Review the provided Practicum Experience Plan essay below and write a 500-word essay addressing the following:

Learning From Experiences

• Revisit the goals and objectives from your Practicum Experience Plan. Explain the degree to which you achieved each during the practicum experience.
• Reflect on the three (3) most challenging patients you encountered during the practicum experience. What was most challenging about each?
• What did you learn from this experience?
• What resources were available?
• What evidence-based practice did you use for the patients?
• What would you do differently?
• How are you managing patient flow and volume?
• How can you apply your growing skillset to be a social change agent within your community?

Communicating and Feedback

• Reflect on how you might improve your skills and knowledge, and communicate those efforts to your Preceptor.
• Answer the questions: How am I doing? What is missing?
• Reflect on the formal and informal feedback you received from your Preceptor.

Here is the document to review:

Practicum Experience Plan

Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives

Objective 1: Demonstrate competency in conducting thorough clinical interviews and assessments for at least 80 patients by utilizing DSM-5 criteria to diagnose their psychiatric disorders accurately. This process will include collaborating with the supervising PMHNP to develop and present comprehensive treatment plans that incorporate patient-centered approaches and evidence-based practices by the end of the 11-week practicum.

Planned Activities:

1. Schedule an initial meeting with the supervising PMHNP to discuss the significance of clinical interviews and the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria.
2. Review selected DSM-5 disorders that will be the focus of the clinical assessments.
3. Prepare materials, such as clinical interview guides and consent forms, for patient engagement.
4. Document symptom patterns according to DSM-5 criteria and meet with the supervising PMHNP after each interview to discuss findings.

Mode of Assessment:Direct patient interaction.

PRAC Course Outcomes Addressed:

• Formulate differential diagnoses for patients across the lifespan
• Analyze cases involving advanced care of patients across the lifespan in mental health settings

Objective 2:Effectively manage medication plans for a minimum of 80 patients, demonstrating the ability to assess patient progress and side effect profiles through regular evaluations, and adjust medications as needed, employing evidence-based guidelines, collaborating with the supervising PMHNP to ensure optimized therapeutic outcomes and patient-centered care by the end of the practicum term.

Planned Activities:

1. Meet with the supervising PMHNP to review essential pharmacological concepts, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and common medications used for various psychiatric disorders.
2. Create a weekly schedule for patient follow-ups, ensuring that the student is assigned a minimum of 10 patients to monitor per week.
3. Develop a template for documenting patient evaluations, including observations on medication efficacy and side effects.
4. Conduct weekly evaluations of assigned patients during each visit, assess patient progress through structured interviews, asking about symptom changes, medication adherence, and side effects.

Mode of Assessment:Direct patient interaction

PRAC Course Outcome Addressed:

• Develop professional plans in advanced nursing practice for the practicum experience

Objective 3:Demonstrate enhanced communication and counseling skills necessary for effectively managing therapeutic relationships with patients. This will be evidenced by receiving a satisfactory evaluation from the supervising PMHNP, which will include feedback on the student's ability to establish rapport, actively listen, provide empathetic responses, and utilize appropriate therapeutic techniques during patient interactions by the end of the practicum term.

Planned Activities:

1. Schedule bi-weekly supervision sessions with the PMHNP to discuss journal entries. Focus specifically on the aspects of communication that are effective and those that require further development.
2. Engage in structured feedback sessions where the student can share detailed accounts of patient interactions from his practicum with the supervising PMHNP, who will provide feedback on rapport, listening skills, empathy, and therapeutic techniques.
3. Prepare a presentation summarizing the student's journey towards enhancing his communication skills.

Mode of Assessment:Direct patient interaction

PRAC Course Outcome(s) Addressed:

• Analyze cases involving advanced care of patients across the lifespan in mental health settings.
• Develop professional plans in advanced nursing practice for the practicum experience

Nursing Theory to Guide Clinical Practice:

Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory can be particularly useful in many mental health conditions impacting a person's self-care ability. The theory emphasizes the importance of self-care as a human need and focuses on the nurse's role in supporting and enabling patients to take responsibility for their care (Khademian et al., 2020). This writer can help patients manage their mental health conditions more effectively by assessing self-care deficits and developing a specific plan.

Incorporating Orem's theory into clinical practice, particularly in mental health settings, involves several steps:

1. Assessment of Self-Care Deficits. The first step is to assess the patient's ability to perform self-care activities. This includes basic physical care, such as bathing and eating, and mental health care, such as managing stress and maintaining social relationships. Example: Nurse: "Can you tell me about your daily routine? How do you manage your stress levels?"
2. Development of a Self-Care Plan. Based on the assessment, the nurse and patient develop a self-care plan. This plan should be tailored to the patient's individual needs and abilities. Example: Nurse: "Let us create a plan for managing your stress. What activities help you relax?"
3. Implementation and Evaluation. The nurse supports the patient in implementing the self-care plan and regularly evaluates its effectiveness. Adjustments are made as necessary. Example: Nurse: "How is your stress management plan working? Do we need to make any changes?"

Counseling Theory to Guide Clinical Practice:

Person-centered counseling theory, also known as client-centered therapy, was developed by Carl Rogers. It is a non-directive approach to therapy, where the patients are seen as the experts in their own lives (Yao & Kabir, 2023). This writer's role is to provide a supportive environment that allows patients to explore and understand their feelings and behaviors.

Incorporating person-centered counseling theory into clinical practice involves several key principles:

1. Unconditional positive regard means accepting and respecting the patients for who they are without judgment or evaluation. This helps create a safe and supportive environment where patients feel comfortable expressing their feelings and thoughts.
2. Empathy is striving to understand patients' experiences and feelings from their perspectives. This involves active listening and reflecting on the patients' feelings to ensure they feel understood.
3. Congruence refers to being genuine and transparent with the patient. It is critical for this writer not to put on a professional facade but rather to be himself and express his feelings in the therapeutic relationship.

Part 3: Projected Timeline/Schedule

Estimate how many hours you expect to work on your Practicum each week: 16 hours a week.

This writer intends to complete the 160 Practicum hours according to the following timeline/schedule. This writer also understands that he must see at least 80 patients during the practicum experience. The writer understands he may not complete my practicum hours sooner than 8 weeks.