Walk to Hawaii: An Undergraduate Honors Capstone Project
Introduction: The title of this project was conceived by the authors as a way to create a walking program in the College of Nursing that could be completed “figuratively” from Massachusetts to Hawaii.
Background: Two honors nursing students are working as a team to create a Walking Program for the faculty and staff at the College of Nursing according to their needs and desires for an effective walking program.
Method: The research will be conducted in three parts. First, two honors students completed a literature review of similar walking and exercise programs. One member evaluated walking programs that have already been created, and looked at what made them effective and long-lasting. One focus was on psychological motivation and motivators that encourage persons to start and maintain activity through a walking program. The second member’s literature review focused on the biological benefits of engaging in a walking program. This information will be used in comparison to data gathered in the second part of the project, the needs assessment.
Utilizing the information gathered from conducting the literature review, the team completed a needs assessment that was created and sent out to the faculty and staff at the College of Nursing to determine what were motivators for them to engage and maintain membership in a walking program. Potential participants have the opportunity to add additional motivators or elements that they believe will make the program most beneficial to them. Survey Monkey was used to collect the data in the spring of 2018 and all responses were anonymous and kept confidential. This information will be used to formulate a walking program to implement at the College of Nursing in the fall semester of 2018. A summative evaluation will be administered to determine the usefulness of the program. Outcomes such as walking steps taken and satisfaction will be measured.
Implications for Nursing: Creating a fun workplace walking program was seen as an opportunity to encourage healthy self care, socialize with colleagues and reduce stress and increase a sense of well-being. The goal of this project is to create an effective and long lasting opportunity for faculty and staff to engage in a workplace walking program that encourages long-term commitment.