Course
NURS-4220K Leadership Competencies-Summer
Storyboard Instructions
The Practice Experience Project Storyboard is a brief, visual summary of a completed quality improvement initiative. The storyboard highlights key aspects of a quality improvement effort by documenting the Practice Experience Project from beginning to end.
The course template uses a PowerPoint format to complete this assignment. You only need to provide two slides, no more. The first slide is the summary of your project; the second slide is the reference page. You will need to choose the most pertinent information from your practice experience and Capstone Paper to complete the Storyboard. No voiceover is required.
The completed storyboard is submitted for grading. Optional: You may submit your storyboard to the group discussion area and share your presentation with your classmates and instructor.
How to Approach the Quality Improvement Storyboard
First: Understand What This Assignment REALLY Is
This is not a full paper.
It is not a detailed explanation.
It is not your Capstone rewritten.
It is a visual executive summary of your entire Practice Experience Project.
Think of it like this:
If you had 2 minutes to show hospital leadership what you did, why it mattered, and what changed — what would you show them?
That’s your storyboard.
Slide 1: Project Summary (The Entire QI Project in One Slide)
This slide should tell a clear story from beginning to end.
You should organize it logically, not randomly. A good way to think about structuring it is:
1.Problem (Why Did This Matter?)
Start with:
What was the practice problem?
Why was it important?
What data showed it was a problem?
Keep it brief and data-driven.
Focus on:
Baseline numbers
National benchmarks (if you used them)
Why improvement was necessary
Example structure (not content to copy, just structure):
“High CHF readmission rates (28%) exceeded national benchmark (21%).”
“Increased ED transfers from LTC facility (15/month).”
Keep it tight and measurable.
2. Purpose Statement
Very short.
“The purpose of this project was to reduce ______ by implementing ______.”
One sentence.
3. Intervention (What You Did)
This is where many students go wrong.
Don’t over-explain.
Just identify:
The strategy used (education, protocol change, checklist, rounding, etc.)
Leadership approach if relevant
Evidence-based components
Think:
What changed in practice?
Use bullet points:
Implemented standardized triage tool
Nurse-led patient education sessions
Medication reconciliation protocol
48-hour follow-up calls
4. QI Tools Used
Mention tools briefly:
PDSA cycle
Run chart
Root Cause Analysis
Pareto chart
Fishbone diagram
This shows you applied quality improvement methodology.
5. Outcomes
This is critical.
Answer:
Did it work?
What changed?
What improved?
Use measurable outcomes:
“ED transfers reduced by 20% over 8 weeks.”
“Medication errors decreased from 10/month to 4/month.”
“Patient satisfaction scores improved by 15%.”
Even if results were modest, show measurable change.
6. Sustainability / Next Steps
Leadership always cares about this.
Briefly state:
How will this continue?
What needs monitoring?
Who is responsible?
Example focus:
Ongoing staff education
Monthly audits
Integration into policy
Design Tips for Slide 1
Because this is a storyboard:
Use short bullet points
Use headings
Avoid paragraphs
Use visual flow (left to right or top to bottom)
Consider using arrows or section boxes
Think:
Clean. Clear. Executive-level.
Slide 2: References
Only include:
Key scholarly sources from your Capstone
Evidence that supported your intervention
APA format.
No explanations.
Just references.
Usually 3–5 is appropriate.
What to Focus On (Very Important)
This assignment is grading you on whether you can:
Summarize a QI initiative clearly
Demonstrate understanding of quality improvement process
Connect evidence to intervention
Show measurable outcomes
Present information concisely