Capstone projects supplement and complement classroom instruction as the crowning achievement of the health management program. Students are expected to utilize their knowledge and skills learned throughout the education program to tackle a current, real-life issue facing healthcare managers.
Successful capstone project completion depends on the candidate’s ability to effectively provide leadership, evaluate critical problems and execute proper solutions.
Here are 5 ideas for capstone projects in healthcare management programs:
1. Increasing hospital nurse retention
The healthcare industry, especially hospitals, is facing a very real issue with low rates of nurse retention. Reasons for high nurse turnover can range from a difficult work environment to lacking team support to inconvenient work schedules. A capstone project focused on this important issue should examine the causes for the low morale and recommend possible measures to improve the attrition rate. Ideally, the candidate would pair with a local hospital to implement some of the interventions to see the retention improve over the time of the project.
2. Improving incident reporting in healthcare facilities
Perhaps best suited for healthcare facilities that encounter greater numbers of incidents that require reporting, such as a residential mental or addictions recovery facility, this project would tackle the ongoing issue of documentation problems. Facilities that handle large loads of incident reports are more likely to experience incomplete, duplicate or even unclear documentation interventions. This project should examine the specific problems plaguing a local healthcare facility struggling with incident reports and offer a possible information technology solution that would provide a secure and easy method for keeping incident records.
3. Streamlining disaster drill procedures
Although no one ever wants to find occasion to need disaster drill plans, it is important to have such objectives in place before a catastrophic event occurs. Whether it is a fire, tornado or even a crisis situation such as an armed gunman on the premises, it is important for all medical facilities to have proper disaster drills in place. This capstone project would look at creating a complete drill procedure manual for a particular facility in need of such plans. By examining the floor plan, staff and patient information and possible scenarios, this project would offer a comprehensive set of applicable movements in case of any disaster.
4. Making EMR/EHR adoption seamless
Although the adoption of electronic medical records and electronic health records was intended to be far-reaching by this time, there are still many physicians’ practices and medical facilities that have not completed the conversion. With a focus on rural or small practices, many of which have not had the time or funds to implement this important record-keeping practice, this capstone project could look to solve the issues preventing those groups from making the technology leap in the most seamless way possible.
5. Offering better home health services to veterans
A long-maligned and often-overlooked segment of the healthcare populace is veterans. Despite having some of the most complicated medical needs, including both physical and mental issues, veterans frequently rely on federal healthcare money and mandates that make it difficult for them to receive the care that they need. This capstone project could examine the current needs of veterans as well as the possibilities of providing more in-home health services for veterans unable to travel on their own to receive medical care.
Completing a degree in healthcare management is an important accomplishment, and the capstone project is the final step in the journey. These are a few possible ideas for worthwhile capstone projects that are the first step toward a fulfilling professional life in healthcare management.
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