Please use template for chp one. Attached .No abstract needed.

BEGIN TITLE THREE INCHES FROM TOP OF PAPER
by
First Name, MI, Last Name

Title of DNP Project
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice

Aspen University
Month, Year

? First and Last Name, Year
(Note: If copyright not desired, delete this page)

BEGIN TITLE THREE INCHES FROM TOP OF PAPER
by
First Name, MI, Last Name
has been approved
Month, Year

APPROVED:
FACULTY MENTOR NAME DNP/PhD, Faculty Mentor ______________________________
FACULTY REVIEWER NAME, EdD/PhD, DNP Project Team Member __________________
INDEPENDENT REVIEWER NAME, DNP/PhD, DNP Project Team Member _____________

ACCEPTED AND SIGNED:
____________________________________ NAME OF FACULTY MENTOR
____________________________________ Program Representative, [Name]

Acknowledgements
This acknowledgment section is not a part of the proposal. Acknowledgements should include all parties who have contributed to the successful delivery of the DNP, such as DNP Project Team members, supporters, academic advisors, editors, and invited participants. Supporters may include family members, friends, peers, co-workers, sponsors, or anyone who played a supportive role in the DNP process. Obtain permission and the correct manner in which to acknowledge individuals and organizational entities. This section should not be more than one page.

Dedication
This section is optional. The dedication is not a part of the proposal. A dedication is a proclamation, a mark of appreciation, affection, or special regard for an individual, organizational, or social entity. Dedications in the historical context have been known to be quite elaborate. More recent dedications are brief, often naming the author?s significant other, and often consisting of no more than a line or two dedicating the work to them. This section provides an opportunity to convey a personal commemoration of the work. This section might contain a quote from some other literary work or an epigram of the author?s own invention, such as a poem, slogan, witty statement, or insightful belief. This is an opportunity to pass along a discovery made in the DNP journey to the benefit of those who will tread a similar path. If included, this section should be no more than one page.

Abstract
Abstracts are the only text that is not indented in the entire manuscript. The target length of an abstract is no more than 250 words. The abstract is not a part of the proposal. The abstract provides a brief overview of the study, discussing 1) what the study was about, 2) how it was studied, and 3) what the significant findings were.
Keywords are words that describe the most important aspects of your paper and help readers find your work during a search. Include 3-5 keywords describing the content. To format the Keywords section, write the label ?Keywords? (italicized) one line below the abstract, indented 0.5 inches like a regular paragraph, followed by the keywords in lowercase (capitalize proper nouns), separated by commas. The keywords can be listed in any order. Do not use a period after the last keyword. Example:
Keywords: hypertension, mobile clinic, rural, occupational health, patient education

Provide the Title of Your Project Here
Chapter One: Introduction and Overview
Chapter One is an overview of your topic of interest that provides the justification for your project by presenting the identified problem in the context of the literature. In the beginning of this chapter you should capture the attention of the reader by creating a sense of urgency about the problem to be investigated. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the Capstone Proposal are written in the future tense for your proposal defense. They are then changed to the past tense once you have completed Chapter 4 and 5 for your final defense. In addition, your paper should be written in the third person. Do not include a Level 1 heading for the introduction to this section, as the section title denotes this section as the introduction. End your introductory paragraph(s) with a sentence that states what your project will accomplish so the reader knows what to expect.
Background of the Project
The background of the problem is a review of information on why the problem is of pressing societal concern or theoretical interest and summarizes for the reader what is known about the problem being investigated. This is accomplished with a general review of foundational research literature and data from credible sources that report findings related to the topic of interest. This section is generally three to five pages in length.
Statement of the Problem
The problem statement succinctly and clearly presents the nursing practice problem under investigation. What the statement itself should be concise, this statement must contain sufficient information to persuade the reader that the project is feasible, appropriate, and worthwhile. Your problem statement should include the following items: 1) a description of the nature and context of the problem, 2) the impact of the problem on patients, populations or societies; and 3) the consequences of not fixing the problem.
The above items justify the need for your project, so end your problem statement with information on how your proposed study will contribute to the solution of this problem or issue. This will provide a lead-in to your purpose statement. The statement of the problem is about one page in length.
Purpose of the Project
The purpose statement logically flows from the literature review and problem statement and is developed using the components of your project question. Your question should be structured using appropriate terms from a ?researchable? question using key terms that identify your population, supported by your project question. It provides sufficient information so that the reader knows the project design approach (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), your population of interest, and the primary variables that will be studied. After reading the purpose statement the reader should be able to understand your intent to address the research question by aligning the purpose of your project with the problem or issue of concern. The purpose statement is approximately one page in length.
Research Question
Present your research question.
PICO Question
Attached here is a link with information for formulating the PICO Question – http://libraryguides.missouri.edu/c.php?g=28271&p=174073

Theoretical Framework
All projects need to be based upon a theoretical framework. A theoretical framework helps to place a project in perspective and supports projects that evaluate relationships among variables, while setting limits. In order to meet criteria, the theoretical framework must demonstrate a thorough grasp of important issues, perspectives, and controversies in the field under examination, as they relate to the project at hand, indicating where the current project fits within this logical ?landscape?. It is strongly suggested to limit the frameworks used in the project to a single framework. Multiple frameworks require large and unwieldy studies. This section is usually two to four pages in length. A diagram or schematic of the framework is required and should be included as a figure after references and tables.
Significance of the Project
The significance section elaborates on the purpose of the project. This section justifies the reason for the project and the contribution the project makes to a discipline, a profession, and/or society at large. The significance section establishes a global reason for doing a worthwhile project. This section explains why the project is a unique approach and who benefits from the completion. This section articulates the specific sense in which an original contribution has been made to knowledge in the selected field. The significance section should be about one page in length.
Definition of Terms
This section defines the terms and concepts that are used in the project. Some more common terms or concepts can be defined in the body of the paper. However, terms and concepts should be defined according to the specific way they are used in the project.
Definition: Indent. Italicize word being defined. Include definition one space after colon. End definition with a period.
Next definition: Begin next word on a new line. Only capitalize first word or proper noun.
Nature, Scope, and Limitation of the Project
The nature of the project section (about two to three pages) is a brief synopsis of the design and span of the project. This section justifies that appropriateness of the design approach (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) you plan to use and why the approach will accomplish the goals of the study.
The nature of the project includes information on the scope, limitation, and delimitations, as described below:
?Scope ? this is the scope and depth of your project. The scope should clearly identify what you will be studying and what you will not be studying. By identifying the inclusion and exclusion criteria for your project, this will help the reader know how the results can be used in practice. The following items define the scope of your project: 1) the population from which the participant will be selected (accessible population), 2) the setting or location where you will gather data, and 3) the period of the project from data collection to data analysis.
?Limitations ? these are the factors that may arise in a study that will impact the validity or credibility of your project by limiting the conclusions and usefulness of the results. Every study design type has its own set of limitation, which should be briefly presented in this section. For example, different design types provide different levels of evidence from weak to strong. In addition, you may only have access to certain individual, records, organizational units, or data, which will limit the usefulness of your finding beyond the characteristics in your project.
?Delimitations ? while limitations explain how the design and methods may limit the usefulness of the findings, delimitations provide rationale for what you will not study. These arise from specific choices that you will make regarding the problem you will study and the methods you will use to study your problem. For example, your variables of interest, your design type, your choice of a theoretical framework, the methods you selected to use and the techniques your plan to use to select your participants inform the reader of the delimitations of your project. In your purpose statement you state what your project will accomplish; in this section, you state what your project will not accomplish. These delimitations may arise because other options are not relevant to your question or not feasible within the scope of your project.
In addition to the information above, factors from a practical nature, such as constraints of time, money, and human resources, if they have a notable impact on the project, can be discussed. This section is approximately one to two pages in length.
Conclusion
The conclusion should briefly discuss the key points covered and prepare the reader for the next chapter.

Chapter 2: Literature Review
The review of relevant literature provides an analytical overview of the significant literature published on your topic of interest by comparing and contrasting the methods and major findings by describing the relationship of each major study to other on the same topic. The literature review interprets your problem or issue within the context of existing literature and by identifying the most relevant and current literature that make a significant contribution to the understanding of your topic.
Finding relevant nursing information is often easier if you first develop a PICO question, as the elements of a PICO question are used as the key terms for searching electronic bibliographic databases. Present your question using relevant PICO elements and discuss the strategy you used to locate current and relevant literature. A search strategy should include the combination of terms and the inclusion and exclusion criteria that were used to limit or expand your search results. A description of the strategic process you used should provide sufficient information so the reader could replicate your search.
Each study in the literature review should relate directly to the topic and the problem under investigation. Present an overview of the similarities and dissimilarities between studies. These summaries may include studies that are clustered and compared by the population, type of intervention/indicator, or the outcome. Or, they could be based on unresolved issues, conflicting findings, social concerns, or educational, national, or international issues. When you have completed your review of the literature, the gap in knowledge of your topic should be apparent. The review of literature is generally six to eight pages in length.
Headings to be used in this chapter are:

Chapter 2: Literature Review
The introduction offers a historical background ? the major purpose of this chapter is to discuss relative research activities that address what is known about the subject under study as well the conceptual and theoretical framework of the study. This background information puts things in perspective. What are the major issues, controversies, etc. that impact your project. Include background on all relevant variables.
Conceptual Framework
What theoretical models/perspectives inform your project? This is an opportunity to justify the theoretical model you have chosen for your project. Describe how the theoretical foundation applies to the problem under study. This section supports the constructs (conceptual framework) related to the project. This section addresses the importance of the topical area or field of study. This section may further discuss the history of the topic and its theoretical underpinnings according to the literature. Additionally, this section may address the methodology employed in the study. Some suggested areas for discussion follow here. Each area addresses what the literature revealed concerning the particular area.
Scope and Importance of [Topical Area or Field of Study]
Theoretical Frameworks of [Topical Area or Field of Study]
History of [Topical Area or Field of Study]
[Name} Theory
Related Studies
In this section you will include literature relating to individual variables. This section should be more than a listing of studies. What common thread holds them together? Use transitions to effectively tie one section with another.
Methodological Framework
In this section, you will offer a brief overview of the methodology to be used with your study. Include a discussion of the appropriateness of the methodology related to the design of the study. Include a discussion of the strengths/weaknesses of methodology in previous studies and which you are building on/hoping to avoid/improve upon in your study.
Conclusion
The conclusion should briefly discuss the key points covered and prepare the reader for the next chapter.

Chapter 3: Methodology
Open this section by reminding the reader of the purpose of the study. The rationale for your project design and methods should logically evolve from the problem under investigation, the theoretical framework of your study, and the purpose of the project. This section should elaborate on the information you provided in the Nature of the Project section by providing sufficient details to solve the problem and answer the research question(s). This section should also clearly delineate and explicate the type of methods used (e.g. project design type, sampling strategy, data collection and analysis methods, etc.). The design provides a clear and well justified sequence of events. Any factors that may impact the validity of your findings should be fully explained and documented. Chapter 3 is usually 12 to 15 pages in length.
Project Design
This section explains the appropriateness of the design to achieve the desired outcomes and explains the methods used, providing a clear and well-justified sequence of events.
Sample and Setting
This section explains the methods that will be used to select your sample population from an accessible population that represents your target population. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting your sample must be described. Exclusion criteria is specified before recruitment (e.g. only females over the age of 65). Inclusion criteria is applied after recruitment and before enrollment (e.g. patients with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis).
In a quantitative study, sample size estimates should be based on the purpose of the project ? to generalize the results or infer the results. Generalizability will require a much larger sample size and random selection. Sample size estimation for generalization can be calculated using the size of your target population, confidence levels and confidence intervals at http://www.surveysystms.com/sscalc.htm Inferences will generally require a smaller sample size; however, you need an adequate number of participant that will give you the power to detect a relationship, difference, or effect when one really exists. An a priori power analysis will estimate sample size using the desired effect size, alpha level and minimum power level. Typically, researchers strive for a power of .80, which refers to an 80% certainty that an existing relationship, difference, or effect will be found in the sample. Power can be determined using a program from G*Power at http://www.gpower.hhu.de/en.html
Describe the setting where the study will take place. If your study setting is a facility or organization, written permission must be obtained and attached as an appendix. The adequacy of the location should be described included the support, services, costs and other resources needed. Sufficient detail regarding the setting should be provided for replication of your study or generalizations/inferences to target populations in similar settings.
Instrumentation
The section explains the instruments used to measure your outcome of interest and to answer your research question. This section should explain the rationale and appropriateness for each instrument selected to measure elements of your project that either influence the outcome or measure the outcome. Include specific information on the validity and reliability of the instrument(s) you are using and the process the developed used to ensure that the instrument measures what it is intended to measure, each time the instrument is used. Include the statistical results from the psychometric testing of the instrument if it is a questionnaire or survey. If your instrument is equipment, include the sensitivity and specificity of the instrument testing. For any type of instrument you select to measure your outcome, you must clearly describe the properties that ensure the outcome is being measured using a valid and reliable tool.
If your instrument is a questionnaire or survey, describe the items on your instrument(s) and discuss how they represent the attributes of your outcome of interest. When explaining the presence of selected crucial items in the instruments, reasons for the particular conceptual structure of those items and why this particular structure was chosen over other alternatives should be discussed. All instruments used in your capstone project need to be included in the Appendix. If not in the public domain, permission from the author of the instrument must be granted.
Data Collection
In this section, the process for collecting data is clearly described useing the ?who, what, when, where, and how? of the process. If the sampling units in your project are human subjects, the process from consenting to final data collection is described in excruciating detail. If your sampling units are non-human, for example patient records, the techniques of collecting and managing the collected data are delineated and defended. For example, the process of retrieving data from paper or electronic records is described and related to the problem, purpose of the project, and research question(s). The data elements for the data you retrieved from paper or electronic records must be clearly detailed and justified.
Information is provided on gaining entry to project sites (if needed) and how approval will be obtained to collect data. The procedure for informing and consenting all potential participants (subjects) must be discussed in detail. Permission from all sites must be discussed in detail, including how permission was obtained and who granted the permission. Reasons are provided for the particular method of data collection selected. It must be clear how the data will be protected once it is gathered. This is the section where most of the appendices are itemized, starting with letters of permission to conduct the study, letters of invitation to participate, and appropriate consent forms ? these items, if applicable, must be included in the appendices.
Data Analysis Methods
Data analysis plans should relate to the purpose of your study (to describe, to explore, or to compare) and be described in detail. From the time data is transferred to your data collection instrument to the final statistical analysis, each technique should be described and justified. A description of how you developed your codebook by identified variable types, levels of measurements and coding levels should be presented. If there are several variables, crease a table with the metadata on your variables and attach as an APA formatted table following your references. An operational statement of the research hypotheses in null form is given to set the stage for later statistical inferences. In a quantitative study, state the level of significant that will be used to accept or reject the hypothesis, which is usually 95% or a p value of =.05.
The statistical techniques you will use depends on the purpose of your project and the primary variable types and levels of measurement. The test you include in this section may change, as your project evolves; however, this analysis plan should reflect a careful consideration of an appropriate statistical test using the type of data you identified in your project codebook.
Data Management Methods
The data management plan should be a comprehensive step-by-step review of how the data will be handled from data collection to data destruction. Attention should be given to the delineation of data security in regards to the collection and maintenance of the data. To ensure confidentiality and protect participants from a data breach, information on the use of unique identifiers or anonymous responses should be provided. The length of time the data will be maintained and destroyed must be explicitly stated with an indication of when and how it will be destroyed. In all cases, the data management plan must be clear how the data will be protected once the data is gathered, transferred, analyzed, and destroyed.
Ethical Considerations
The procedures for the protection of human participants should be stated. Ethical concerns are important, particularly in reference to planning, conducting, and evaluating research. The study should present minimal risk to participants pertaining to experimental treatment or exposure to physical or psychological harm. Care should be taken to ensure that the participants fully understood the nature of the study and the fact that participation is voluntary.
A paragraph must be inserted that states the study is deemed to be one of minimal risk to participants and that the probability of magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated during this project will not be greater than any ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.
Internal and External Validity
Validity is the criteria for how effective the design is in employing methods of measurement that will capture the data to address the research questions. There are two types of validity: internal and external. Using a research resource, identify potential threats related to your design and methods.
Conclusion
The conclusion reminds the reader of the major points covered in the methods section and prepares the reader for the next section.

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion of Findings
Chapter 4 provides the reader with the results of the data collection and analysis. To remind the reader why this project was important, begin the section by restating the problem that prompted your project. Present the purpose of this section, which is to interpret and present the finding from your project and relate this back to the purpose of your project.
This chapter is divided into the appropriate number of sections needed to convey the findings in a logical manner. This chapter will include a summary of the finding and some more specific topic areas to address findings as they pertain to the topic of interest. The overall purpose of this chapter is to provide the facts concerning the findings of the project.
Summary of Methods and Procedures
This section addresses the analytic methods that were actually used and why they were appropriate for this project. Indicate the rationale for changes or additional analyses that deviated from your approved methods in your proposal. Include in this area any special observations about the data set – (e.g., only those over 65 participated when it was anticipated that the sample would include persons 55-75).
Summary of Sample and Setting Characteristics
This section should describe in detail the setting, the target or accessible population, the number contacted, the percentage participating, and the details of who participated. If you are utilizing retrospective data, describe the data sample in detail. These data are best presented in tables detailing those demographic details that are important to the study. An analysis of the demographic data is required.

Results
This section provides an interpretation of the major findings in the context of the overall purpose of the project. Discuss how your major findings provide new knowledge or support previous findings that you found in the literature. Discuss how these finding add to the body of knowledge on this topic and support or expand on the theoretical framework you provided. There should be a clear relationship between the theory that drove this project to the findings presented and analyzed. Only information related to your research questions and problem statement should be presented.
Implications for Nursing Practice
Here you will report findings not reported by any other literature. Why should nursing leaders care? Meanings of any gaps or similarities to literature are critically analyzed and discussed for every unusual finding. What do the findings mean to nurse leader and would society care about the results?
Conclusion
This section provides a summary of the important points of this chapter.

Chapter Five: Discussions and Conclusion
The fifth chapter concludes the project manuscript with a discussion and recommendations for further research. The introduction for Chapter Five reminds the reader of the project purpose and the impact on nursing practice; it describes the problem, and the main issues or topic under investigation. The chapter overviews why the study is important and how it can contribute to the understanding of the topic. It draws a correlation between the results and the contention of the investigation, and it presents interpretation of the findings.
Discussion of Findings and Best Practices
Provide a brief summary to describe the content of the study, recapping the most essential points of Chapters 1-3.
Present a deeper interpretation and overall analysis of the study that compares, contrasts, synthesizes, and discusses the significant themes or findings.
Make direct connections to previous research in the field by referencing the existing body of knowledge from the literature review in Chapter 2
Specifically reference all theoretical foundation, model, and conceptual frameworks during this deeper interpretation and discussion of the findings.
Relate the findings to the original points from Chapter 1 by referencing the Significance of the Study.
Provide a concluding paragraph of this section to summarize the findings utilizing Chapter 1, thereby tying the project together.
Implication for Practice and Future Projects
The plan for future projects and the next steps are discussed within this section.
Plan for Dissemination
Plans for disseminating knowledge from the project are discussed within this section. This will include publication, poster presentations, podium speaker at conferences, etc.
Sustaining Change
The plan for sustaining the change will be discussed and is supported by literature.
Recommendations for Future Projects and Practice
Recommendations for future research or projects: Provides an analysis of areas for future research or projects that the current study did not address and/or that emerged as a result of the current study. Discusses recommendations for future practice, policy, and education. Recommendations for future research should related to the advancing scientific knowledge and/or significance of the study section discussed in Chapter 1. Recommendations for future practice: Provides specific recommendations for future practice based on the results and findings of the study, explaining who will benefit from reading and/or implementing the results of the study. Recommendation should expand on or relate to the significance of the study section from Chapter 1.
Actual DNP Essentials Met
Discuss the actual DNP Essentials met after project implementation and compare with the proposed DNP Essentials that would be met.
Conclusion
Provides concluding remarks of the entire DNP project and the future.

References
Double space all reference list entries. Use a hanging indent for all references. Reference list
entries should be alphabetized by author. Expect to have a minimum of 35 references for
this manuscript.

Tables
If included, see Chapter 7 of the APA manual for formatting guidance.

Figures
If included, refer to Chapter 7 of the APA manual for formatting guidance.

Appendix
Materials that are pertinent to the project but that would be distracting or inappropriate in the body of the paper are presented as an appendix. Appendices are created for materials such as letters of approval, copies of instruments, instructions to participants, survey materials, materials created as a part of an intervention (PowerPoint presentations, brochures, handouts, etc.). If there is more than one appendix, each should be listed on a separate page and be labeled as Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, etc.
Appendices should be labeled and numbered in order of mention in the text.