College of Nursing

Clinical Nurse Leaders Present Final Projects  

Six nursing students from the College of Nursing Certified Nurse Leader M.S.N. direct entry-program.On August 3, six students from the College of Nursing Certified Nurse Leader (CNL) M.S.N. direct-entry program presented their final capstone projects as part of their final course requirements in the program.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing CNL certification program prepares student nurses with a baccalaureate degree in another field to be “leaders in the healthcare delivery system in all settings in which healthcare is delivered. CNL practice will vary across settings. The CNL is not one of administration or management. The CNL assumes accountability for patient-care outcomes through the assimilation and application of evidence-based information to design, implement, and evaluate patient-care processes and models of care delivery. The CNL is a provider and manager of care at the point of care to individuals and cohorts of patients anywhere healthcare is delivered.”

The students were paired with master’s-prepared nurse leaders at our partner hospitals during the summer semester. They researched the literature and designed evidence-based quality improvement projects that were implemented in the departments where they were assigned during their summer semester. Utilizing their CNL training, the final capstone projects integrated evidence-based practice and interventions to design, develop and implement a quality improvement project that focused on the goals of the assigned unit at the hospital. The CNL students collected data from information systems, nursing staff, hospital stakeholders to develop the interventions and evaluate client health care outcomes. The students then participated with the interdisciplinary health care team and assisted in the delegation and management of the nursing team resources. As the ultimate goal, the capstone projects highlighted the CNL nursing role as an advocate for clients, families and/or communities utilizing effective communication, collaboration, self-reflection and advocacy skills to facilitate access to appropriate resources relative to the clinical setting.

CNL Program Director Beth Jameson, Ph.D. had these words for the graduates:

“These students started in Fall 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. The flexibility, resilience, and can-do attitude of each of these students made it clear that they saw nursing as an opportunity to be part of something in history we will never forget. The past two years have made it clear that each of you can and will make a difference in the lives of our patients. You are prepared for this. I am confident that you will be successful and be proud to be a nurse. I sincerely wish you all the best for a successful career journey ahead.”

 
Name  Capstone Project Hospital/Nurse Leader Partner
Samantha Blo "Cardiovascular Risk Screening in Pregnancy" Morristown Medical Center/Pamela Mellin
Casey Costello "Medication Flashcards: A Quality-Improvement Project to Increase Nurses’ Confidence in Patients Managing Medications" Morristown Medical Center/Marilynn Robayo
Jessenia Cruz "Improving Clinical Documentation: Braden Scale and Hendrich II Fall Risk" Hackensack Meridian Health Center/Andrea Hicks
Evi Mosheqaj "Utilizing an Escape Room in Teaching Post-Partum Hemorrhage Competency" Hackensack Meridian Health Center/Kara Hennessey
Stacey Orlando "Perceptions of Nurses Related to Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral IV Insertion" Hackensack Meridian Health at Jersey Shore Medical Center/Margaret Morales
Devyn Somogyi "Hardwiring Bedside Shift Report: A Patient-Centered Approach to Shift Change" Morristown Medical Center/Kristen Lake

 

Categories: Health and Medicine, Research