Standardized Clinical Placement Amanda Swenty MSN-Learner Walden University NURS 6600 April 30, 2016 Introduction Summary of Practicum Project Topic Project Goals Project Objectives Rationale for Goals Practicum Project Methodology Practicum Project Findings Conclusion I would like to welcome the faculty and course members to this presentation of a topic that I am passionate about as a current faculty member. This project will explain in detail the need for a standardized placement tool for academic settings and hospitals to use. 2 Current difficulty placing students in the clinical setting Limited sites for faculty led/preceptor led clinical Disorganized Process of placement of students Current placement is done individually by each site and it time intensive Current process shows favoritism Summary of Practicum Project Topic As a former student I have felt the pains of placement for students in the clinical setting. As a faculty member I have been exposed to the difficulties that placing students has placed on the colleges and faculty, and the hospitals that host students. The difficulties are in the following areas: Lack of qualified faculty willing to be flexible in unique clinical times (weekends/nights) Poor communication between the school/hospital Time extensive placement for current process ( School sends a request, hospitals wait for requests from all colleges before approving, placement approvals/denial sent back to college). This process can take up to months for a response. Due to the poor communication sites are limited as managers don’t respond timely so sites go without students on site The faculty from each college and placement coordinators from each hospital all meet monthly to discuss process. At this meeting it was discovered that one hospital places favoritism to the college associated with them and also the technical college as they have tenure with them. This makes fair placement an issue. In the Greater Green Bay Healthcare Alliance meeting I presented the proposed topic for approval on April 8, 2016. The above listed issues were discussed and all members agreed to provide data to make placement a standardized process. All faculty and placement coordinators agree to provide all data available to create a useful tool that can be used by all members for student clinical placement. 3 Project Goals Gather all necessary information to create an effective standardized placement tool Create a standardized student placement tool Presentation approved by the Greater Green Bay Health Care Alliance Successful completion of this course to better prepare me for this advanced degree in nursing The project goals that I have set for this project are related to the creation of a standardized tool that can be useful for academic setting and healthcare facilities to use to place students in the clinical setting. As listed in the introduction the current process lacks organization, standardiz.

1. Standardized Clinical Placement
Amanda Swenty
MSN-Learner
Walden University
NURS 6600
April 30, 2016
Introduction
Summary of Practicum Project Topic
Project Goals
Project Objectives
Rationale for Goals
Practicum Project Methodology
Practicum Project Findings
Conclusion
I would like to welcome the faculty and course members to this
presentation of a topic that I am passionate about as a current
faculty member. This project will explain in detail the need for
a standardized placement tool for academic settings and
hospitals to use.
2
Current difficulty placing students in the clinical setting
Limited sites for faculty led/preceptor led clinical
Disorganized Process of placement of students
Current placement is done individually by each site and it time
intensive
Current process shows favoritism

2. Summary of Practicum Project Topic
As a former student I have felt the pains of placement for
students in the clinical setting. As a faculty member I have
been exposed to the difficulties that placing students has placed
on the colleges and faculty, and the hospitals that host students.
The difficulties are in the following areas:
Lack of qualified faculty willing to be flexible in unique
clinical times (weekends/nights)
Poor communication between the school/hospital
Time extensive placement for current process ( School sends a
request, hospitals wait for requests from all colleges before
approving, placement approvals/denial sent back to college).
This process can take up to months for a response.
Due to the poor communication sites are limited as managers
don’t respond timely so sites go without students on site
The faculty from each college and placement coordinators from
each hospital all meet monthly to discuss process. At this
meeting it was discovered that one hospital places favoritism to
the college associated with them and also the technical college
as they have tenure with them. This makes fair placement an
issue.
In the Greater Green Bay Healthcare Alliance meeting I
presented the proposed topic for approval on April 8, 2016. The
above listed issues were discussed and all members agreed to
provide data to make placement a standardized process. All
faculty and placement coordinators agree to provide all data
available to create a useful tool that can be used by all members
for student clinical placement.
3

3. Project Goals
Gather all necessary information to create an effective
standardized placement tool
Create a standardized student placement tool
Presentation approved by the Greater Green Bay Health Care
Alliance
Successful completion of this course to better prepare me for
this advanced degree in nursing
The project goals that I have set for this project are related to
the creation of a standardized tool that can be useful for
academic setting and healthcare facilities to use to place
students in the clinical setting. As listed in the introduction the
current process lacks organization, standardization, and shows
favoritism to certain academic settings, leaving the rest to
“fight” for sites.
At the end of this course I hope to have created a tool that will
support the placement of every nursing student in the Green Bay
area in the five hospitals that place students.
4
Rationale for Goals
Comprehensive information to build standardized plan is
imperative to success of this plan
If this plan is successful there will be:
Decreased frustration for academic settings and hospitals
regarding current placement methods
Decreased time allotted to Deans and placement coordinators
for current placement efforts
A standardized placement that will be useful for all involved.

4. This means working with many different organizations at one
time. Getting all the information into one standardized place in
a main system is the goal set about by the rationale used for the
goal.
5
Program Objectives
Objective 1:
By the end of nursing 6600 I will be able to effectively
communicate my role as clinical coordinator to students and
university staff/leaders as defined by evidence-based
practice.
I was clearly able to define and outline the role of clinical
coordinator. In doing this I was able to lay the groundwork for
bridging the gap between clinical instruction, students, and
clinical sites in the greater green bay area.
6
Program Objectives
Objective 2:
By the end of nursing 6600 I will have undergone the
experience necessary to expand on conflict resolution skills.
This experience will be gained from the practicum mentor
who is a member of fulltime faculty at a private college with
4 years of tenure. This will guide me to be a more effective
leader.

5. The past decade has seen a significant increase in the use of
electronic media in educational settings. This use of technology
has created many opportunities to develop new teaching
strategies in nursing. Of concern, however, are challenges
facing faculty who did not “grow up” in the computer age.
Today’s expectation that faculty will use electronic
technologies in their teaching can be particularly stressful for
nursing faculty with little or no computer knowledge. This can
be compounded when the faculty person is teaching many
students who have grown up in the computer age. As nurses,
leaders, and professionals we need to be able to cope with such
conflicts effectively in order to engage everyone in a learning
and safe environment.
7
Project Objectives
Objective 3:
By the end nursing 6600 I will have acquired the skills
necessary to analyze and effectively evaluate situations.
Specifically to this project the standardized placements for
clinical sites for students in the ADN and BSN programs
Developed a tool to quickly identify open clinical sites for
students and at what facility. Takes a great amount of stress off
the faculty and the institutions in which the students are sent for
clinical experience.
8
Practicum Project Methodology
Fundamental research- consists of the following attributes:
◾Aims to solve a problem by adding to the field of application
of a discipline
◾Often several disciplines work together for solving the

6. problem
◾Often researches individual cases without the aim to
generalize
◾Aims to say how things can be changed
◾Acknowledges that other variables are constant by changing
◾Reports are compiled in a common language
(Allan, AJ, Randy, LJ, 2005)
For this project I did the following:
Used questionnaires, interviews, and surveys to determine the
degree to which the project is solving the problem meant to
attend
And to gather information from the audiences. The
questionnaires will be open ended or cross ended.
9
Practicum Project Findings
This is the tool we developed for presentation. It includes the
schools, number of students, clinical sites, and clinical sites
available for students at each site and in which location.
The schools provided the information for us via email, surveys,
in person meetings, and questionnaires.
10
Conclusion
This research contributes to the identification of the skills that
play an important role in the nursing leadership.
Informatics skills are important in the current technological
world.
Moreover competence in leadership and informatics is essential

7. for the success of nursing leadership
By integrating clinical placement and clinical site to a central
location we are integrating the clinician and the faculty. This
sets leadership role example for future nurses and students.
11
References
Allan, AJ, Randy, LJ, 2005, Writing the Winning Thesis or
Dissertation. A Step-by-Step Guide, Corwin Press, California
Herrin, D., & Spears, P. (2014). Using nurse leader
development to improve nurse retention and patient outcomes.
Nursing Administration Quarterly, 31(3), 231-243.
Conger, J.A., Spreitzer, G.M. & Lawler, III, E.E. (eds.) (1999).
The leader's change handbook: An essential guide to setting
direction and taking action. San Francisco:
References Continued
Small, S. 2012: Bridging Research and Practice in the Family
and Human Services, in: Family Relations, 54, 320-334.
Tanenbaum, S. 2011 Evidence-Based Practice in Mental Health:
Practical Weaknesses Meet Political Strengths, in: Journal of
Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 9, 287-301.
PROPOSED PRACTICUM PROJECT

8. With the help of the greater green bay healthcare alliance I will
be proposing to standardize the way in which students are
places into clinical sites within the green bay college system for
acute care rotation of AND students. I will contact all hospitals
including BellinHealth, St. Vincent’s, Brown county mental
health center, Aurora, St. Mary’s, and Bay area medical center,
and Oconto falls hospital and Bellin Psych. I am working with
my preceptor Julie a faculty member and clinical coordinator
for Rasmussen College in Green Bay. We will need to be in
contact with and coordinate with NWTC, CMN, GB, and Bellin
College. I hope to develop a standardized tool (computer
program) that will enable everyone to click on website and see
which clinical sites are available and which are taken making it
easier to place students in an acute care clinical site.
Planning to research other clinical placement tools out there and
go from there.
NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum
Student Support and Calendar Information
So you have all key information available to you off-line, it is
highly recommended that you print the following items for your
reference:
· Syllabus, including the Course Schedule, located below as a
linked PDF
· Term Calendar
· Student Support
Credit Hours
5 quarter hours
Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number
and type of assignments that enable students to achieve the
course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit
equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter
credit equals about 28 hours of total student work. This time
requirement represents an approximate average for
undergraduate work and the minimum expectations for graduate

9. work. The number and kind of activities estimated to fulfill time
requirements will vary by degree level and student learning
style, and by student familiarity with the delivery method and
course content.
Course Description
Students in this course apply the MSN curriculum experience by
translating knowledge into practice through participation in
professional activities and the development of a culminating
project. Students apply theory, principles, and concepts related
to their area of specialization in order to enhance nursing
practice and promote positive social change. Note: This course
requires a minimum of 144 practicum hours.
Course Prerequisites
Students must have completed all Core Courses:
· NURS 6001: Foundations for Graduate Study
· NURS 6050: Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population
Health
· NURS 6051: Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through
Technology
· NURS 6052: Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice
· NURS 6053: Interprofessional Organizational and Systems
Leadership
Plus area of specialization courses:
Leadership and Management Specialization:
· NURS 6201: Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare
· NURS 6211: Finance and Economics in Healthcare Delivery
· NURS 6221: Managing Human Resources
· NURS 6231: Healthcare Systems and Quality Outcomes
· NURS 6241: Strategic Planning in Health Care Organizations
Nursing Informatics Specialization:
· NURS 6401: Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare
· NURS 6411: Information and Knowledge Management
· NURS 6421: Supporting Workflow in Healthcare Systems
· NURS 6441: Project Management: Healthcare Information
Technology
· NURS 6431: Evaluation Methods for Health Information and

10. Technology
Course Outcomes
· Create professional development objectives for the Practicum
Experience
· Apply theory as it relates to a practicum and/or practice
experiences
· Apply knowledge and expertise to address a health care
problem in a practicum setting
· Evaluate Practicum Experiences
· Evaluate the achievement of individualized and Practicum
Project objectives
· Apply methods for disseminating outcomes of the Practicum
Project
· Evaluate opportunities for continued professional growth
Son Alignment of Learner Outcomes
Click on the following link to access the SON Alignment of
Learner Outcomes: NURS 6600 SON Alignment of Learner
Outcomes (PDF)
Course Materials
Students will be provided the following course materials. For
missing, incorrect, or damaged materials, please contact the
Student Support Team. Contact information for the Student
Support Team can be located in the Student Support area of the
course navigation menu.
Course Text
There is no course text for this course. However, other readings
(journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned
throughout the course and may be found within each week and
within the Course Schedule.
Course Readings List
The Course Readings List contains all of the required Walden
Library resources for this course. Please click on the following
link to access the list: NURS 6600 Course Readings List
Media
Assigned course media elements may be found in one or more
weeks of the course and are available via a streaming media

11. player or a hyperlink to the individual item.
Course Schedule
For full assignment details and directions, refer to each week.
All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on
the day assigned (which is 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) the next
day). The time stamp in the classroom will reflect Eastern Time
(ET), regardless of your time zone. As long as your submission
time stamp is no later than 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), you
have submitted on time.
Click the following link to access the Course Schedule: NURS
6600 Course Schedule (PDF)
Course Calendar
A printable course calendar is located in the Term Calendar area
of the course navigation menu.
Dedicated Support for Course Media
You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number
for any questions or concerns you have about media in the
course.
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-877-238-2963
Primary and Secondary Sources
Review the following information prior to selecting resources
for assignments.
Primary: A primary source is an original document that is the
first account of what happened. A research report is primary,
and you can tell because it includes materials and methods
demonstrating how the research was done. Some creative work
is also primary, such as poetry, novels, and interviews of people
who experienced something firsthand. In nursing, which is an
evidence-based discipline, we strive to use primary research
that is published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.
Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish
papers by professional authors and experts in the field using a
peer-review process to review the work and assure quality
before publishing. The focus of a scholarly journal is to provide
accurate information for scholars and other researchers. The

12. focus is on content rather than advertising, a direct contrast to
popular media. Scholarly journals publish both primary and
secondary papers, the former usually noted as original research
and the latter as reviews and commentaries. Letters to the editor
may also be published but should be recognized as opinion
pieces.
Note: When selecting articles for course assignments, you are
advised (unless you are referencing seminal information) to
focus on work published within the past five years.
Secondary: A secondary source is one step removed from the
original source. This work interprets and often compiles other
work, and it includes review articles, textbooks, fact sheets, and
commentaries about a topic. It also includes news reports of
original research. Secondary work is more prone to error and
bias than primary work because it is being filtered through an
additional person or persons. Review papers can be useful to
glean information about a topic and to find other sources from
the reference list, but it is the original, primary research that
should be relied on most heavily in demonstrating scholarship,
depth, and validation of factual information.
Course Assignments
1. Participation in weekly Discussions: The exchange of ideas
among colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect
of learning and is a requisite activity in this course. You are
expected to participate each week by posting a response to a
prompt or question in the weekly Discussion area. Discussion
topics/questions are provided in the Discussion area under each
weekly button. In addition, you are expected to respond to your
fellow students’ postings. To count as participation, responses
need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week’s
readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from
other sources, and/or ideas expressed in the postings of other
class members. You may ask questions or offer further
information or links about the subject. Please pay attention to
grammar and spelling, as consistently poorly written posts will
receive grade penalties. In grading the required Discussion

13. postings, your Instructor will be using the Formative Evaluative
Criteria for Discussion Board Assignments rubric located in
the Course Information area of the course navigation menu.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are
due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or
before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion
on at least three different days. It is important to adhere to the
weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to
your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to
questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely
manner.
2. Application Assignments: The Application Assignments
provide you with the opportunity to apply the skills and
knowledge gained through the Learning Resources. See
the Assignment area of specific weeks for detailed descriptions
of the assignments. In grading the required Application
Assignments, your Instructor will be using rubrics located in
the Course Information area of the course navigation menu.
3. Practicum Journal/Time Log: This course includes a 144-hour
practicum. The practicum is an active learning experience that
provides you with the opportunity to apply your nursing
knowledge in a community or public health setting. You will
apply the concepts and skills that you are acquiring in NURS
6600 with guidance from your Instructor under the direction of
a mentor. The practicum is a minimum of 144 hours.
Students must keep a log of the time they spend related to their
practicum experience. Time Logs are accessed from the
Welcome Page of the Meditreck Account. Hours must be
inputted daily throughout the term and are reviewed by the
instructor in Weeks 3, 7, and 11.
Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade
Course grades will be based on participation (postings) and
completion of assignments listed below.
Grading Scale

14. Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
90%–100%
= A
80%–89%
= B
70%–79%
= C
<70%
= F
Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades.
Important Note: This course contains weighted grading.
Assignments are weighted differently depending on their type.
The total points achieved for each assignment will be weighted
based on the percentage values noted in the Weighted Total
(%) column of the table that follows.
Assignment
Total Points
Weighted Total (%)
Discussions
· Participation in Discussions*
(8 @ 100 points each)
800
30%
Application Assignments:
· Week 1: Practicum Professional Experience Plan (100 points)
· Week 3: Time Log (100 points) and Journal Entry (100 points)
· Week 5: Practicum Project Plan (100 points)
· Week 7: Time Log (100 points) and Journal Entry (100 points)
· Week 9: Practicum Project Poster Abstract (100 points)
· Week 10: Practicum Project Presentation (100 points)
· Week 11: Time Log (100 points), Journal Entry (100 points),
and Professional Portfolio (S/U)
1,000
70%
Total
1,800

15. 100%
* Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting
and at least two response postings to colleagues. See the
Formative Evaluative Criteria for Discussion Board
Assignments Rubric for posting details.
Incomplete Grade Policy
Per University policy, Incomplete grades can be granted only to
students who have already met the minimum criteria for active
weekly participation in a course (including weekly postings in
online courses) and have completed at least 80% of other
coursework. Incompletes can be awarded when, because of
extenuating circumstances, a student has not met additional
course requirements, including but not limited to written
assignments, group projects, and research papers, as applicable.
All Incomplete grades are awarded at the discretion of the
course faculty. (Reproduced from the Student Catalog)
Students who are eligible for an Incomplete must contact the
course Faculty Member to request the grade as soon as possible.
Students who do not meet the criteria listed above will not be
allowed to earn an Incomplete. If the Incomplete is approved,
the Faculty Member will work with the student to outline the
due date(s) for remaining work. Under no circumstances will the
new due dates extend beyond 50 days from the last day of the
term. Faculty will then have 10 days to assess the work and post
the permanent grade before the University-allotted Incomplete
time limit of 60 days expires. All Incomplete grades not
resolved within the time allotted will convert to permanent
grades of F.
Instructor Feedback Schedule
The Instructor will log in to the course during the week to
monitor the weekly Discussion area. Feedback will be provided
via comments in the My Grades area, the Discussion area,
and/or the Announcements page.
You can expect your weekly assignment grades to be posted
within 10 calendar days of a due date. Instructor feedback and
explanation is provided whenever full credit is not achieved.

16. Depending on the nature of the feedback, Instructor responses
may be posted to the Discussion area or included in the My
Grades area. The goal of your Instructor is to act as a discussion
and learning facilitator rather than a lecturer. The Instructor
will not respond to every posting by every individual, so please
feel free to ask your Instructor if you would like some personal
feedback on a particular assignment posting or any time you
have any questions regarding your assignments or your grade.
Course Procedures
All class Discussions take place in the weekly Discussion areas.
You are encouraged to post course-related questions to the
Contact the Instructor area of the course navigation menu, as
they may be of interest to all; however, if your question is
urgent, it is often best to e-mail the Instructor. If your e-mailed
question is thought to be of benefit to all, it may be responded
to by the Instructor via e-mail to all or posted as an
announcement.
Instructor feedback on content and writing issues that is thought
to be of benefit to the entire class may be posted to the Contact
the Instructor area; however, most personal critique will be
done privately in the My Grades area. Be sure to check the My
Grades area for comments every week, even if you received full
credit.
Please feel free to use the Class Café to initiate and participate
in conversations not directly related to the course. This is an
excellent opportunity to get to know other students better. The
Instructor will browse theClass Café occasionally, but generally
will not respond to conversations posted there unless students
have specific questions for him or her.
Check the e-mail account you use for official Walden
University business on a regular basis. The expectation is that
you are checking this e-mail account daily during the week. If
you experience difficulty sending or receiving Walden e-mail,
please contact the Student Support Team right away. Contact
information for the Student Support Team is located in
the Student Support area of the course navigation menu.

17. Review all materials in the Course Information area, as well as
the materials contained under each of the weekly buttons.
Please note: There may be Optional Readings located within the
Learning Resources section of each week in the course. You are
encouraged to explore these readings as needed in order to
enhance your understanding of the course content.
Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments
Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week.
Do not e-mail postings to the Instructor. For all initial
Discussion postings, make sure that the first sentence of your
posting reads Main Question Post. For your responses to others’
response postings, make sure that the first sentence of your
response readsResponse. These actions will ensure easily
identifiable subject lines for your postings and responses.
Application Assignments are submitted and named according to
the week in which the Assignment is submitted. Directions for
naming each Application Assignment are included in each
week’s Assignment area. Please be sure that all written
Application Assignments are saved and submitted as “.doc”
files.
All e-mail correspondence must contain in the subject line
“NURS 6600-XX-NAME” (XX is the section number) followed
by a brief description of the subject. This subject line
convention ensures that your e-mail will be easily identified and
responded to in a timely manner. It is required that the e-mail
contain a signature that matches the official name used in the
course.
Late Assignment Policy
Students are expected to submit assignments by the due dates
noted in the course. In extenuating circumstances, such as
illness, the student must contact the Instructor as soon as
possible to discuss the situation. In those circumstances, faculty
will determine the appropriate course of action for the student.
Depending on the situation, these actions may include
recommendations to drop the course (if within the University
drop/withdrawal period), acceptance of some or all of the

18. overdue assignments with or without penalties, or refusal to
accept assignments.
Assignments submitted late without prior agreement of the
Instructor, outside of an emergency absence, or in violation of
agreements for late submission, will receive a grade reduction
for the assignment amounting up to 20%. After 5 days, the
assignment will not be graded. Students should be aware that
late assignments may not receive the same level of written
feedback as do assignments submitted on time.
Keeping Your Course Work
You will have access to the course and your coursework from
the course start date until 60 days after the course ends. After
this time, you will no longer be able to access the course or
related materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that
you retain copies of your completed assignments and any
documents you wish to keep. The University is not responsible
for lost or missing coursework.
Course Evaluation
At or near the end of the course, you will receive an e-mail
inviting you to submit an online evaluation of the course and
instruction. All submitted course evaluations are confidential,
and only aggregate data and comments will be shared with the
Instructor and Program Director. Your feedback is vitally
important to Walden University in its efforts to continuously
improve programs.
Classroom Participation
In accordance with U.S. Department of Education guidance
regarding class participation, Walden University requires that
all students submit at least one of their required Week 1
assignments (which includes posting to the Discussion Board)
within each course(s) during the first 7 calendar days of class.
For courses with two-week units, posting to the Discussion
Board by Day 7 meets this requirement. The first calendar day
of class is the official start date of the course as posted on your
myWalden academic page.
Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will

19. not count toward your participation.
Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as
defined above.
Students who are taking their first class with Walden and do not
submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (or at
least one Discussion post) by the end of the 7th day will be
administratively withdrawn from the university.
Students who have already taken and successfully completed at
least one or more class(es) with Walden, and who do not
participate within the first 7 days, will be dropped from that
class.
If you have any questions about your assignments, or you are
unable to complete your assignments, please contact your
Faculty Member.