ramifications of the issue you selected on your own nursing licensure and practice. In other words, how would this issue affect your
nursing license and your overall nursing practice if you encountered it in your work?
c) How is healthcare delivery overall affected by your issue? In other words, how does the issue that you chose affect healthcare in general and
the delivery of quality healthcare?
Milestone One: Identify a Topic
Milestones
This milestone is due in Module Two. Identify a topic for the final issue paper and propose one conceptual model that will provide the framework for the issue
paper. This is a non-graded but required activity.
Milestone Two: Literature Review for the Issue Paper
This milestone is due in Module Three. For this milestone assignment, you will submit a presentation that includes the highlights of your literature review. This
milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Drawing Connections and Relevance
This milestone is due in Module Four. This milestone assignment focuses on the Drawing Connections and the Relevance portions of the issue paper. This
milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Milestone Four: Theoretical Foundations and Conclusion
This milestone is due in Module Five. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Four Rubric.
Final Project: Submit
The final project is due in Module Seven. This final project is graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should be between 5 and 7 pages in length, not including your cover page and references page, and should be formatted
using Times New Roman, 12-point font, and one-inch margins. All citations should be made using proper APA publication format.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction: Issue Meets “Proficient” criteria and
uses industry-specific language to
establish expertise
Identifies, with precision, the
selected nursing practice issue
Identifies, generally, a selected
nursing practice issue
Does not identify selected
nursing practice issue
6
Introduction:
Explanation
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
uses industry-specific language to
establish expertise
Clearly articulates rationale for
issue selection
Articulates rationale for issue
selection but with gaps in clarity
Does not provide an explanation
for issue selection
6
Literature Review:
Sources
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers insightful review of
sources from professional
databases and how they are
appropriate to the chosen issue
Identifies current journals,
databases, or other sources
appropriate to selected issue
Identifies journals, databases, or
other sources, but they are not
current or are not appropriate to
selected issue
Does not identify journals,
databases, or other sources
4.5
Literature Review:
Appropriate
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers insightful explanation of
the appropriateness ofselected
sources
Accurately justifies
appropriateness of selected
professional sources
Justifies appropriateness of
selected professional sources but
with gaps in accuracy
Does not justify appropriateness
of selected sources
4.5
Literature Review:
Selected
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers keen insight into rationale
for the selection criteria
Discusses selection criteria for
research material appropriate to
selected issue
Discusses selection criteria for
research material, but with gaps
in detail or relevancy
Does not discuss selection
criteria for research material
4.5
Literature Review:
Summarize
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers professional commentary
about the information collected
from research
Accurately summarizes
information collected from
research with regard to selected
issue
Summarizes information
collected from research with
regard to selected issue, but with
limited summations and gaps in
detail
Does not summarize information
collected from research
4.5
Connections:
Supports
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
draws insightful connections
between literature and the issue
Comprehensively discusses the
extent to which the literature
supports the issue
Discusses the extent to which the
literature supports the issue, but
with gaps in detail
Does not discuss the extent to
which the literature supports the
issue
6
Connections: Legal
and Ethical
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
analysis is exceptionally clear and
well-informed
Comprehensively analyzes the
issue in terms of legal and ethical
implications
Analyzes the issue in terms of
legal and ethical implications, but
with gaps in detail
Does not analyze the issue in
terms of legal and ethical
implications
6
Connections:
Licensure
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers professional insights about
the implications for licensure
Comprehensively assesses the
issue for its implications on
licensure
Assesses the issue for its
implications on licensure, but
with gaps in detail
Does not assess the issue for its
implications on licensure
6
Relevance:
Relationship
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
draws insightful connections
between the issue and
healthcare delivery
Explains the relationship
between the issue and overall
healthcare delivery
Explains the relationship
between the issue and overall
healthcare delivery, but with
gaps in detail or accuracy
Does not explain the relationship
between the issue and overall
healthcare delivery
6
Relevance: Patient
Care
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides detailed examples of
how the issue will improve or
hinder patient care
Assesses the extent to which the
issue might improve or hinder
patient care and provides current
scholarly evidence to support
position
Assesses the extent to which the
issue might improve or hinder
patient care, but does not
provide current scholarly
evidence to support position
Does not assess the extent to
which the issue might improve or
hinder patient care
6
Theoretical: Current
Framework
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides detailed examples of
how the framework applies to
the issue
Selects a current conceptual
framework appropriate to the
issue and explains rationale
behind selection
Selects a conceptual framework,
but it is not current , is not
appropriate to the issue, or does
not explain rationale behind
selection
Does not select a conceptual
framework that applies to the
issue
6
Theoretical:
Alternative
Framework
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides detailed examples of
how the framework applies to
the issue
Suggests an alternative
conceptual framework
appropriate to the issue and
substantiates claims with specific
examples and research
Suggests an alternative
conceptual framework that is not
appropriate to the issue, or does
not substantiate claims with
specific examples and research
Does not suggest an alternative
conceptual framework
6
Concluding
Reflection: Own
Practice
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers keen insights from the
literature and professional
practice concerning the impact of
the issue
Discusses impact of issue on own
practice as professional nurse
and provides current scholarly
evidence to support position
Discusses impact of issue on own
practice as professional nurse,
but provides evidence that is not
current, is not scholarly, or does
not provide evidence
Does not discuss impact of issue
on own practice as professional
nurse
6
Concluding
Reflection: Licensure
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers keen insights from the
literature and professional
practice concerning the impact of
the issue
Accurately articulates the
ramifications of the issue on
one’s own nursing licensure and
practice
Articulates the ramifications of
the issue on one’s own nursing
licensure and practice, but with
gaps in accuracy and description
Does not articulate the
ramifications of the issue on
one’s own nursing licensure and
practice
6
Concluding
Reflection:
Healthcare Delivery
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
draws insightful connections
between the issue and overall
healthcare delivery
Accurately discusses how
healthcare delivery overall is
affected by the issue
Discusses how healthcare
delivery overall is affected by the
issue but with gaps in accuracy
Does not discuss how healthcare
delivery overall is affected by the
issue
6
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization
and is presented in a professional
and easy-to-read format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
10
Earned Total 100%