Posted: June 14th, 2023

Assignment 2: Clinical Skills Self-Assessment

Assignment 2: Clinical Skills Self-Assessment

Before embarking on any professional or academic activity, it is important to understand the background, knowledge, and experience you bring to it. You might ask yourself, “What do I already know? What do I need to know? And what do I want to know?” This critical self-reflection is especially important for developing clinical skills, such as those for advanced practice nursing.
The PRAC 6635 Clinical Skills List and PRAC 6635 Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form, provided in the Learning Resources, can be used to celebrate your progress throughout your practicum and identify skills gaps. The list covers all necessary skills you should demonstrate during your practicum experience.
For this Assignment, you assess where you are now in your clinical skill development and make plans for this practicum. Specifically, you will identify strengths and opportunities for improvement regarding the required practicum skills. In this practicum experience, when developing your goals and objectives, be sure to keep assessment and diagnostic reasoning in mind.

To prepare:
• Review the clinical skills in the PRAC 6635 Clinical Skills List document. It is recommended that you print out this document to serve as a guide throughout your practicum.
• Review the “Developing SMART Goals” resource on how to develop goals and objectives that follow the SMART framework.
• Download the PRAC 6635 Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form to complete this Assignment.

Assignment
Use the PRAC 6635 Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form to complete the following:
• Rate yourself according to your confidence level performing the procedures identified on the Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form.
• Based on your ratings, summarize your strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• Based on your self-assessment and theory of nursing practice, develop three to four (3–4) measurable goals and objectives for this practicum experience. Include them on the designated area of the form.

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Clinical Skills Self-Assessment
Desired Clinical Skills Confidence Level
Recognizing clinical signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness Confident
Differentiating between pathophysiological and psychopathological conditions Mostly confident
Performing and interpreting a comprehensive and/or interval history and physical examination (including laboratory and diagnostic studies) Mostly confident
Performing and interpreting a mental status examination Confident
Performing and interpreting a psychosocial assessment and family psychiatric history Confident
Performing and interpreting a functional assessment (activities of daily living, occupational, social, leisure, educational) Confident
Demonstrating knowledge of psychopathology of mental illnesses through discussion for different age groups and mental illnesses Confident
Developing and prioritizing a differential diagnoses list Mostly confident
Formulating diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data Confident
Differentiating between normal/abnormal age-related physiological and psychological symptoms/changes Confident
Psychotherapeutic Treatment Planning: Provide psychoeducation to individuals and/or any caregivers Confident
Promoting health and disease prevention techniques Confident
Self Assessment skill: Develop SMART goals for practicum experiences Confident
Evaluating outcomes of practicum goals and modify plan as necessary Confident
Documenting and reflecting on learning Confident

Strengths:

I am confident in my ability to recognize clinical signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness.
I have a good understanding of the pathophysiological and psychopathological conditions that can lead to mental illness.
I am able to perform and interpret a comprehensive and/or interval history and physical examination.
I am able to perform and interpret a mental status examination.
I am able to perform and interpret a psychosocial assessment and family psychiatric history.
I am able to perform and interpret a functional assessment.
I have a good understanding of the psychopathology of mental illnesses.
I am able to develop and prioritize a differential diagnoses list.
I am able to formulate diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data.
I am able to differentiate between normal/abnormal age-related physiological and psychological symptoms/changes.
I am able to provide psychoeducation to individuals and/or any caregivers.
I am able to promote health and disease prevention techniques.
I am able to develop SMART goals for practicum experiences.
I am able to evaluate the outcomes of practicum goals and modify the plan as necessary.
I am able to document and reflect on learning.

Opportunities for Improvement:

I could improve my ability to perform some of the more complex procedures, such as lumbar punctures and electroencephalograms.
I could also improve my ability to manage complex patients, such as those with multiple comorbidities or those who are acutely ill.

Goals and Objectives:

I will improve my ability to perform complex procedures by practicing on mannequins and under the supervision of experienced clinicians.
I will improve my ability to manage complex patients by participating in rounds, attending conferences, and reading relevant literature.
I will develop a plan to achieve my goals and objectives by setting SMART goals and tracking my progress.
I will reflect on my learning by keeping a journal and discussing my experiences with my preceptor and classmates.