Week 1 Journal Entry

Running head: WEEK ONE JOURNAL ENRTY 1

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WEEK ONE JOURNAL ENTRY

Week One Journal Entry

Olivia Bouchard

NURS 6650

Walden University

Week One Journal

The purpose of this paper is to choose one nursing theory and one counseling theory to help guide my personal practice. Each theory will be explained along with the reasons why they were chosen. Three different goals and objectives for each goal specifically relating to this course will be identified. A timeline of practicum activities will be created based on the requirements for this course.

Nursing Theory

The nursing theory that will be discussed is Ida Jean Orlando’s theory of the deliberate nursing process. This theory resembles the idea that patients’ perceptions of their personal experience is altered by nurses’ education and the information provided to the patient. This should be taken into consideration potentially to allow the patient to have their own perception and interpretation of situation. This also requires the nurse to have an open mind and listen to the patient and their feelings and needs before making any assumptions about the type of care needed and the way it should be provided (Gonzalo, 2019). This theory was chosen because it will be important to keep this in mind personally during my practice as a PMHNP before assuming too much about what I may think the patient needs and can benefit from. That is why it is important to allow the patient to provide detailed information about themselves, their history, and their goals from therapy.

Counseling Theory

The counseling theory that will be discussed and used to help guide personal practice is interpersonal psychotherapy. This type of therapy focuses on interpersonal relationships which is very relevant and applicable to this course as group therapy often focuses on issues that exist within relationships resulting in problems. The main goal of interpersonal therapy is to work on repairing unhealthy relationships and identifying and adjusting specific behaviors that are not beneficial (Holland, 2016). This can be used in individual therapy or group therapy, but it is applied in a self-reflective manner that allows individuals to address their personal behaviors that are detrimental in their relationships. This can be helpful for individuals in creating self-awareness and mindfulness and prevent individuals from automatically blaming others. The patient must be able to acknowledge their behaviors in order to make the life changes necessary for success (Wheeler, 2014). It has a direct approach which can help hold the individual accountable for their actions and ensure that the patient is making consistent progress in their course of therapy.

Goals and Objectives

One goal for this course is to feel more comfortable being able to properly diagnose patients based on their history and presenting symptoms. This goal will be reached with more exposure to patients seeking therapy who are being diagnosed by a professional or who have already been diagnosed. I will refer to my DSM-5 and ask my preceptor any questions that I may have. Another goal for this course is to be able to point out and recognize when cognitive behavioral therapy techniques are applicable and being applied. The objective for this goal is to spend more time studying CBT techniques and when to properly apply them. The third goal for this course is to create a better understanding of what a group counseling session looks like and how to navigate it as a PMHNP. The objective for this goal is to observe various types of group therapy sessions through my clinical experience and interject when comfortable.

Timeline of Practicum Activities

Week 1: Get an understanding for my preceptor, her expectations, and how the practice runs by asking plenty of questions and taking notes.

Week 2: Get familiar with patient cases and have them get comfortable with me being in the room and adding input by assessing the patient’s personality, demeanor, and body language with me in the room.

Week 3: Create a new patient assessment if the opportunity presents itself this week.

Week 4: Help conduct an individual session, collaborating with my preceptor.

Week 5: Get an understanding of how the format of a family or group therapy session runs by observing, asking questions and taking notes.

Week 6: Help conduct a family session, collaborating with my preceptor and by using my resources from this course.

Week 7: Feel comfortable being able to diagnose a new patient by taking notes throughout the clinical experience, asking my preceptor questions, and studying the DSM-5.

Week 8: Help conduct a session and choose appropriate CBT techniques.

Week 9: Be of assistance to answer any questions the patients may have during a therapy session and help explain uncertain feelings or behavior based on evidenced based practice.

Week 10: Be able to educate a patient on their diagnosis with my experience and knowledge at this point in the course.

Week 11: Be able to conduct an entire family therapy session, apply CBT techniques when and if necessary, and identify diagnoses if members in the group meet criteria.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ida Jean Orlando’s theory of the deliberate nursing process was the nursing theory chosen and discussed. This theory is important to apply as a PMHNP because of the key concept to listen to the patient’s needs and perception before making assumptions and interpretations about how care should be delivered. The counseling theory that was chosen and discussed was the interpersonal psychotherapy theory which focuses on interpersonal relationships. This is especially applicable with this course related to group and family therapy. It allows patients to evaluate their own behaviors and how they can be detrimental to their relationships. Goals and objectives along with a timeline for this course were identified to help guide me through the course in a constructive and beneficial manner.

References

Gonzalo, A., Gonzalo, A., Gonzalo, A., & St. Paul University. (2019, September 12). Ida Jean

Orlando: Deliberative Nursing Process Theory. Retrieved from https://nurseslabs.com/ida-jean-orlandos-deliberative-nursing-process-theory/

Holland, K. (2016). Interpersonal therapy. Retrieved from

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/interpersonal-therapy.

Wheeler, K. (Eds.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-

to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.