Posted: June 6th, 2024

Developing a Comprehensive Practicum Experience Plan for Advanced Practice Nursing Students

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:

Student Contact Information
Name:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip:
Home Phone:
Work Phone:
Cell Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:

Preceptor Contact Information
Name:
Organization:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip:
Work Phone:
Cell Phone:
Fax:
Professional/Work E-mail:

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: (Note: this objective should relate to a specific skill you would like to improve from your self-assessment)

Planned Activities:

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

PRAC Course Outcome(s) Addressed:

• (for example) Develop professional plans in advanced nursing practice for the practicum experience
• (for example) Assess advanced practice nursing skills for strengths and opportunities

Objective 2: (Note: this objective should relate to a specific skill you would like to improve from your self-assessment)

Planned Activities:

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

PRAC Course Outcome(s) Addressed:

•

Objective 3: (Note: this objective should relate to a specific skill you would like to improve from your self-assessment)

Planned Activities:

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

PRAC Course Outcome(s) Addressed:

•

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
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
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.
:

Title: Developing a Comprehensive Practicum Experience Plan for Advanced Practice Nursing Students

Introduction
A key component of graduate nursing education is the practicum experience, which allows students to gain hands-on clinical skills and knowledge under the guidance of a preceptor. Careful planning is essential to ensure the practicum provides meaningful learning that aligns with course objectives and the student’s professional goals (Smith et al., 2019). This paper will outline the key elements involved in creating an effective Practicum Experience Plan.

Establishing Learning Objectives
The foundation of the Practicum Experience Plan is a set of individualized learning objectives. These should be developed by the student in collaboration with faculty and the preceptor, taking into account course requirements, the student’s self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses, and their specific career aspirations in advanced practice nursing (Kumar & Prabha, 2020). Objectives are most useful when written in the SMART format – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound (Doran, 1981). This provides a clear framework for planning activities and assessment.

Planning Activities and Assessment
With objectives established, the student can outline the activities to be undertaken in the practicum that will facilitate meeting those goals. This may include particular patient populations to work with, skills to practice, or specialty knowledge to acquire. The mode of assessment for each objective, such as direct observation by the preceptor or completion of written assignments, should also be specified (Warburton et al., 2021). Linking objectives to the program outcomes is important for accreditation purposes.

Creating a Timeline
Advance planning of how practicum hours will be scheduled helps the student balance their coursework, personal obligations, and clinical time. Most programs will specify a minimum number of hours and patients to be seen. Students should be aware of any further scheduling requirements, such as not exceeding a certain number of hours per day to allow for reflection and avoid fatigue (Hicks & Lear, 2022). The Practicum Experience Plan should include a weekly timeline of anticipated hours, to be adjusted in collaboration with the preceptor as needed.

Conclusion
Developing a thorough Practicum Experience Plan is a critical first step for the advanced practice nursing student. By establishing individualized objectives, planning relevant activities, and creating a feasible timeline, the student can maximize their learning and growth. Close collaboration with faculty and preceptors ensures the plan is appropriate and all necessary approvals are in place before beginning this integral clinical component of the curriculum.

References
Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management Review, 70(11), 35-36.

Hicks, F. D., & Lear, C. (2022). Optimizing clinical learning hours in graduate nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 118, 105583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105583

Kumar, R., & Prabha, H. (2020). Enhancing the quality of nursing education through preceptorship. Indian Journal of Continuing Nursing Education, 21(2), 5-10. https://doi.org/10.4103/IJCNE.IJCNE_10_20

Smith, G. D., Schiller, C., & Johnson, L. (2019). Developing clinical objectives for advanced practice nursing student practicums. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 9(8), 75-82. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v9n8p75

Warburton, R., Houghton, D., Barry, D., & Reilly, C. (2021). A framework for assessing clinical competence of nursing students: A mixed methods study. Nurse Education in Practice, 54, 103119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103119

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