Taking Nursing Practice from Planning to Action
Nurses play a vital role in solving complex healthcare challenges. Through evidence-based care coordination and clinical problem-solving, they drive meaningful improvements in both patient care and organizational systems. In Capella University’s RN-to-BSN program, Nurs Fpx 4050 Assessment 4 and NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3 help students build these essential leadership and implementation skills.
While one focuses on advocating for better coordination in care settings, the other emphasizes designing a research-supported intervention plan for the capstone project. Together, they prepare nurses to act as informed change agents in today’s evolving healthcare landscape.
NURS FPX 4050 Assessment 4: Advocacy and Collaboration in Care Coordination
In Assessment 4 of Coordination and Care Across the Continuum, students develop a plan to advocate for improved care coordination. This assignment focuses on building a professional, persuasive strategy that highlights the nurse’s role in enhancing care transitions, improving outcomes, and reducing readmissions.
Assessment highlights include:
-
Identifying a Coordination Issue: Students choose a problem such as gaps in discharge planning, poor follow-up care, or breakdowns in interdisciplinary communication.
-
Developing an Advocacy Plan: The plan must show how nurses can lead or support changes in care delivery. This includes communication tactics, stakeholder involvement, and alignment with organizational goals.
-
Promoting Patient-Centered Care: A key component is advocating for patient needs—whether through policy improvements, education, or increased access to community resources.
-
Evidence-Based Justification: Students back their strategies with scholarly research and current best practices, showing the real-world value of improved care coordination.
This assessment strengthens students’ ability to collaborate across healthcare teams, champion change, and advocate effectively for both patients and nursing staff.
NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Designing an Evidence-Based Intervention
In Capstone Project Assessment 3, students shift from identifying a clinical problem (as done in Assessment 1) to designing a comprehensive intervention that can address it. This plan is grounded in evidence-based practice and aligned with the principles of quality improvement.
Core elements of this assessment include:
-
Evidence-Based Approach: Students conduct a literature review to support their proposed intervention. Sources must demonstrate that the intervention is both effective and appropriate for the clinical setting.
-
Implementation Plan: The design includes detailed steps for putting the intervention into practice—defining the roles of staff, required resources, timelines, and strategies for success.
-
Stakeholder Engagement: The plan should account for interdisciplinary collaboration and outline how key stakeholders (patients, nurses, providers, administrators) will be involved.
-
Outcome Measurement: Students define clear, measurable goals for tracking the success of the intervention, such as reduced infection rates, fewer readmissions, or improved patient satisfaction.
This assessment pushes students to think like nurse leaders—solving problems systematically and using current research to improve real-world outcomes.
Uniting Advocacy with Evidence-Based Action
Both NURS FPX 4050 Assessment 4 and Nurs Fpx 4900 Assessment 3 ask students to move beyond theory. They emphasize strategic thinking, teamwork, and a commitment to quality care. Together, these assessments help nursing students:
-
Advocate for systemic improvements in care delivery
-
Develop and lead evidence-based interventions
-
Collaborate across teams to improve patient experiences
-
Apply research to solve complex clinical issues
Whether advocating for change at the organizational level or designing solutions as part of a capstone, these experiences are essential in shaping confident, practice-ready nursing professionals.
