Introduction

Capstone projects mark the culmination of your nursing education—and in Capella University’s FlexPath format, NURS FPX 4900 is your opportunity to design and lead a meaningful change in practice. Whether you’re starting with NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 1 or building momentum in NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3, this blog post will walk you through the essentials: identifying a healthcare issue, evaluating the evidence, and forming a solid action plan that reflects your skills and leadership growth.

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 1: Assessing the Problem and Developing a Problem Statement

Overview:
Assessment 1 kicks off your capstone journey. Your goal is to identify a specific clinical or organizational problem in your practice setting and lay the foundation for your entire project.

Core Objectives:

• Identify a real or potential nursing practice issue

• Analyze the scope and relevance of the problem

• Formulate a clear, actionable problem statement

• Support the issue with scholarly, evidence-based resources

What to Include:

1. Overview of the Clinical Problem

2. Background and Significance

3. Evidence from Scholarly Literature (at least 3–5 peer-reviewed sources)

4. Problem Statement (clear, concise, and measurable)

5. Relevance to Nursing Practice and Patient Outcomes

Tips for Success:

• Choose a topic you’re passionate about or have experience with (e.g., falls, readmissions, discharge planning)

• Use recent (within 5 years) peer-reviewed articles for evidence

• Keep your problem statement focused—avoid overly broad topics

• Think ahead: This problem will be the foundation for future assessments

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Planning the Intervention

Overview:
In Assessment 3, you'll design a comprehensive intervention plan to address the problem you introduced in Assessment 1. This is the “blueprint” for your evidence-based practice solution.

Core Objectives:

• Propose an evidence-based intervention that targets the issue

• Outline goals, timeline, and steps for implementation

• Identify stakeholders, resources, and barriers

• Develop evaluation criteria to measure the success of your plan

What to Include:

1. Intervention Overview (What will you do and why?)

2. Evidence Supporting the Strategy

3. Implementation Plan (steps, team roles, setting, timeline)

4. Expected Outcomes and Evaluation Metrics

5. Resources Needed (technology, staff, education, etc.)

Tips for Success:

• Build your plan using frameworks like PDSA, SMART goals, or logic models

• Reference at least 5 scholarly sources to support your intervention

• Address potential challenges like staff resistance or resource limitations

• Focus on measurable outcomes (e.g., reduction in falls by 15% over 3 months)

How Assessments 1 and 3 Connect

? Assessment 1 = Define the problem
? Assessment 3 = Create the solution

By connecting a clearly defined problem to a targeted, evidence-based intervention, you're laying the groundwork for real, actionable change—not just an academic exercise.

Conclusion

Capella University’s NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 1 and NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3 are critical stepping stones in your capstone journey. These assignments challenge you to think like a nurse leader, using data, collaboration, and evidence to solve real-world healthcare problems. With careful planning, credible research, and strategic execution, you’ll not only meet the academic requirements—you’ll develop skills that translate directly into improved patient care.