Nursing capstone templates give you a tested section structure for each type of project, so you spend your energy on the argument rather than on deciding where things go. Most capstones fit one of five formats.
This guide sets out a template for each, explains what every section must achieve and shows how to adapt the outline to your program's handbook. Your handbook always wins where the two differ.
Pick the Template That Matches Your Capstone Type
| Capstone type | Core question it answers | Common level |
|---|---|---|
| EBP proposal | What does the evidence say we should change? | BSN and MSN |
| QI project report | Did a change improve care at this site? | BSN, MSN and DNP |
| Policy proposal | What policy should change, and how? | MSN and DNP |
| Integrative review | What does the combined evidence show on a question? | MSN |
| DNP project paper | How was an evidence-based change implemented and evaluated? | DNP |
Template 1: Evidence-Based Practice Proposal
The EBP proposal argues for a practice change based on evidence. It usually stops at a plan, without implementing the change.
- Title page and abstract: problem, PICOT question, evidence, proposed change and expected outcomes. Write it last.
- Background and significance: why the problem matters, with local and national data.
- PICOT question: one clear sentence, visibly set apart.
- Literature review: evidence organized by theme, with appraisal.
- Evidence table: design, level, findings and limitations of each study.
- Proposed change: what you recommend, and how the evidence supports it.
- Implementation plan: change model, stakeholders, resources, timeline and training.
- Evaluation plan: process and outcome measures, tools and data collection.
- Conclusion: a short restatement with no new evidence.
The literature review is usually the longest section, and the main difference between BSN and MSN versions is its depth.
A Filled-in Outline
Seeing the template applied to one topic makes it easier to use. Here is a condensed outline for an invented BSN proposal.
Topic: Falls among older adults on a medical ward.
Background: Falls on the unit, the harm they cause, and the gap: checks every two hours with no structured content.
PICOT: In adults aged 65 and over on a medical unit, does hourly purposeful rounding, compared with two-hourly checks, reduce falls over three months?
Literature review themes: 1. Effect of rounding on falls. 2. Effect on call-bell use and patient satisfaction. 3. Barriers to staff adherence.
Proposed change: Hourly rounding with a four-point script, supported by shift champions.
Implementation: Lewin's change model: unfreeze with audit data, change with education and huddles, refreeze with audits and feedback.
Evaluation: Falls per 1,000 patient days and rounding log compliance, measured weekly.
Each heading in the outline points to the next. The themes justify the change, the change shapes the implementation, and the evaluation measures the PICOT outcome.
Template 2: Quality Improvement Project Report
A QI report describes a change actually made at a site and what happened. Many programs base it on the SQUIRE 2.0 reporting guidelines.
| Section | What it must do |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Describe the local problem, what is known and the specific aim |
| Methods | Context, the intervention, the improvement model such as Plan-Do-Study-Act, measures and analysis |
| Ethical considerations | The QI or ethics determination and how data were protected |
| Results | Baseline and post-change data, often with run charts, plus process measures |
| Discussion | Interpretation, comparison with the literature, limitations and sustainability |
| Conclusion | Usefulness of the work and next steps |
Specific aim (example): Increase documented pain reassessment within 60 minutes of analgesia on a 28-bed surgical ward from a baseline of 52 percent to 80 percent over eight weeks.
A specific aim names the measure, the baseline, the target and the time frame. The figures here are invented to show the format.
Template 3: Policy Proposal
A policy proposal argues for a change to an organizational or public policy. It reads more like a briefing than a research paper.
- Executive summary: the problem, the recommendation and its expected impact in one page.
- Problem statement: who is affected and the evidence of harm or cost.
- Current policy: what exists now and where it falls short.
- Evidence review: research and examples from other organizations.
- Policy options: two or three alternatives, compared on cost, feasibility and impact.
- Recommendation: the preferred option and why.
- Stakeholder analysis: who supports, who resists and how to engage them.
- Implementation and evaluation: steps, timeline and measures of success.
Template 4: Integrative Literature Review
An integrative review combines different study designs to answer a question. It needs a transparent method, not just a narrative.
| Section | What it must do |
|---|---|
| Introduction and aim | The problem and the review question |
| Methods | Databases, search terms, inclusion criteria and screening, often with a flow diagram |
| Quality appraisal | The tool used and how each study scored |
| Data analysis | How findings were compared and grouped into themes |
| Results | Themes, each supported by several studies |
| Discussion | Meaning for practice, limitations and gaps |
| Conclusion | Implications for practice, education and research |
Template 5: DNP Project Paper
DNP project papers vary more between programs than any other format, but most follow a five-chapter shape.
| Chapter | Contents |
|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | Problem, significance, PICOT question and project purpose |
| 2. Evidence and framework | Literature review, evidence appraisal, EBP model and change theory |
| 3. Methods | Setting, population, intervention, measures, data collection and ethics |
| 4. Results | Findings for each outcome, with tables or charts |
| 5. Discussion | Interpretation, limitations, sustainability, implications and dissemination |
DNP papers usually name a guiding model, such as the Iowa Model or the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model, and a change theory such as Lewin's or Kotter's. Explain why each suits your setting, not just what it is.
How to Adapt a Template to Your Program
- Put your handbook's required headings beside the template and mark any differences.
- Follow the handbook's order and names, even where a template differs.
- Check page or word limits for each section in the rubric.
- Ask your adviser for an example of an approved project from a previous year, if allowed.
- Build the template as an empty document with heading styles before you write.
Setting up headings with your word processor's styles lets you generate a table of contents automatically and keeps APA heading levels consistent.
Sections Students Most Often Get Wrong
| Section | Common problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Describes the condition, not the problem at the site | Add local data and the gap in current practice |
| Literature review | One paragraph per study | Organize by theme and compare studies |
| Framework | Model named but not applied | Show how each stage of the model guided your project |
| Evaluation | Measures not linked to the PICOT outcome | Match each measure to the outcome you named |
| Discussion | Repeats the results | Interpret them and compare with the literature |
Formatting the Finished Paper
Most nursing programs use APA 7th edition. For a long capstone, check a few details that are easy to miss.
- Use the student or professional title page your program requires.
- Apply APA heading levels consistently across chapters.
- Number and title every table and figure, and refer to each in the text.
- Place appendices after the references, labeled Appendix A, Appendix B and so on.
- Check that every in-text citation matches a reference entry.
How EssayOasis Helps with Capstone Templates and Chapters
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We work only from the information you provide and never invent site data or results. Free revisions within the scope of your original request are included.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Use the format your program specifies. If it gives a choice, pick the one that fits what you are doing: proposing a change, implementing one or reviewing evidence.
As a guide, yes, but your own program's headings and requirements always take priority.
It is a set of reporting guidelines for quality improvement work. Many programs base QI capstone reports on its sections.
Most EBP, QI and DNP capstones include one. It shows how you appraised and selected evidence.
It varies widely by level and program, from about 15 pages for some BSN projects to much longer DNP papers. Follow your handbook.
Usually in the framework section or chapter, alongside the EBP model, with an explanation of how it guided implementation.
No. Write it last, once you know exactly what each section says.
Often yes, for items such as data collection tools, education materials and site approval letters. Check your handbook.
An EBP proposal argues for a change and plans it, usually without carrying it out. A QI report describes a change that was actually made at a site, with data from before and after.
Sometimes. A DNP paper, for example, often blends an evidence review with a QI report. Agree the structure with your adviser before you start writing.