NURS FPX 4905 Assessment 5 Reflection Questions

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX4905 Capstone Project for Nursing

Prof. Name

Date

Reflection Questions

Wellness and Disease Prevention

Reflect on the health promotion and disease prevention interventions you witnessed in your practicum site, as it relates to the social determinants of health most prevalent in your community. What did you see? What does this time mean to you as a professional nurse in your role?

During my practicum at The Longevity Center, I observed a strong emphasis on preventive health practices and individualized wellness strategies, particularly within the scope of regenerative medicine. The facility prioritized early detection of health risks, including hormonal imbalances, autoimmune triggers, chronic inflammation, and nutrient deficiencies. These health risks were often linked to prevalent social determinants of health in the community such as financial hardship, poor nutrition, and varied levels of health literacy.

The organization implemented comprehensive intake assessments and encouraged patients to adopt lifestyle modifications while tailoring treatment plans to prevent disease onset. However, one noticeable limitation was the lack of system-level interventions to address broader social inequities, such as community-wide access to health resources. This highlighted the need for greater collaboration between healthcare systems and public health agencies to bridge disparities.

This practicum significantly shaped my nursing perspective. I realized that disease prevention and clinical outcomes are inseparably linked, especially in regenerative medicine where proactive care is crucial. I learned that prevention strategies must extend beyond medical factors to also consider social, psychological, and environmental influences. My role as a nurse was not confined to bedside care but expanded to educator, advocate, and collaborator, promoting health equity and interagency cooperation. This experience reinforced the idea that nursing care should blend scientific knowledge with compassionate, preventive thinking.

Chronic Disease Management

Reflect on the integration of interprofessional team-based care as it relates to chronic disease management in your practicum site. What did you see? What does this time mean to you as a professional nurse in your role?

At The Longevity Center, I encountered a multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disorders, and hormonal dysfunction. Patients received personalized care plans designed and executed collaboratively by physicians, nurse practitioners, nutritionists, wellness coaches, and laboratory specialists.

The team coordinated care through shared electronic health records and engaged in frequent interdisciplinary meetings to review patient progress, lab results, and care adjustments. This ensured proactive management, especially in therapies like hormone optimization or peptide protocols that demanded continuous monitoring. Despite these efforts, challenges persisted, particularly in standardizing communication protocols and ensuring timely responses to critical updates.

For me as a nurse, this was a transformative learning opportunity. It emphasized that nurses act as a central link in team-based care, bridging communication gaps, educating patients, and monitoring symptoms. I recognized the value of nurses as connectors who align treatment goals across disciplines while safeguarding continuity of care. This experience deepened my appreciation for coordination, trust, and consistency as pillars of chronic disease management and strengthened my confidence in leading patient-centered initiatives to improve long-term outcomes.

Table 1: Team-Based Chronic Disease Management at Practicum Site

Discipline Involved	Role in Care Delivery	Collaborative Outcome
Physicians	Diagnose, prescribe, oversee treatment plans	Clinical accuracy in diagnosis and intervention
Nurse Practitioners	Ongoing assessment, patient education	Early detection of changes in condition
Nutritionists	Develop diet and lifestyle modifications	Improved dietary adherence and disease management
Wellness Coaches	Support motivation and behavioral changes	Enhanced patient engagement in self-care
Laboratory Professionals	Conduct tests and provide diagnostic support	Informed decisions based on accurate lab reporting

Regenerative and Restorative Care

Reflect on the acute management of illnesses such as stroke, mental illness, and falls in your practicum site. What did you see? What does this time mean to you as a professional nurse in your role?

Although The Longevity Center primarily focused on regenerative and preventive practices, I was able to witness elements of restorative care for patients in acute health situations. These included cases of chronic fatigue, fall-related injuries, and mood disturbances. While the facility did not directly manage acute stroke or psychiatric emergencies, it supported recovery by employing interventions such as platelet-rich plasma therapy, peptide protocols, hormone balancing, and stem cell treatments.

Mental health care was addressed through neurotransmitter assessments and referrals for counseling, though psychiatric pathways lacked the structured framework often present in physical health management. For fall-related injuries, regenerative strategies aimed to restore mobility and improve independence, aligning with the clinic’s mission of functional recovery.

NURS FPX 4905 Assessment 5 Reflection Questions

This experience broadened my understanding of acute care within the lens of long-term recovery and healing. I realized that acute management extends beyond crisis stabilization to include planned restorative interventions that emphasize physical, mental, and emotional well-being. As a nurse, I learned to evaluate not just the clinical symptoms but also the psychosocial context of recovery, reinforcing the need to guide patients with both expertise and empathy.

Hospice and Palliative Care

Reflect on end-of-life nursing and advanced illness and hospice care in your practicum site.

While hospice and palliative care were not central services at The Longevity Center, I observed cases where patients with progressive, irreversible illnesses such as severe autoimmune conditions or advanced fatigue syndromes shifted toward comfort-focused care. In these situations, the care model transitioned from curative goals to supportive measures emphasizing symptom relief, dignity, and quality of life.

The clinic applied elements of palliative nursing, including comfort, dignity, and shared decision-making, but lacked a formal structure for hospice care. Discussions about advanced illness planning occurred inconsistently and could be improved through earlier and systematic communication. The clinic’s culture of vitality occasionally posed challenges in shifting toward end-of-life acceptance.

This experience profoundly shaped my nursing practice. I learned that palliative care is not about giving up but about prioritizing what matters most to the patient—comfort, autonomy, and peace. I realized that even in environments centered on rejuvenation, nurses must be equipped to provide compassionate, flexible, and patient-centered end-of-life care. It reaffirmed the nursing responsibility to guide these delicate conversations and ensure dignity for individuals facing terminal illness.

References

American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (4th ed.). ANA.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The future of nursing 2020–2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25982

NURS FPX 4905 Assessment 5 Reflection Questions

World Health Organization. (2023). Social determinants of health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health