This post is part of a sponsored series recounting the incredible experience I had with Capella University’s MSN program in the FlexPath learning format as a sponsored student. Join me as I take you through my MSN journey, which commenced in 2017 and concluded 17 months later — just seven days before the arrival of my son. Together, we’ll explore my FlexPath experience and how it empowered me to achieve my educational goals amidst the beautiful chaos of life. If you want to check out all of the blog posts from my journey, click here. Let’s dive in! ??

The MSN practicum project is the icing on the MSN program cake. The practicum is the MSN capstone project that is required to finish up the advanced practice nursing degree. Although it does not have to be directly in a clinical setting, the Capella MSN practicum must add value to your nursing practice and demonstrate your critical thinking skills. In this post, I’ll share my experience starting my practicum for the MSN program at Capella, along with some practicum project ideas, and insight into my capstone project (which is different from a practicum and I’ll share how below!).

MSN Practicum and Capstone

Because completing a capstone project is a significant milestone in the MSN program, it’s important that you select an MSN practicum project idea that aligns with your interests and long-term goals. You can also add this experience to your resume later, so any MSN capstone ideas you come up with should be relevant to your current or future specialty. By completing your practicum, you’ll be able to showcase the knowledge and skills you’ve gained throughout your program. Even better, you’ll be able to demonstrate evidence-based practice and make a meaningful contribution to the nursing field. I’ll talk about my capstone project a bit later, but if you’re considering obtaining your MSN, here are some examples of practicum project ideas you could consider:

• Improving Patient Adherence to Diabetes Management Programs: Develop an intervention to increase adherence to diabetes management programs, evaluating its effectiveness through measures such as HbA1c levels and patient feedback.

 

• Reducing Hospital Readmissions through Enhanced Discharge Planning: Design a detailed discharge planning process to reduce hospital readmissions, assessing its success by tracking readmission rates.

 

• Promoting Mental Health in the Workplace: Create a mental health promotion program for nurses, measuring its impact through factors such as nurse burnout rates and job satisfaction.

Those are just a few ideas – and there are many possibilities out there!

My MSN Program Experience

After I had officially completed 12 MSN courses I got to begin my practicum! I was so excited to reach this milestone! For my practicum experience, I was paired with a nurse educator and her team, who were responsible for the new graduate residency program at a local hospital. It was so great to have my practicum site nearby and work on an MSN capstone that so clearly aligned with my passion for educating and guiding new nurses. The residency program at my hospital is highly successful, and I actually went through it myself as a new graduate nurse eight years prior to this practicum! The residency program had changed substantially since my time there, and it was amazing to see the operational side of nursing education. If you’d prefer to watch a video of me describing my experience, click play below. Otherwise, continue reading!

Starting my Practicum: Prep

Before I could begin my hours, I had to go through an approval process. It was my responsibility to find a place to complete my practicum, so I chose to do so at my current employer. Thankfully, the organization where I completed my MSN practicum had a well-oiled process in place for placing students and preceptors. They even had a preexisting relationship with Capella, so getting set up was a breeze because each side had already vetted one another. At my hospital, I met with the individual who sets up preceptors for varying levels of degrees. I told her my interests and goals, and she paired me with the perfect preceptor. Then, I filled out the appropriate online requirements with Capella. They needed things like my CV, what I wanted out of my practicum experience, why my preceptor was an appropriate selection, a clear background check, and all that jazz.