Journal Entry

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

Communication. This is one of my strengths because I have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Communication as a strength enables me in communicating with various groups in the healthcare setting such as doctors, patients, nurses, and other healthcare staff in a manner in which they are able to understand the current situation. Specifically for patients, communication skills help in explaining diagnosis or test results as well as in the development of treatment plans (Foster et al., 2018).

Empathy. This is another of my strengths and it helps me specifically during interaction with patients. Empathy helps in the interaction with the patient and their family and by using it, the nurse as is able to help them cope with the problems (Buljac-Samardžić, & van Woerkom, 2018). Empathy also makes me able to comprehend and share the feelings of the patient and their loved ones making it an essential strength for me.

Flexibility. This is a very key strength because it is reported that there is need for nurses to be flexible (Buljac-Samardžić, & van Woerkom, 2018). Flexibility is essential because the day-to-day work changes frequently. This skill is essential in helping to manage these changes effectively and with great efficiency (Buljac-Samardžić, & van Woerkom, 2018).

Attention to detail. There are many patients that nurses interact with in the course of a day and this interaction can also be extended to physicians, other nurses, and other hospital staff. Being attentive to detail as a skill helps me in making sure that every piece of information is accurate and updated. This in turn helps in fostering correct treatment of patients (Foster et al., 2018). Attention to detail is a great strength because it can be devastating when it is considered and can be a driver of positive care quality when it is positioned on the front line (Foster et al., 2018).

Opportunity for advancing educational attainment. This is an opportunity for growth because advancing my education through various academic programs can help in equipping me with advanced knowledge. This opportunity helps me to grow in various elements such as in my skills, strengths, understanding of my duties, and general professional level (Kurth et al., 2016).

Learning new skills. This is an opportunity for growth because even though I may be assigned in specific specialties, I can decide not to limit my potentials in procedures or routines confined in my area of specialty. I have the opportunity to learn new skills which will provide a knowledge advantage as I carry out my duties (Santillan-Garcia et al., 2020).

Opportunity for collaboration and becoming a better team member. Nursing as a practice is not in isolation and the opportunity for collaboration and becoming a better member is key (Santillan-Garcia et al., 2020). This growth opportunity can help me to grow my knowledge in decision-making especially in terms of understanding and responding to the needs and concerns of a client (Santillan-Garcia et al., 2020). By becoming a team member, I can advance my knowledge in improving patient care and how to effectively participate in care management processes.

Conducting research. This is an opportunity for me to help in contributing to the body of nursing knowledge. This opportunity can also help me to enrich the current body of language and help in updating and improving the nursing practice by providing evidence-based research (Kwok et al., 2016). In the long run, this opportunity proves to be beneficial to the individual and helps in advancing their knowledge and skills in this specific area (Kwok et al., 2016).

1. Goal: To improve my knowledge in selecting and implementing correct screening instruments and interpreting results.

a. Objective: To understand the goals and the purpose is of using each tool.

b. Objective: To identify the factors that may influence the type of tool to be used.

c. Objective: To determine the validity of each tool used and how evidence can be generated.

2. Goal: To improve my professional skills regarding collaboration and integration with other professionals.

a. Objective: To develop the aptitude of networking and having the ability to work in groups.

b. Objective: To identify and practice organizational skills that help me to function effectively in the workplace.

c. Objective: To practice effective communication.

3. Goal: To improve my psychiatric evaluation skills.

a. Objective: To identify the key elements of a comprehensive mental health assessment.

b. Objective: To learn how to effectively prepare for a psychiatric evaluation.

c. Objective: To learn how to write good psychiatric notes.