Work with your preceptor to perform a needs assessment of the organization and community for your practicum. Review the needs assessment to identify possible project topics. In preparation for the capstone change project proposal, compile a list of three to five possible topics for your project and submit to the assignment instructor in LoudCloud.
You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin
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A Guide to Performing a Needs Assessment and a Gap Analysis
A Needs Assessment is: A systematic process of gathering information that is appropriate and
sufficient to develop an effective educational program that will address the groups’ needs and
wants (gap). Methods that are frequently used for determining a needs assessment include the
following:
• Membership Learning Needs Survey
• Patient Care Requirements
• Request from Sample of Potential Audience (focus groups)
• Changes in Legislation or reimbursement
• Review of current professional literature
• Evaluation from prior learning activity
• Recent trends in patient population
• Annual event
• Others including: QI data, Morbidity and Mortality data, new methods of diagnosis or
treatment, new technologies.
What
the
Nurse
Does
Now:
• Current
Practice
• Current
Knowledge
• Current
Skills
What
is
the
Best
Practice
for
Nursing?
• Evidence
based
practice
• New
technologies,
diagnosis
or
treatments
• Current
research
• Legislative
or
regulatory
changes
effecting
patient
care
• Literature
• Clinical
guidelines
for
care
Gap
noted
between
current
and
Best
Practice
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A Gap Analysis is: A gap analysis can be defined as the determination of the difference between
current knowledge/practices (what we are doing) and current Evidence Based Practices (what we
should be doing). Gaps can occur in knowledge, skills or practice.
Steps to Performing a Gap Analysis:
1. Find the need- through conducting a Needs Assessment
2. Is the gap a knowledge, skill or practice? Determine “What is the best practice? “
3. Determine the Purpose of the Activity then develop the learning objectives to “closing the gap”
Copyright © 2012 by Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. (2012). All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce this work
for educational purpose is granted, provided proper citation is given.
Suggested
citation.
Anthony
J.
Jannetti,
Inc.
(2012).
A representation: Incorporating a needs assessment and
gap analysis into the educational design. Pitman, NJ: Author.
Step 1: Perform a Needs
Assessment
Step 2: Determine the Educational
Gaps in knowledge, skills or practice:
What is the best practice?
Step 3: Determine Purpose of the Activity
&
&Program objectives and Design
Step 4: Course Development
Step 5: Implement the Activity
Step 6: Evaluate the Activity