PRAC 6552 Journal Entry

PRAC 6552 Journal Entry

Journal Entry

Learning and Experiences

In Weeks 6–10 of my training, I worked on a few challenging cases that tested my clinical judgment and my confidence in following procedures. They also helped me learn more about patient-centered care. One important case involved a 26-year-old woman who came in with unusual vaginal bleeding. The hardest thing about this case was that she was very worried about getting a sexually transmitted infection, which made the pelvic check and Pap smear difficult. I learned how important it is to use trauma-informed care, clear answers, and reassuring words to help patients feel less scared. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) provides evidence-based standards for Pap smear collection and screening (Woroch & Bockwoldt, 2020). Educational tools and translator services helped people communicate clearly. This experience made me realize how important it is to educate and emotionally prepare patients before sensitive treatments.

Another noteworthy experience was when a 34-year-old female asked to have her IUD removed because she was experiencing cramps and erratic menstruation. The hardest part was dealing with her fear of pain during removal while giving her advice on birth control. I was able to develop my trust in sterile technique and careful handling, as my preceptor guided me through the process and demonstrated the removal method. I used the CDC’s U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use as evidence-based guidance to provide safe, specific advice on other birth control methods (Gabler et al., 2023). For everyone’s comfort and the sake of good choices, I learned from this case how important it is to have a good mix of technical and social skills. I will get better by talking to the patient more deeply before and after treatment to improve their overall experience.

A third complex case involved a 19-year-old woman who had just given birth and was being screened for the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Even though she did well on the test, she was hesitant to talk about her mental problems. This experience improved my communication and evaluation abilities, emphasizing the value of empathy and nonjudgmental discourse in mental health treatment. I used the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) evidence-based guidelines for depression screening  (Schlunegger et al., 2022). I worked with a social worker and the patient’s primary care provider to ensure appropriate follow-up. I learned how to use screening tools and work with people from different professions to provide better care for the whole person. All things considered, these experiences taught me to manage patient flow effectively through prioritization and collaboration, while also helping me develop new technical and interpersonal skills.

Communicating and Feedback

I have made it a point to speak honestly with my preceptor and aggressively seek feedback after every clinical experience throughout my practicum. My professor always tells me to improve my skills and time management while complimenting how professional I am becoming, how well I get along with patients, and how confident I am. I discuss my goals and successes during weekly check-ins to ensure my learning goals and professional standards align. I understand that, even though I am making steady progress, I still need more practical experience to become fully independent in women’s health operations (Avery et al., 2022). My development into a skilled, sympathetic Family Nurse Practitioner, equipped to provide excellent, patient-centered care, is shaped by ongoing self-reflection, integration of feedback, and adherence to evidence-based recommendations.

References

Avery, M. D., Mathiason, M., Andrighetti, T., Autry, A. M., Cammarano, D., Dau, K. Q., Hoffman, S., Krause, S. A., Montgomery, O., Perry, A., Sankey, H. Z., Woodland, M. B., & Jennings, J. C. (2022). Improved Self‐Assessed collaboration through interprofessional education: midwifery students and obstetrics and gynecology residents learning together. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 67(5), 598–607. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13394

Gabler, L. S., Shankar, M., Ketterer, T., Molnar, J., Adams, A., Min, J., Miller, E., Barral, R. L., Akers, A., Miller, M. K., & Mollen, C. (2023). Contraceptive counseling for adolescents in the emergency department: A novel curriculum for nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 35(9), 540–549. https://doi.org/10.1097/jxx.0000000000000824

Schlunegger, M. C., Aeschlimann, S., Palm, R., & Zumstein‐Shaha, M. (2022). Competencies of nurse practitioners in family practices: A scoping review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(11–12), 2521–2532. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16382

Woroch, R. A., & Bockwoldt, D. (2020). The growing need to provide training in clinical procedures in family nurse practitioner educational programs. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 33(5), 353–358. https://doi.org/10.1097/jxx.0000000000000430

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Journal Entry

On any given day, a nurse can play a pivotal role in someone’s life. Experienced nurses often share stories of previous experiences and draw upon these experiences when circumstances warrant.

Hence, reflection can be a valuable tool. It serves as a tool for not only recalling experiences but also for applying lessons learned from those experiences. Keeping a nursing journal provides these benefits and more.

Resources

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

WEEKLY RESOURCES

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Practicum Resources 

• Walden University Field Experience. (n.d.-a).Field experience: College of Nursing.

• Links to an external site.https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/fieldexperience/son/home
• Walden University Field Experience. (n.d.-c). Student practicum resources: NP student orientation .
• Links to an external site. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/StudentPracticum/NP_StudentOrientation
• Walden University Field Experience. (n.d.-b). MSN nurse practitioner practicum manual .
• Links to an external site. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/fieldexperience/son/formsanddocuments
• HSoft Corporation. (n.d.). Meditrek

• Links to an external site.. https://edu.meditrek.com/Default.html
  Note: Use this website to log in to Meditrek to report your clinical hours and patient encounters.

Clinical Guideline Resources 

As you review the following resources, you may want to include a topic in the search area to gather detailed information (e.g., breast cancer screening guidelines; for the CDC – zika in pregnancy, etc.).

• American Cancer Society.

• Links to an external site. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.org/
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
• Links to an external site. (n.d.). https://www.acog.org/
• ANA Enterprise.
• Links to an external site. (n.d.). https://www.nursingworld.org/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Links to an external site. (n.d.). https://www.cdc.gov/
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2020)
• Links to an external site.. https://www.aanp.org/
• HealthyPeople 2030. (2020). Healthy People 2030 framework .
• Links to an external site. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/About-Healthy-People/Development-Healthy-People-2030/Framework
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (n.d.-b). Search and filter all recommendation topics .

• Links to an external site. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/topic_search_results?topic_status=P&searchterm=

to prepare

• Refer to the current Clinical Guidelines found in this week’s Learning Resources and consider how these guidelines inform your clinical experience.
• Refer to your FNP or AGPCNP Clinical Skills and Procedures Self-Assessment Form you submitted in Week 1, and consider how your self-assessment might inform your Assignment.
• Refer to your Patient Log in Meditrek and reflect on Weeks 6–10 of your clinical experience, and reflect on your observations and experiences with patients during this time.

Journal Entry  (450–500 words):

In your journal entry, answer the following questions:

Learning and Experiences

Reflect on the 3 most challenging patient encounters and discuss what was most challenging for each.

• What did you learn from this experience?
• What resources did you have available?
• What evidence-based practice did you use for this patient?
• What new skills are you learning?
• What would you do differently?
• How are you managing patient flow and volume?

Communicating and Feedback

Ask yourself the following self-reflective questions:

• How might I improve on my skills and knowledge, and how do I communicate that back to my Preceptor?
• How am I doing? What is missing?
• What type of feedback am I receiving from my Preceptor?

By Day 7

Submit your Journal Entry #2 Assignment.

submission information

Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.

1. To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK11Journal_LastName_Firstinitial
2. Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
3. Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.

Rubric

PRAC_6552_Week11_Journal_Rubric

Total Points: 100