PRAC 6665 Week 2 Assignment 2:Practicum Experience Plan (PEP)

PRAC 6665 Week 2 Assignment 2:Practicum Experience Plan (PEP)

Practicum Experience Plan

Overview:

Your Practicum experience includes working in a clinical setting that will help you gain the knowledge and skills needed as an advanced practice nurse. In your practicum experience, you will develop a practicum plan that sets forth objectives to frame and guide your practicum experience.

As part of your Practicum Experience Plan, you will not only plan for your learning in your practicum experience but also work through various patient visits with focused notes as well as one (1) journal entry.

Complete each section below.

Part 1: Quarter/Term/Year and Contact Information

Section A

Quarter/Term/Year:

Part 2: Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives

Refer to the instructions in Week 2 to create individualized practicum learning objectives that meet the requirements for this course. These objectives should be aligned specifically to your Practicum experience. Your objectives should address your self-assessment of the skills found in the “PMHNP Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form” you completed in Week 1.

 

As you develop your individualized practicum learning objective, be sure to write them using the SMART format. Use the resources found in Week 2 to guide your development. Once you review your resources, continue and complete the following. Note: Please make sure each of your objectives are connected to your self-assessment. Also, consider that you will need to demonstrate how you are advancing your knowledge in the clinical specialty.

** YOU MUST HAVE 3 NEW OBJECTIVES EACH QUARTER.  You may include previous practicum objectives; however, you still must have 3 new objectives for your current course.

 

Objective 1: Refine advanced diagnostic reasoning by synthesizing assessment findings to develop and prioritize appropriate differential diagnoses during comprehensive psychiatric evaluations by Week 6 of the practicum.

 

Planned Activities:

Conduct comprehensive psychiatric assessments for patients across the lifespan during practicum encounters. Integrate patient history, mental status examination findings, psychosocial factors, and diagnostic data to support clinical decision making. Formulate and document prioritized differential diagnoses using DSM-5-TR criteria. Present cases to the preceptor and discuss diagnostic reasoning to strengthen clinical judgment.

Mode of Assessment: (Verification will be documented in Meditrek)

Preceptor review of psychiatric evaluations and differential diagnosis documentation recorded in Meditrek clinical encounter logs.

PRAC Course Outcome(s) Addressed:

• Apply advanced practice nursing assessment and diagnosis skills in mental health settings.
• Analyze cases involving advanced care of patients across the lifespan in mental health settings.
• Assess psychiatric-mental health advanced practice nursing skills for strengths and opportunities.

Objective 2: Strengthen advanced psychopharmacology decision making by evaluating patient response to psychiatric medications and contributing to appropriate medication adjustments during follow up visits by Week 8 of the practicum.

Planned Activities:

Participate in psychiatric follow up visits focused on medication management. Review patient symptom progression, medication adherence, and potential side effects. Discuss pharmacologic treatment options and adjustments with the preceptor based on clinical presentation and treatment response. Provide patient education regarding medication use and monitoring.

Mode of Assessment: (Verification will be documented in Meditrek)

Preceptor confirmation of participation in medication management visits and review of documented treatment plans.

PRAC Course Outcome(s) Addressed:

• Develop professional plans in advanced nursing practice for the practicum experience.
• Analyze cases involving advanced care of patients across the lifespan in mental health settings.
• Assess psychiatric-mental health advanced practice nursing skills for strengths and opportunities.

Objective 3: Enhance efficiency and clinical organization during psychiatric evaluations by completing comprehensive patient assessments while maintaining thorough and accurate documentation by Week 10 of the practicum.

Planned Activities:

Conduct psychiatric evaluations for patients presenting with diverse mental health conditions. Organize patient interviews to efficiently gather relevant subjective and objective information. Document clinical findings, assessment, and treatment plans clearly in the patient record. Seek preceptor feedback on evaluation efficiency and documentation quality.

Mode of Assessment: (Verification will be documented in Meditrek)

Preceptor feedback on clinical performance and documentation quality recorded in Meditrek clinical evaluations and encounter logs.

PRAC Course Outcome(s) Addressed:

• Develop professional plans in advanced nursing practice for the practicum experience.
• Apply advanced practice nursing assessment and diagnosis skills in mental health settings.
• Assess psychiatric-mental health advanced practice nursing skills for strengths and opportunities.

One nursing theory that guides my clinical practice is Imogene King’s Goal Attainment Theory, and one counseling theory that supports my therapeutic approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These theories complement psychiatric–mental health practice because both emphasize collaboration, patient engagement, and measurable health outcomes. Imogene King’s Goal Attainment Theory focuses on the interaction between the nurse and the patient in order to achieve mutually established health goals. The theory emphasizes communication, shared decision making, and the development of treatment goals through collaboration. In this framework, nurses assess patient perceptions, identify health concerns, and work with patients to establish realistic goals that guide the care plan. Research demonstrates that interventions based on King’s Goal Attainment Theory improve health behaviors and patient satisfaction because the model promotes strong nurse–patient communication and collaborative problem solving (Noroozi et al., 2024). The theory also emphasizes respect for patient perspectives and active participation in care, which is particularly important in psychiatric–mental health settings where treatment adherence and therapeutic alliance influence outcomes. Applying this theory in clinical practice allows advanced practice nurses to develop individualized treatment goals with patients while continuously evaluating progress during follow-up encounters.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third-wave behavioral therapy that focuses on improving psychological flexibility through acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based behavior change. Instead of attempting to eliminate distressing thoughts, ACT encourages individuals to acknowledge internal experiences and commit to behaviors aligned with personal values. Recent studies show that ACT significantly reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety while improving emotional regulation and psychological flexibility in individuals experiencing mental health conditions (Aravind et al., 2024). ACT interventions improve coping and overall psychological well-being across diverse clinical populations. ACT is especially useful in psychiatric practice because it can be integrated into brief therapeutic encounters and supports patients in developing adaptive coping strategies. King’s Goal Attainment Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy provide a comprehensive framework for psychiatric nursing practice. King’s theory guides the collaborative nurse–patient relationship and goal-setting process, while ACT provides structured therapeutic strategies that help patients manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This integrated approach supports patient engagement, therapeutic communication, and improved mental health outcomes.

 

Part 3: Projected Timeline/Schedule

Estimate how many hours you expect to work on your Practicum each week. *Note: All of your hours and activities must be supervised by your Preceptor and completed onsite. Your Preceptor will approve all hours, but your activities will be approved by both your Preceptor and Instructor. Any changes to this plan must be approved.

 

This timeline is intended as a planning tool; your actual schedule may differ from the projections you are making now.

 

I intend to complete the 144 or 160 Practicum hours (as applicable) according to the following timeline/schedule. I also understand that I must see at least 80 patients during my practicum experience. I understand that I may not complete my practicum hours sooner than 8 weeks. I understand I may not be in the practicum setting longer than 8 hours per day unless pre-approved by my faculty.

 

 

	Number of Clinical Hours Projected for Week (hours you are in Practicum Setting at your Field Site)	Number of Weekly Hours for Professional Development (these are not practicum hour)	Number of Weekly Hours for Practicum Coursework (these are not practicum hours)
Week 1	14
Week 2	14
Week 3	16
Week 4	14
Week 5	16
Week 6	16
Week 7	16
Week 8	14
Week 9	16
Week 10	18
Week 11	14
Total Hours (must meet the following requirements)	144 or 160 Hours

 

 

 

 

 

Part 4 – Signatures

 

Student Signature (electronic):                                            Date:

Practicum Faculty Signature (electronic)**:                                 Date:

** Faculty signature signifies approval of Practicum Experience Plan (PEP)

 

Submit your Practicum Experience Plan on or before Day 7 of Week 2 for faculty review and approval.

 

Once approved, you will receive a copy of the PEP for your records. You must share an approved copy with your Preceptor. The Preceptor is not required to sign this form.

 

 

References

Aravind, A., Kumar, R., Sharma, P., & Singh, S. (2024). Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional regulation and psychological well-being: A systematic review. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/09727531241300741

Noroozi, F., Khatiban, M., Soltanian, A. R., & Jalali, R. (2024). Effects of nurse-led intervention programs based on King’s theory of goal attainment on health-promoting behaviors and life satisfaction. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02364-3

 

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As you establish your goals and objectives for this course, you are committing to an organized plan that will frame your practicum experience in a clinical setting, including planned activities, assessment, and achievement of defined outcomes. In particular, your plan must address the categories of clinical reasoning, quality in your clinical specialty, and interpersonal collaborative practice.

For this Assignment, you will consider the areas you aim to focus on to gain practical experience as an advanced practice nurse. Then, you will develop a Practicum Experience Plan (PEP) containing the objectives you will fulfill in order to achieve your aims. In this practicum experience, when developing your goals and objectives, be sure to keep PMHNP clinical skills in mind.

Resources

 

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To Prepare

• Review your Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form you submitted last week and think about areas for which you would like to gain application-level experience and/or continued growth as an advanced practice nurse. How can your experiences in the practicum help you achieve these aims? 
• Review the information related to developing objectives provided in this week’s Learning Resources. Your practicum learning objectives that you want to achieve during your practicum experience must be:
  • Specific 
  • Measurable 
  • Attainable 
  • Results-focused 
  • Time-bound
  • Reflective of the higher-order domains of Bloom’s taxonomy (i.e., application level and above) 

Note: Please make sure your objectives are individualized and outlined in your Practicum Experience Plan (PEP). While you may add previous objectives to continue to work toward. You must have 3 new objectives for each class, each quarter.

• Discuss your professional aims and your proposed practicum objectives with your Preceptor to ascertain if the necessary resources are available at your practicum site.
• Select one nursing theory and one counseling/psychotherapy theory to best guide your clinical practice. Explain why you selected these theories. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.
• Create a timeline of practicum activities that demonstrates how you plan to meet these goals and objectives based on your practicum requirements.

The Assignment

Record the required information in each area of the Practicum Experience Plan template, including three to four (3–4) measurable practicum Learning Objectives you will use to facilitate your learning during the practicum experience.

By Day 7 of Week 2

Submit your Experience Plan for assessment and Faculty approval. 

When your Instructor has approved your plan, forward the signed PEP to your Preceptor, and retain a copy for your records.

submission information

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1. To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK2Assgn2+last name+first initial.
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3. Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.

Rubric

PRAC_6665_Week2_Assignment2_Rubric

PRAC_6665_Week2_Assignment2_Rubric

Criteria	Ratings	Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeRecord the required information in each area of the Practicum Experience Plan (PEP):Part 1: Quarter/Term/Year and Contact Information: áµ’ Identify Quarter/Term/Year:áµ’ Identify Student Contact Information, including: Name, Street Address, City, State, Zip, Home Phone, Work Phone, Cell Phone, Fax, and Walden University Email áµ’ Identify Preceptor Contact Information, including: Name, Organization, Street Address, City, State, Zip, Work Phone, Cell Phone, Fax, and Professional/Work Email.	5 to >4.0 ptsExcellentThe response accurately and clearly identifies the Quarter/Term/Year, all Student Contact Information, and all Preceptor Contact Information. 4 to >3.5 ptsGoodThe response identifies the Quarter/Term/Year, and at least 90% of Student Contact Information and Preceptor Contact Information. 3.5 to >3.0 ptsFairThe response identifies the Quarter/Term/Year, and at least 80% of Student Contact Information and Preceptor Contact Information. 3 to >0 ptsPoorThe response is inaccurate, incomplete, or is missing identification of the Quarter/Term/Year and/or identifies less than 80% of Student Contact Information and Preceptor Contact Information.	5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePart 2: Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives: Explain three Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives that address your self-assessment of the skills found in the Clinical Skills Self-Assessment, are SMART (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, Time-focused), and meet the requirements for this course. Each Practicum Learning Objective must describe planned activities, mode of assessment, and PRAC course outcome(s) addressed for the skills you would like to improve from your self-assessment. Select one nursing theory and one counseling/psychotherapy theory to best guide your clinical practice, explaining these 2 chosen theories with supporting evidenced-based literature.	75 to >68.0 ptsExcellentThe response clearly, accurately, and thoroughly explains three (3) Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives that address the self-assessment of the skills found in the Clinical Skills Self-Assessment, are SMART (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, Time-focused), and meet the requirements for this course. … For each Learning Objective, the response clearly, accurately, and thoroughly describes planned activities, mode of assessment, and PRAC course outcome(s) addressed for the skills to be improved from the self-assessment. … Clearly, accurately, and thoroughly explains 2 chosen theories (1 nursing and 1 counseling/psychotherapy) to guide clinical practice with supporting literature. 68 to >59.0 ptsGoodThe response accurately explains three (3) Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives that address the self-assessment of the skills found in the Clinical Skills Self-Assessment, are SMART (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, Time-focused), and meet the requirements for this course. … For each Learning Objective, the response accurately describes planned activities, mode of assessment, and PRAC course outcome(s) addressed for the skills to be improved from the self-assessment. … Response accurately but briefly explains 2 chosen theories (1 nursing and 1 counseling/psychotherapy) to guide clinical practice with supporting literature. 59 to >52.0 ptsFairThe response somewhat vaguely explains three (3) Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives that address the self-assessment of the skills found in the Clinical Skills Self-Assessment, are SMART (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, Time-focused), and meet the requirements for this course. … For each Learning Objective, the response somewhat vaguely describes planned activities, mode of assessment, and PRAC course outcome(s) addressed for the skills to be improved from the self-assessment. … Response vaguely explains 2 chosen theories (1 nursing and 1 counseling/psychotherapy) or one theory is missing in discussion to guide clinical practice with supporting literature. 52 to >0 ptsPoorThe response inaccurately or incompletely explains three (3) Individualized Practicum Learning Objectives that address the self-assessment of the skills found in the Clinical Skills Self-Assessment, are SMART (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, Time-focused), and meet the requirements for this course. … For each Learning Objective, the response has a vague, inaccurate, and/or incomplete or missing description of planned activities, mode of assessment, and PRAC course outcome(s) addressed for the skills to be improved from the self-assessment. … Response inaccurately or incompletely explains 2 chosen theories (1 nursing and 1 counseling/psychotherapy) or no theories are discussed to guide clinical practice with supporting literature.	75 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePart 3: Projected Timeline/Schedule: Describe your Practicum timeline/schedule, including: áµ’ Number of weekly hours projected to work on your Practicum áµ’ Number of weekly hours for Professional Development	15 to >13.0 ptsExcellentThe response includes a clear, accurate, and thorough description of the Practicum timeline/schedule, including number of weekly hours projected to work on the Practicum and number of weekly hours for Professional Development. 13 to >11.0 ptsGoodThe response includes an accurate description of the Practicum timeline/schedule, including number of weekly hours projected to work on the Practicum and number of weekly hours for Professional Development. 11 to >10.0 ptsFairThe response includes a somewhat vague description of the Practicum timeline/schedule, and may be missing details about the number of weekly hours projected to work on the Practicum or number of weekly hours for Professional Development. 10 to >0 ptsPoorThe response includes a vague, incomplete, and/or inaccurate or missing description of the Practicum timeline/schedule, including number of weekly hours projected to work on the Practicum, number of weekly hours for Professional Development.	15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWritten Expression and Formatting—English Writing Standards: Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation.	5 to >4.0 ptsExcellentUses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation with no errors. 4 to >3.5 ptsGoodContains a few (1–2) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. 3.5 to >3.0 ptsFairContains several (3–4) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. 3 to >0 ptsPoorContains many (≥5) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors that interfere with the reader’s understanding.	5 pts

Total Points: 100