University: Home | Calendar | Maps Site University   Star Model Research The Star Model provides a focal point for evidence-based practice activities, including education and interdisciplinary research projects. Projects and investigations are concentrated on two objectives: (a) basic and professional level workforce development for EBP; and (b) the study of the processes and outcomes within evidence-based quality improvement. We study evidence synthesis, translation of evidence into practice, and healthcare provider and organizational change. A short description of representative projects and research follows. Current Research TopicsList of TopicsStar Model Translational Research This ongoing program expands and tests a model for understanding evidence-based practice. The study of EBP is essentially the study of transforming knowledge produced through primary studies and moving it through adoption into clinical decision-making.  Using the Star Model as a framework, our program of translational research investigates phenomena associated with EBP, including summarizing evidence, clinical guideline development and uptake, organizational culture, and outcome measures.  The initial project in this timely program of research was Evaluation of Systematic Reviews Published in Nursing Literature: A Replication, that pointed to the need for more rigorous systematic reviews in nursing.  Subsequent projects investigate factors associated with uptake of clinical practice guidelines, innovation, and system culture change. Top of TopicsStar Model of Knowledge Transformation Developed in 2004, the Star Model is configured as a simple 5-point star; and it explains how knowledge is transformed at five major stages, starting from primary research, and continuing through the stages of evidence summary, translation, integration, and evaluation.  This model places nursing’s previous scientific work within the context of EBP and is proving useful for examining the EBP process, roles in EBP, and research methods with which to investigate EBP.  Adopted by scores of hospitals across the nation as part of their journey to excellence, the Star Model forms a foundation for developing workforce competencies, organizing projects, and employing EBP in clinical settings. Influenced by Imogene King, we continue to evolve the Star Model as a theory, combining concepts of knowledge transformation with elements of communication, mutual goal setting, and systems theory. Top of TopicsImprovement Science Research Network While quality improvement activities are highly encouraged in acute care settings, hospitals and improvement scientists are not well connected.  Th.

1. University: Home | Calendar | Maps
Site
University

2. Star Model Research
The Star Model provides a focal point for evidence-based
practice activities, including education and interdisciplinary
research projects. Projects and investigations are concentrated
on two objectives: (a) basic and professional level workforce
development for EBP; and (b) the study of the processes and
outcomes within evidence-based quality improvement. We
study evidence synthesis, translation of evidence into practice,
and healthcare provider and organizational change. A short
description of representative projects and research follows.
Current Research TopicsList of TopicsStar Model Translational
Research
This ongoing program expands and tests a model for
understanding evidence-based practice. The study of EBP is
essentially the study of transforming knowledge produced
through primary studies and moving it through adoption into
clinical decision-making.
Using the Star Model as a framework, our program of
translational research investigates phenomena associated with
EBP, including summarizing evidence, clinical guideline
development and uptake, organizational culture, and outcome
measures. The initial project in this timely program of research
was Evaluation of Systematic Reviews Published in Nursing
Literature: A Replication, that pointed to the need for more
rigorous systematic reviews in nursing. Subsequent projects

3. investigate factors associated with uptake of clinical practice
guidelines, innovation, and system culture change.
Top of TopicsStar Model of Knowledge Transformation
Developed in 2004, the Star Model is configured as a
simple 5-point star; and it explains how knowledge is
transformed at five major stages, starting from primary
research, and continuing through the stages of evidence
summary, translation, integration, and evaluation. This model
places nursing’s previous scientific work within the context of
EBP and is proving useful for examining the EBP process, roles
in EBP, and research methods with which to investigate EBP.
Adopted by scores of hospitals across the nation as part of
their journey to excellence, the Star Model forms a foundation
for developing workforce competencies, organizing projects,
and employing EBP in clinical settings. Influenced by Imogene
King, we continue to evolve the Star Model as a theory,
combining concepts of knowledge transformation with elements
of communication, mutual goal setting, and systems theory.
Top of TopicsImprovement Science Research Network
While quality improvement activities are highly
encouraged in acute care settings, hospitals and improvement
scientists are not well connected. The lack of established
research teams, limited access to the clinical care laboratory,
and small sample sizes hamper attempts to produce rigorous and
externally valid quality improvement studies at a time when

4. these are a national priority in healthcare. The research
partnerships promoted by national advisors (e.g., IOM, 2004)
and structured through the National Institutes of Health,
Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) provide
tremendous opportunity to engage academic and clinical
scientists and clinicians across multiple agencies in a network
that is focused on improvement and translational science. The
purpose of this series of projects is to build a national Practice-
Based Research Network for Improvement Science in acute care
settings. To learn more about conducting research through
ISRN, visit www.ISRN.net.
Funded: National Institute for Nursing Research,
NINR/NIH; Delta Alpha Sigma Theta Tau International;
national funded.
Top of TopicsAHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange
The Star Model is a partner in the development of the AHRQ
Health Care Innovations Exchange. Participating as part of the
Westat, Inc. project team, we are building this comprehensive
online program to accelerate development and adoption of
innovations in health care delivery. The Innovations Exchange
aims to increase awareness of innovative strategies and
activities among health care providers in a timely manner
through offering a set of searchable innovation profiles, quality
tools, learning opportunities to enhance rapid adoption, and
networking opportunities.
Funded: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Building Team Performance for Patient Safety:

5. TeamSTEPPS™
TeamSTEPPS™ is the standardized federal program for
healthcare team training. The new teamwork system optimizes
team performance in order to resolve communication
breakdowns, known to be a major contributing factor to sentinel
events in patient safety.
Seen as a premier example of moving evidence into
practice, this evidence-based teamwork system advances
quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care by improving
communication and other teamwork skills among healthcare
professionals. As part of the National Implementation of
TeamSTEPPS project, the Department of Defense (DoD), the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the
Star Model have partnered to build a national support network
to move this effective system into healthcare agencies and
professional education and to study its impact.
Funded: Implementation projects have been funded from
multiple sources.
Top of TopicsSmall Troubles, Adaptive Responses:
Fostering a Quality Culture in Nursing
This study aims to improve nursing units’ quality and
efficiency. The study will investigate whether a program
designed to address small problems encountered by nurses in
patient care will drive large improvements in safety, quality,
and efficiency. The analysis applies a logic model specifying
the pathway from inputs to actions to intermediate outcomes
such as new problem solving strategies to ultimate outcomes

6. such as improved nursing quality benchmarks and reduced
adverse events.
Funded: This 2-year intervention study is funded through
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Nursing
Quality Research Initiative (INQRI). Co-PIs Kathleen R.
Stevens, EdD, RN, ANEF, FAAN and Robert L. Ferrer, MD,
MPH.
Top of TopicsConsensus on EBP Competencies in Practice
& Education
The purpose of this project is to establish a national basis for
developing competencies in EBP for nurses. Through multiple
iterations, panels of experts engaged in consensus formation
regarding EBP competencies that should be integrated into
nursing education and practice roles. The consensus is
published in Essential Competencies for Evidence-Based
Practice in Nursing.(2nd ed. Stevens, 2009)
The initial 3-year project established 20 to 30 competencies
for basic (UG), intermediate (MS), and advanced (Doctoral)
preparation in nursing. These competency statements are
organized into five stages of knowledge transformation, based
on the ACE Star Model (Stevens, 2004). Core competency
statements are presented at a detailed level in order to guide
curriculum revisions. This work guides incorporation of EBP
skills and content into nursing positions and into nursing
education programs. Consensus work was extended by Dr. Paula
Clutter to create competencies for ADN education. The project
continues to verify and disseminate the findings.

7. This work guides incorporation of EBP skills and content
into nursing education programs and into clinical nursing.
Health care agencies have used the Essential Competencies as
the basis for developing the EBP ‘leg’ of clinical career ladders
and performance standards. Extension and evolution of the
competencies continues. Information for purchasing the latest
edition of Essential Competencies for Evidence-Based Practice
in Nursing 2nd ed.
is available at [email protected] .
Funded: Consensus work has been funded from multiple
sources.
Top of TopicsAce Evidence-Based Practice Readiness
Inventory (ACE-ERI)
The ACE-ERI was developed through methodologic
research studies in response to a national need for assessment
approaches in nursing competencies. Using the foundation built
in the Essential Competencies work, the self-report instrument
was developed and utilized by all levels of nurse clinicians,
educators, and students. Psychometrics studies involving over
1,500 participants demonstrated the strength of the ACE-ERI in
terms of reliability and validity. Offered primarily as an online
survey, the ACE-ERI has been used in hospitals and schools of
nursing across the country to benchmark progress in EBP
competencies. Its usefulness in further research.
Funded: Development projects have been funded from
multiple sources including National League for Nursing, Delta
Alpha Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, The University of Texas

8. Health Science Center, and resources from collaborating
hospitals and schools.
Top of TopicsCollaboration Opportunties for Students,
Faculty, and Clinical Agencies
The Star Model provides a focal point for evidence-based
practice activities including education and interdisciplinary
research projects. A short description of representative areas
follows.
Faculty and students are invited to collaborate.Sample
of Completed Research StudiesQuality of Systematic Reviews
in the Nursing Literature.
PI: Dr. Kathleen Stevens.
Funded by the Delta Alpha At-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta
Tau International, ACE’s first research project in its program of
translational research examined the quality of Systematic
Reviews - as indexed by CINAHL - in the Nursing literature.
For this pilot study, critical appraisal of 10 randomly-selected
articles was done using the Overview Quality Assessment
Questionnaire (OQAQ) (Oxman, A. D., & Guyatt, G. H., 1991).
The study pointed to the need for rigor in systematic reviews
and caution in labeling non-systematic reviews.
Top of StudiesDissertation: Factors Related to Uptake of
Clinical Practice Guidelines. (2006)
PI: Paula Clutter.
A study of CPG uptake, this work was accomplished
through collaboration with VERDICT to examine factors

9. associated with uptake of evidence-based guideline
implementation in healthcare agencies. Partially funded by an
award from the Delta Alpha At-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta
Tau International.
Top of StudiesDemonstration Project: Ventilator
Associated Pneumonia (VAP): Improving Outcomes Through
Best Practice Implementation. (2004)
Contracted by a TriService Research Grant, ACE, BAMC,
and Wilford Hall nurse teams developed, implemented, and
evaluated impact of best practice in VAP.
Top of StudiesEvidence-Based Youth Smoking Cessation.
(2000 - 2003)
PI: Dr. Kathleen Stevens.
Funded as a Community Health Initiative of the
University Health System, this project focused on helping teens
quit smoking. About 80% of teens who smoke have tried to
quit...only 1.5% are successful without assistance. This points
to a great need for teen sensitive smoking cessation programs.
In San Antonio and in most other cities, major emphasis of
youth tobacco control is on prevention. But many teens 'slip
through' this safety net...33% of public high school teens in
Texas smoke! In 2000, the project partnered with American
Lung Association and assembled 'best evidence' on intervening
with smoking teens. With this research evidence, ACE activated
the community and schools through the San Antonio Teen
Tobacco Coalition to translate the evidence into best
intervention programs. The EBP interventions were
implemented and evaluated in high schools using a community
partnership approach and achieved the same cessation rates as
the longer program. Top of StudiesDissertation: Pregnancy-
related Factors and Smoking Stauts in Pregnant Hispanic
Adolescents. (2004)
PI: Dr. Laura Munoz.

10. This project examined the structure of factors between
pregnancy and smoking in this population.
Top of StudiesStar Model ResearchSummer InstitutesEBP
CompetenciesLearn About EBPStar ModelTerminologyLearning
ModulesBasicIntermediateAdvancedEBP ResourcesWWW
ResourcesIOM Quality Chasm Series Rating SystemsSchool of
Nursing HomePlay Video
Star Model ResearchSummer InstitutesEBP CompetenciesLearn
About EBPStar ModelTerminologyLearning
ModulesBasicIntermediateAdvancedEBP ResourcesWWW
ResourcesIOM Quality Chasm Series Rating SystemsSchool of
Nursing Home
Log-ins: Blackboard | Email/OWA | inside.uthscsa
(portal) | Knowledge
Center
Policies: Accessibility | Compact
with Texans | Public/Personal
Information | Web
PrivacyStatewide Search | Texas
Online | University of Texas System | Faculty
Government | Events
Disclaimer: Links provided from UT Health Science Center at

11. San Antonio pages to other web sites do not constitute or imply
an endorsement of those sites, their content, or products and
services associated with those sites.
Contact: [email protected]
Updated: 2/25/2015
Copyright © 2012-2016
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San
Antonio
Running head: CAPSTONE PROJECT TITLE 1

12. Capstone Project Title
Your Name
Sentara College of Health Sciences
CAPSTONE PROJECT TITLE 2
In this section, address the internal and external factors that are

13. influencing the project and
profession. Elaborate why your problem is of pressing concern
and include foundational
research. Provide a general description of the ACE star model
and how it will be used in your
project.
Purpose
Purpose of the project-clearly stated
Significance – explanation of why the project is important for
your setting. Also discuss the
evidence base for the strategies you are considering.
Personal Reflections
Why did you select this issue?
Activities
Comprehensive list of actions you will need to do to accomplish
the project. Include all types of
activities needed to support the purpose.
Think of this as a five or six step plan: Provide a comprehensive
list of actions you will need to
do to accomplish the project, include all types of activities
needed to support the purpose , use

14. PICO as a guide, what is the timeline for the project? How do
you plan to collect data? How do
you plan to implement your project?
Outcomes: Planned
What are you proposing will happen at the end of the project?
Use rationale to support your
scholarly evidenced based practice (EBP) outcomes
Use resources no more than 5 years old
Use the literature review information to support this section
Are there any specific clinical requirements?
CAPSTONE PROJECT TITLE 3
What is the agency doing to support the project? Support from
preceptor, other team members,
staff involvement
Adherence to quality guidelines/quality outcomes
Policies written/rewritten; administrative support, patient
protection, ethical concerns, and
confidentiality

15. Address this area with the preceptor to gain additional insight
for the requirements
Supported with intext scholarly peer reviewed sources
Outcome: Evidence-based research
Give supportive rationale for why you choose your outcomes
using scholarly references
Provide information from peer-reviewed resources that provides
a detailed explanation of the
desired outcomes. Also include the strategies that can be used to
accomplish the outcome. Be
sure to include specific, cited information from the literature
supporting your discussion.
Special clinical requirements of the agency
For this section, address any special clinical requirements for
the project
Proposed schedule/timeline
Timeline for the project over the 16 weeks?
Proposed schedule/timeline: Collaboration with Preceptor
Reviewed/collaborated with your preceptor prior to submitting
this proposal (the preceptor
agreement must be submitted with this proposal- see the rubric;
worth 15%)

16. Proposed evaluative criteria
State your evaluation of the project in this section
Discuss the evaluative criteria
Supportive rationales discussed
Use scholarly references to support discussion
Evaluative criteria discussed
Supportive rationales discussed
CAPSTONE PROJECT TITLE 4
Conclusion
Summarize your proposal here
References
Start on a separate page
Rubric for Formal Proposal
100 Excellent -- Quality information with all “required elements
included”. Quality denotes completeness, precision, clarity,
thoroughness, significance, relevance, accuracy, exhibits full
span of knowledge of a subject and specific topics are focused
upon, amplified and explored.
92 Good -- All “required elements” included. Information is
complete, precise, clear, thorough, significant, relevant and

17. accurate.
84 Average -- Accurate and complete information with all
“required elements” included.
77 Poor -- Information is inaccurate and/or incomplete with 1 or
more required elements omitted. Needs improvement.
0 Not done -- Did not do the required elements or
characteristics or submitted more than 3 days late.
Required Elements
Excellent
100
Good
92
Average
84
Poor
77
Not done
Content
Issue: Purpose (10%)
Purpose of the project-clearly stated
Significance – explanation of why the project is important for
your setting. Also discuss the evidence base for the strategies
you are considering.
Issue: Personal reflections (10%)
· Personal reflections on why you selected this issue

18. Activities: (5 %)
· Comprehensive list of actions you will need to do to
accomplish the project. Include all types of activities needed to
support the purpose.
Outcomes: Planned (10%)
· Planned outcomes
Outcome: Evidence Based Research (10%)
· Give supportive rationale for why you choose your outcomes
using scholarly references
· Provide information from peer-reviewed resources that
provides a detailed explanation of the desired outcomes. Also
include the strategies that can be used to accomplish the
outcome. Be sure to include specific, cited information from the
literature supporting your discussion.
Special clinical requirements of the agency (5%)
Proposed schedule/timeline (5%) Timeline is for the entire 16

19. weeks
Proposed schedule/timeline: Collaboration with Preceptor
(5%)
· Reviewed/collaborated with your preceptor prior to submitting
this proposal (the preceptor agreement must be submitted with
this proposal- see below)
Proposed evaluative criteria (20%)
· Evaluative criteria discussed
· Supportive rationales discussed
· Scholarly references cited to support discussion
Communication
Preceptor Information and Agreement Form submitted by
requested date 15%.
Grammar/Syntax and
References in APA format (same type of error is considered as 1
error) 5%
0-2 errors
3 errors

20. 4 errors
> 4 errors
I am doing a capstone project on Reducing stroke readmissions
in the acute care setting. I will need you to complete my formal
proposal. I have attached the rubric, reading materials, and
sample proposal
P- The population targeted is the nurses who will be providing
the education to patients
I - Education and Community resources- I will do a power point
presentation of stroke risk factors, signs and symptoms of
stroke, lastly, how to decrease chances of stroke.
C- comparison will be those nurses who participated in the
education offering versus those who did not). I can compare
through a survey that you can do before and after your
intervention.
O- Positive patient outcomes
*Providing education to the nurses can optimize education for
the patients.