Capstone Change Project Outcome:

After working with your preceptor to assess organizational policies, create a list of measurable outcomes for your capstone project intervention. Write a list of three to five outcomes for your proposed intervention. Below each outcome, provide a one or two sentence rationale.
The assignment will be used to develop a written implementation plan.
APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

ANSWER

Measurable Outcomes for the Capstone Project Intervention

Long working hours, including practicing overnight, cause disruption, disturbed sleep, and depression that decline performance and alertness. The proposed intervention for the capstone change project is to establish and implement a shift schedule that will create a healthy working environment for the nurses. Shift scheduling is essential in work engagement and enables nurses to overcome the long working hours (Smith-Miller et al., 2014). By choosing shifts regarding their lifestyles and preferences, the nurses will have more control over their work and life.

The measurable outcomes for the capstone project include:

1. Improved patient care – Shift scheduling increases the work satisfaction of nurses, which is one of the most critical factors of inpatient care. Shifts scheduling will increase performance due to reduced burnout, fatigue, and high job satisfaction, improving patient care. For instance, shift scheduling is essential in reducing medical errors, postoperative complications, low risk of infection, and reduced falls, enhancing patient care.
2. Reduced sickness absence and turnover- Nurses’ turnover negatively impacts the healthcare service since the replacement of nurses’ skills fails to meet the expected standards of care. Therefore, shift scheduling will reduce turnover and sickness, thus maintaining the standards of care.
3. Low fatigue-related errors and burnouts- A shift schedule will improve the nurses’ work engagement and productivity, thus reducing burnouts and fatigue-related errors, which are a major cause of poor patient care (Cloete, 2015). Working on shifts will eliminate fatigue-related errors and burnouts, thus improving the quality of care.
4. Improved nursing working environment – Shift schedule will improve the nature of the nurse workforce and create a healthy working environment where nurses can make important care decisions. Regulating the working hours will create an environment where nurses can comfortably work and contribute to the quality of care.

References

Cloete, L. (2015). Reducing medication errors in nursing practice. Cancer Nursing Practice, 14(1).

Smith-Miller, C. A., Shaw-Kokot, J., Curro, B., & Jones, C. B. (2014). An integrative review: fatigue among nurses in acute care settings. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 44(9), 487-494.