Integrated Practicum

The "Integrated Practicum" component is accomplished prior to graduation from a nursing program.

Kentucky state regulations charge nursing programs with the responsibility and accountability to develop a curriculum plan that enables students to acquire the nursing skills essential for safe practice upon graduation.  Though each nursing school lays out their program slightly different, each must include theory and selected clinical practice experiences to enable the graduate to provide nursing care to individuals across the life cycle.  To enhance the clinical experiences already present within nursing programs, KBN adopted a requirement titled  “Integrated Practicum.” The practicum consists of 120 clock hours of concentrated direct patient care in a health care facility to be completed within a 7-week period during the final semester or quarter of the program of nursing. Prelicensure programs of nursing are required to provide this capstone clinical experience under the supervision of a program faculty member for any student admitted to their program as of July 1, 2004. 

A capstone experience by definition is “an opportunity for students to demonstrate that they have achieved the goals for learning established by their educational institution and major.”  This capstone clinical experience should be designed in such a manner that the student is able to demonstrate cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning sufficient for completion of program outcomes.  The clinical setting in which the student completes the integrated practicum depends upon the program of nursing.