GCU Individual Success Plan (ISP) for RN-to-BSN Students: Practice Hours Plan and Competencies Example
6 min read Individual Success Plan (ISP) for Nursing Student
REQUIRED PRACTICE HOURS
Use the Individual Success Plan to develop a personal plan for completing your clinical practice experience hours and self-assess how you will meet the GCU RN-to-BSN University Mission Critical Competencies and the Programmatic Domains & Competencies (Appendix A) related to that course.
What the ISP is for
In Grand Canyon University’s RN-to-BSN program, the Individual Success Plan is a planning document, usually completed at the start of the capstone course (NRS-490), that maps out how you will complete your required practice hours and demonstrate program competencies. The capstone requires 100 practice immersion hours. Course assignments that carry a “Practice Hours Portfolio” statement in the syllabus are listed on the ISP, each counting for approximately 10 hours, with actual clock time recorded on a time log (Grand Canyon University Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching [GCU CIRT], n.d.). Because requirements can change, always follow your current syllabus and ask your instructor or program leadership if anything is unclear.
Clarity and logic in thought
Professional communication skills
Empathy; avoiding ethnocentrism
Leads selflessly to serve others
Source: Grand Canyon University (n.d.), “Christian Identity and Mission.”
Sections of a typical ISP
| ISP section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Student and practice information | Name, course, instructor, practice setting, course mentor or preceptor (if your program uses one), start and end dates |
| Personal and professional goals | Two or three SMART goals for the capstone and your career |
| Practice hours plan | Each qualifying assignment, the activities you will complete, the estimated hours and the week you will complete them; total 100 hours |
| Mission Critical Competencies self-assessment | How you will demonstrate each GCU competency, with specific activities |
| Programmatic Domains & Competencies (Appendix A) | Each domain listed in your course’s Appendix A, your current level, the activity that will demonstrate it and the evidence |
| Evaluation and signatures | Progress review dates; student and faculty sign-off where required |
Model ISP (fictional student)
Original example for study purposes. Use the official ISP form and Appendix A from your course and replace all details with your own.
Student and practice information
Student: [Your name], RN, medical-surgical nurse with six years of experience. Course: NRS-490 Professional Capstone and Practicum. Practice setting: 32-bed medical-surgical unit at a community hospital. Capstone project focus: reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) through a nurse-driven catheter removal protocol.
Personal and professional goals
- By the end of the course, I will complete an evidence-based capstone proposal on CAUTI reduction and present it to my unit’s shared governance council.
- Within the course, I will complete all 100 practice hours and log them on time with each qualifying assignment.
- Within one year of graduating, I will apply for a charge nurse or clinical nurse educator position, using the leadership skills developed in the capstone.
Practice hours plan
| Week | Qualifying activity (example) | Practice activities | Estimated hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Individual Success Plan | Meet with unit manager, identify practice problem, plan schedule | 10 |
| 2 | Problem description | Review unit CAUTI data with infection prevention; observe catheter practices | 10 |
| 3 | Literature review | Search and appraise evidence on nurse-driven removal protocols | 10 |
| 4 | Solution description | Interview staff, review hospital policy, draft protocol | 10 |
| 5 | Change model and implementation plan | Meet stakeholders; plan education using a change model | 10 |
| 6 | Evaluation plan | Identify outcome measures (catheter days, CAUTI rate) | 10 |
| 7 | Community or population health activity | Participate in a community health education event | 10 |
| 8 | Capstone presentation | Present proposal to shared governance council and staff | 10 |
| Throughout | Additional qualifying activities per syllabus | Interprofessional meetings, informatics review, reflective journal | 20 |
| Total | 100 | ||
Mission Critical Competencies self-assessment
| Competency | Current self-rating | How I will demonstrate it |
|---|---|---|
| Innovative Thinker | Developing | Critically appraise research and design an evidence-based protocol tailored to my unit’s workflow. |
| Effective Communicator | Proficient | Write a scholarly proposal in APA format and present it to nursing leadership and staff. |
| Global Contributor | Developing | Consider cultural, linguistic and health literacy needs in patient education about catheter care; participate in a community health activity. |
| Transformative Leader | Developing | Lead staff education and act as a change champion for the CAUTI protocol, serving patients and colleagues. |
Programmatic Domains & Competencies (Appendix A)
Copy each domain and competency exactly as written in your course’s Appendix A. The rows below show how to complete the table using common BSN domains as examples.
| Domain (example) | Planned activity | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence-based practice | Literature review and protocol development | Literature review assignment; appraisal table |
| Leadership and quality improvement | Lead staff education; apply a change model | Implementation plan; meeting notes |
| Interprofessional collaboration | Collaborate with infection prevention, physicians and nurse educators | Stakeholder meeting summary |
| Informatics and technology | Use EHR data to track catheter days and alerts | Data summary in evaluation plan |
| Population health | Community health education activity | Practice hours log; reflection |
| Professionalism, ethics and Christian worldview | Reflect on patient dignity, autonomy and caring in practice change | Reflective journal |
Progress monitoring
I will log my hours each time I submit a qualifying assignment, review my ISP with my instructor at mid-course and update my plan if my practice schedule changes. Completion will be confirmed when my time log shows 100 hours and all qualifying assignments are submitted.
Tips for completing your ISP
- Use the official form from your course and Appendix A exactly; do not substitute domain names.
- Check the syllabus for every assignment labeled with a Practice Hours Portfolio statement and list each on your ISP.
- Be specific about practice activities: who you will meet, what you will do and what evidence you will produce.
- Log hours on time, at the same time you submit each qualifying assignment.
- Choose a capstone problem you can realistically access in your workplace.
Frequently asked questions
How many practice hours are required?
The GCU RN-to-BSN capstone requires 100 practice immersion hours, according to course materials; confirm the current requirement in your syllabus (GCU CIRT, n.d.).
What counts as practice hours?
Activities tied to qualifying course assignments and approved experiences such as community or population health initiatives, as described in your syllabus.
Related reading: identifying a nursing practice problem and PICOT, PDSA practice improvement plan and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice.
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References
Grand Canyon University. (n.d.). Christian identity and mission. https://gcu.edu/why-gcu/christian-identity-and-mission
Grand Canyon University Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching. (n.d.). NUR-490 practice immersion hours question. https://cirt.gcu.edu/teaching/share/all_faculty_forum/nur_490_practice_immersion_hours_question
