Practicum Experience Plan (PEP)

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 

Differentiating between pathophysiological and psychopathological conditions 

Performing and interpreting a comprehensive and/or interval history and physical examination (including laboratory and diagnostic studies) 

Performing and interpreting a mental status examination 

Performing and interpreting a psychosocial assessment and family psychiatric history 

Performing and interpreting a functional assessment (activities of daily living, occupational, social, leisure, educational).

Diagnostic reasoning skill in:

Demonstrate knowledge of psychopathology of mental illnesses through discussion for different age groups and mental illnesses

Developing and prioritizing a differential diagnoses list

Formulating diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data 

Differentiating between normal/abnormal age-related physiological and psychological symptoms/changes

Psychotherapeutic Treatment Planning:

Provide psychoeducation to individuals and/or any caregivers

Promote health and disease prevention techniques

Self-Assessment skill:

Develop SMART goals for practicum experiences 

Evaluating outcomes of practicum goals and modify plan as necessary 

Documenting and reflecting on learning experiences

Professional skills:

Maintains professional boundaries and therapeutic relationship with clients and staff

Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to improve clinical practice in mental health settings 

Identifies ethical and legal dilemmas with possible resolutions

Demonstrates non-judgmental practice approach and empathy

Practices within scope of practice

Selecting and implementing appropriate screening instrument(s) and interpreting results:

Demonstrates selecting the correct screening instrument appropriate for the clinical situation 

Implements the screening instrument efficiently and effectively with the clients

Interprets results for screening instruments accurately

Identifies the need to refer to another specialty provider when applicable

Accurately documents recommendations for psychiatric consultations when applicable

Problem Solving

It is reported that problem solving is one of the greatest strengths a nurse can have (Wei et al., 2019). This is one of my strengths because I am good at finding solutions to difficult or complex issues using either generic or ad hoc methods. The strength helps me to come up with appropriate responses in important and difficult situations using critical thinking. It is an important strength because it helps in determining the quality of care and the safety of patients (Wei et al., 2019).

Endurance

Endurance is another strength that I possess. This is an important strength because as a nurse, I am usually on my feet for many hours a day. Possessing the ability to work these hours and have a positive attitude is therefore an essential strength and this is what endurance is about (Macfarlane, 2019). For example, I may be required to physically lift heavy objects or patients, help surgeons, and other tasks which may be tiring and taking an extended period. Endurance helps in ensuring that I maintain energy throughout my whole shift (Xie et al., 2020).

Communication

Communication is another key strength. I possess excellent written and verbal communication skills which help me in communicating with various groups in the health care setting. These groups may include nurses, other health care staff, doctors, or patients and they all need to understand the information being conveyed to them regarding the current situation. Communication skills helps to ensure that the information is passed accurately and effectively to foster accurate decision making, understanding, and collaboration (Xie et al., 2020).

Time Management Skills

Time management skills is also another key strength for me because time is crucial in saving people’s lives. Time management skills are important in my professional life and especially in healthcare services because people’s lives are on my hands. In regard to time management skills, the ability to understand which patient needs attention immediately, which one can wait for a while, which one needs more time, and which one does not, is critical (Wei et al., 2019). These skills are significantly advantages when it comes dealing with the workload effectively and efficiently (Macfarlane, 2019).

Advancing of Education

This is a key opportunity for growth because the decision to take continuing education courses will help me to grow professionally. I can take up courses that will help me in remaining abreast of the latest research for delivering care as supported by evidence-based practices. Advancing of education provides an opportunity to gain comprehensive knowledge and advance it while at the same time identifying weaknesses and finding ways to combat them (Dahinten et al., 2016).

Networking

This is an opportunity for growth which allows me to interact with other nurses in exploring the nursing field and developing a strong support system within the medical community. Networking can help me to actively seek relationships that may help in pursuing my professional goals (Dahinten et al., 2016). The advantage is that these connections can be formed in person, through an industry specific organization, or online. Networking can help me to discover new specialties and share knowledge, hence helping me to grow as a nurse (Dahinten et al., 2016).

Increased Duties And Responsibilities

Increased duties and responsibilities are responsible for making me take on new challenges in my current position, projects, as well as long or short term assignments. This is an opportunity for growth because I can learn by doing through working on real problems and dilemmas. These increased duties and responsibilities will challenge me to come out of my comfort zones and demand that I think and act differently and appropriately. In the long run, all these elements will be fostering my professional growth (Anselmo-Witzel et al., 2017).

Research

I also have the opportunity to research various concepts and topics and present the findings of the research to others. In the process of doing so, this opportunity will help me to grow (Anselmo-Witzel et al., 2017).

1. Goal: To improve my self-assessment skills in terms of developing goals, evaluating outcomes, and documentation.

a. Objective: To learn how to effectively develop smart goals and measure them against the “SMART goals” criteria.

b. Objective: To learn how to evaluate the outcomes of goals and modifying the plan by assesing the set goals and the progress.

c. Objective: To improve my skills in identifying the necessary information to be documented and how it should be done regarding reflections on learning experiences.

2. Goal: To improve my knowledge in identifying ethical and legal dilemmas with appropriate remedies.

a. Objective: To improve my knowledge on the nurses code of ethics.

b. Objective: To identify and examine examples of ethical and legal dilemmas in nursing.

c. Objective: To identify and examine the most effective ways of dealing with ethical and legal dilemmas in nursing.

3. Goal: To reinforce my professional skills when collaborating and integrating with others.

a. Objective: To determine and practice organizational skills that are essential in functioning effectively in the workplace.

b. Objective: To practice and improve effective communication especially written communication.

c. Objective: To improve my magnitude of networking with other professionals in the same field.