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

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created profound effects in nursing education. Using a robust academic-practice partnership, a college of nursing and a health care organization collaborated to launch Jefferson Capstone Experience (JCE), an education delivery model that included a one-to-one, 108-hour clinical preceptorship between an experienced RN and an undergraduate nursing student. Method: The expedited design, implementation, and evaluation of JCE is described. The mixed-method program evaluation included surveys, interviews, and focus groups with students, faculty, and preceptors. Results: Students and preceptors reported high levels of satisfaction with JCE. All parties emphasized the importance of clear and timely communication, academic practice collaboration, and organization. A significant number of capstone graduates accepted a position with a capstone clinical partner. Conclusion: Although the logistics of planning and implementation were challenging, an immersive and largely positive experience was created for undergraduate students, which created a robust hiring pipeline of new-to-practice nurses. [ J Nurs Educ . 2024;63(5):292–297.]