PRAC 6635 Assignment 2: Clinical Skills Self-Assessment
Walden University PRAC 6635 Assignment 2: Clinical Skills Self-Assessment-Step-By-Step Guide
This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.
How to Research and Prepare for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.
How to Write the Introduction for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
The introduction for the Walden University PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.
How to Write the Body for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
After the introduction, move into the main part of the PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.
Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.
How to Write the Conclusion for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.
How to Format the References List for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.
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Sample Answer for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
FNP Students
| Skill / Procedure | Confident (Can complete independently) | Mostly Confident (Can complete with supervision) | Beginning (Has performed with supervision or need supervision to feel confident) |
New (Has never performed or does not apply) |
| Breast Examination | √ | |||
| Basic microscopy (yeast, BV) | √ | |||
| Obtaining vaginal culture | √ | |||
| HARK screening | √ | |||
| Contraceptive Options | √ | |||
| Herpes Culture | √ | |||
| Pap Smear | ||||
| IUD Insertion and Removal | √ | |||
| Auscultation Fetal Heart Tones | √ | |||
| Fundal Height Assessment | √ | |||
| Pregnancy Testing | √ | |||
| EPPDS Screening | √ | |||
| Pelvic Exam | √ | |||
Summary of strengths:
| I have competencies that inform my practice in the clinical experience. Firstly, I am confident in auscultating fetal heart tones. I can determine abnormalities, including fetal tachycardia and bradycardia from the auscultation. I can also perform a fundal height assessment. I can determine gestation, presentation, and abnormal lie from fundal height assessment. This helps me to provide appropriate care to pregnant clients and their families in my practice. I can also perform pregnancy testing without assistance. This includes using methods such as urinalysis to detect Hcg presence in urine. I can also interpret diagnostic investigations such as an obstetric ultrasound. I am also mostly confident in providing other reproductive health services, including breast examination, contraceptive placement, and pelvic examination. I can provide sexual and reproductive services that optimize safety, quality, and efficiency outcomes in my practice (Chan et al., 2020; Clarke et al., 2021; Egerod et al., 2021). For example, I can counsel patients on contraceptive options that align with their health status. I can also perform basic microscopy tests for conditions, including yeast infections. |
Opportunities for growth:
| I am yet to achieve my desired competencies in several areas. As a result, I should explore several growth opportunities. Firstly, I should be knowledgeable in different aspects of my practice such as IUD insertion and removal, obtaining vaginal culture, and HARK screening. I should use every opportunity in my practicum experience to learn and acquire skills needed for my practice. For example, I should be part of the interprofessional teams involved in patient care to ensure I learn and develop new skills from others. I should also collaborate with my preceptor to identify my strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to explore for my competency development (Nishiguchi et al., 2021). My preceptor will also guide me in learning new skills relevant to my practice. Family nurse practitioners should have adequate leadership competencies in their practice. They should lead quality and safety initiatives that transform patient experiences with care and organizational systems and outcomes. I will use the practicum experience to develop my leadership skills. I will collaborate with other healthcare providers to assess systems and processes and propose strategies to improve care safety and quality. Lastly, I will seek my preceptor’s support in translating evidence into practice (Dang et al., 2021; Kitson et al., 2021). I will collaborate with him to identify best practice recommendations and clinical guidelines for treating cases at the practice site.
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Now, write 3–4 possible goals and objectives for this practicum experience. Ensure that they follow the SMART Strategy, as described in the Learning Resources.
| A) By the end of the practicum experience, I should be competent in performing different screenings to diagnose sexual and reproductive conditions in my practice
– I will dedicate an hour daily for the next two weeks to read and understand the different screening methods used in the diagnosis of sexual and reproductive problems – I will screen at least 10 patients weekly, interpret results, and use them to make treatment recommendations – I will collaborate with my preceptor in using different screening tools, interpreting results, and making treatment recommendations for patients seen at the practice site B) By the end of the practicum experience, I should have developed adequate leadership competencies for my future practice – I will collaborate with other healthcare providers in implementing change initiatives in the practice site – I will propose continuous improvement initiatives in the practice site to improve safety and quality outcomes – I will incorporate the best leadership skills into my daily practice in the practicum site C) By the end of the practicum experience, I should be competent in translating evidence into nursing practice – I will dedicate 30 minutes daily to researching clinical guidelines and evidence-based information that guides the treatment of sexual and reproductive health problems – I will ensure evidence-based data and clinical guidelines inform the treatment decisions I make during my practicum experience – I will seek my preceptor’s guidance in the translation of evidence into practice throughout the practicum experience
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References
Chan, T. E., Lockhart, J. S., Schreiber, J. B., & Kronk, R. (2020). Determining nurse practitioner core competencies using a Delphi approach. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 32(3), 200. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000384
Clarke, V., Lehane, E., Mulcahy, H., & Cotter, P. (2021). Nurse Practitioners’ Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice Into Routine Care: A Scoping Review. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 18(3), 180–189. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12510
Dang, D., Dearholt, S. L., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2021). Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals: Model and Guidelines, Fourth Edition. Sigma Theta Tau.
Egerod, I., Kaldan, G., Nordentoft, S., Larsen, A., Herling, S. F., Thomsen, T., & Endacott, R. (2021). Skills, competencies, and policies for advanced practice critical care nursing in Europe: A scoping review. Nurse Education in Practice, 54, 103142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103142
Kitson, A. L., Harvey, G., Gifford, W., Hunter, S. C., Kelly, J., Cummings, G. G., Ehrenberg, A., Kislov, R., Pettersson, L., Wallin, L., & Wilson, P. (2021). How nursing leaders promote evidence-based practice implementation at point-of-care: A four-country exploratory study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(5), 2447–2457. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14773
Nishiguchi, S., Sugaya, N., Saigusa, Y., & Inamori, M. (2021). Effect of interprofessional collaboration among nursing home professionals on end-of-life care in nursing homes. Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics, 15(2), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.5582/ddt.2021.01030
Sample Answer 2 for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
| Desired Clinical Skills for Students to Achieve | Confident (Can complete independently) | Mostly confident (Can complete with supervision) | Beginning (Have performed with supervision or need supervision to feel confident) | New (Have never performed or does not apply) |
| Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation skills in: | ||||
| Recognizing clinical signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness | X | |||
| Differentiating between pathophysiological and psychopathological conditions | X | |||
| Performing and interpreting a comprehensive and/or interval history and physical examination (including laboratory and diagnostic studies) | X | |||
| Performing and interpreting a mental status examination | X | |||
| Performing and interpreting a psychosocial assessment and family psychiatric history | X | |||
| Performing and interpreting a functional assessment (activities of daily living, occupational, social, leisure, educational). | X | |||
| Diagnostic reasoning skill in: | ||||
| Demonstrate knowledge of psychopathology of mental illnesses through discussion for different age groups and mental illnesses | X | |||
| Developing and prioritizing a differential diagnoses list | X | |||
| Formulating diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data | X | |||
| Differentiating between normal/abnormal age-related physiological and psychological symptoms/changes | X | |||
| Psychotherapeutic Treatment Planning: | ||||
| Provide psychoeducation to individuals and/or any caregivers | X | |||
| Promote health and disease prevention techniques | X | |||
| Self Assessment skill: | ||||
| Develop SMART goals for practicum experiences | X | |||
| Evaluating outcomes of practicum goals and modify plan as necessary | X | |||
| Documenting and reflecting on learning experiences | X | |||
| Professional skills: | ||||
| Maintains professional boundaries and therapeutic relationship with clients and staff | X | |||
| Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to improve clinical practice in mental health settings | X | |||
| Identifies ethical and legal dilemmas with possible resolutions | X | |||
| Demonstrates non-judgmental practice approach and empathy | X | |||
| Practices within scope of practice | X | |||
| Selecting and implementing appropriate screening instrument(s) and interpreting results: | ||||
| Demonstrates selecting the correct screening instrument appropriate for the clinical situation | X | |||
| Implements the screening instrument efficiently and effectively with the clients | x | |||
| Interprets results for screening instruments accurately | X | |||
| Identifies the need to refer to another specialty provider when applicable | X | |||
| Accurately documents recommendations for psychiatric consultations when applicable | X |
Summary of strengths:
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This Practicum experience would be my first as a PMHNP student but my professional experience  as a Registered Nurse with a vast number of years working with patients with a diverse array of illnesses, a few of whom also had Psych and Mental health diagnosis along with other comorbidities I am more familiar with, has sharpened my assessment as well as my documentation skills. I am comfortable interacting with patients, communicating in a professional manner, and familiar with the code of ethics of maintaining confidentiality and maintaining my scope of practice. The various case study presentations I have done in class assignments have also in no small measure prepared me for applying this knowledge in clinical settings.
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Opportunities for growth:
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Formulating diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data, developing, and prioritizing a differential diagnoses list and identifying the appropriate psychopharmacological intervention best suited for my patient unique situation, when necessary, are all skills I hope to master in the course of my Practicum experience. This clinical experience will enable me to observe, learn and apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings under the supervision and guidance of a professional and experienced clinician and prepare me to become a skilled PMHNP. |
Now, write three to four (3–4) possible goals and objectives for this practicum experience. Ensure that they follow the SMART Strategy, as described in the Learning Resources.
| 1. Goal: Identify and use the appropriate screening instrument suitable for one client each week
a. Objective: Be knowledgeable with patient history to find appropriate screening tool. b. Objective: Have a baseline on patient mental status to determine progress or decline c. Objective: Get constructive feedback
2. Goal: Perform initial comprehensive psychiatric evaluation on a client a. Objective: Determine chief complaint correctly b. Objective: Seek constructive feedback from preceptor c. Objective: Improve on evaluation skills based on feedback.
3. Goal: Initiate an appropriate treatment plan for a client with minimal intervention from my preceptor. a. Objective: Apply knowledge from didactic class and build confidence b. Objective: Address pertinent issues that may impact treatment c. Objective: Review medication list and lab reports with minimal supervision and input from preceptor
4. Goal: confidently formulate one client’s diagnoses each week according to DSM 5 based on assessment data a. Objective: Become more familiar wit DSM 5 diagnostic tool b. Objective: Become more skilled at deciphering information to determine diagnosis c. Objective: Become more skilled in documenting Psychiatric notes. |
Sample Answer 3 for PRAC 6645 WEEK 8 Assignment 1 : Clinical Hour and Patient Logs
Three Strengths
Completing the risk control self-assessment checklist for nurse practitioners enabled me to identify my strengths as well as weaknesses. One of my strengths that I discovered is that I have effective communication skills with my patients and other healthcare providers. I also learned that I have the strength of being highly flexible in my practice. The last strength that I discovered from the exercise is that I am honest in my practice. Communication is an important skill that nurse practitioners must possess for them to provide care that meets the needs of their patients. Nurse practitioners should promote open communication in their settings, as a way of ensuring safe practice in healthcare. They should also be able to encourage patients to express their concerns and views on the manner in which care can be improved. They should demonstrate in the use of and interpreting both verbal and non-verbal communication in their practice (Bach & Grant, 2015). Therefore, I perceive being an efficient and effective communicator an important skill that will promote my success as a nurse practitioner.
Nurse practitioners encounter constantly changing situations in their practice. They provide care that aim at meeting diverse needs of their patients. As a result, they must be flexible in their approach to nursing care. They should demonstrate enhanced abilities to change their plans of care in response to the changing needs of their patients. They should also be willing to incorporate the perceptions of other into their practice. Through it, they are able to offer responsive care that not only addresses the prioritized needs but also the potential healthcare needs too. Most of the nurse practitioners often experience challenges in being flexible in addressing the needs of their patients. Thus, I perceive flexibility to be a strength that would improve my performance as a nurse practitioner. Honesty is a valuable practice in nursing practice (Masters, 2018). Nurse practitioners should strive to ensure that their interaction with patients and other healthcare providers promote honesty since it underpins quality in nursing practice.
I intend to improve the above strengths by embracing a wide range of interventions. Firstly, I will research more on the ways in which I can improve on them as a way of being an efficient nurse practitioner. I will also prioritize patient-centered care as a way of strengthening them. I will also engage in reflective practice to determine the manner in which my strengths can be improved while eliminating the identified weaknesses. Lastly, I will attend trainings that aim at building these strengths.
Three Weaknesses
One of the weaknesses I identified from the exercise is that I have challenges in interpreting healthcare needs of patients with limited English proficiency. My other weakness is that I tend to generalize some of the expressions by the patients I interact with in the clinical setting. The last weakness is that I lack efficient skills in time management in the clinical setting. I intend to address the weakness of interpreting the healthcare needs of patients with limited English proficiency by learning more about the ways in which they express themselves. I also intend to work with interpreters as a way of learning their needs better. I intend to address the weakness of generalizing some of the expressions of the patients by being attentive to them. I intend to explore further the meaning of their expressions and ways in which they can be incorporated into the plan of care. I intend to address the weakness of inefficient time management skills by attending training on time management. I also intend to learn on ways of using scheduling and planning to manage my time in clinical setting.
Clinical Skills
One of the clinical skills that I intend to master by the end of my clinical experience is being a culturally competent nurse practitioner. I also intend to master the ways in which evidence-based practice can be introduced and promoted in the clinical setting. Lastly, I intend to learn how teamwork can be promoted in the clinical setting. I will research more on how to become culturally competent for me to be competent in this area. I will also work with patients and providers from diverse cultural backgrounds to become culturally competent. I will play an active role in the implementation of evidence-based practice in my practicum to master how to introduce it in my future role. I will also work actively in teams to learn how teamwork can be promoted in clinical practice. I will also research more about the principles of teamwork that should be evident in my clinical practice.
History of Advanced Nursing Practice
Advanced nursing practice was introduced in the US in the 1970s. The profession has undergone significant transformations since then (Zeni, 2019). One of the emerging roles in my area of specialization in APN is independence in prescribing. Traditionally, nurse practitioners in my state are required to prescribe medications under supervision from the physician. However, there is a proposal for this provision to be removed in the practice of nurse practitioners. Therefore, I will engage in extensive research to determine the ways in which the proposal can be a success in the practice of nurse practitioners.
References
Bach, S., & Grant, A. (2015). Communication and interpersonal skills in nursing. Learning Matters.
Masters, K. (2018). Role development in professional nursing practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Zeni, M. B. (2019). Principles of Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice: A Population Health Perspective. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.