Introduce Clinical Site
Practicum Site
A practicum site is a setting that enables students to increase the depth of knowledge of the DNP roles directly related to the area of specialization. It is where students have applied practice experiences (no direct hands-on care) under the supervision of a preceptor, consistent with their education and training (Walden University Practicum Guidelines). IC health services is the clinical site where I will be doing my clinical. It is located at 104 Church Road, Suite 206, Pikesville, Maryland 20218. Mental and behavioral healthcare services offer personalized care to clients to meet their needs and conditions throughout their life span. They focus on providing care in a non-judgmental environment for various psychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
IC Health Services Inc. services include psychiatric consultations, psychotherapy, and medication management. The IC Health Services team offers access to mental health care for all by focusing on disadvantaged populations and providing telehealth services for patients who cannot visit in person. They aim to achieve balance in the overall health of patients and the broader community through their culturally competent and innovative services. They also collaborate with local hospitals and specialists to ensure patients receive continuity of care.
Preceptor
Preceptors are qualified individuals within a practicum site who are responsible for helping to shape students’ practicum experiences (Walden University Practicum Guidelines). The preceptor at IC health services is Dr. Chidinma Onyegwo, a doctor of nursing practice (DNP). She is a Walden alumnus who obtained her nurse partitioning certificate in psychiatric mental health and her DNP in family nurse practitioner. As a preceptor, she is a vital component of the clinical education process in creating a safe setting for the student to gain experience and develop clinical competency to effectively manage the population consistent with the role as appropriate across the life span management of patient’s care (AACN, 2022).
The preceptor will provide guidance relevant to students’ roles in their practicum sites, including ongoing feedback about their progress in meeting practicum goals. She can review the clinical course objectives and facilitate a learning environment that promotes critical thinking on the part of the student progress. The preceptor can provide direct supervision of advanced practice students during the educational experience and communicate with clinical faculty and student regarding the student’s progress. She should be able to complete and submit preceptor evaluations of a student (AACN, 2022).
Specialty and Preparation
My specialty is a psychiatric mental health practitioner, and I currently work in an outpatient mental health center taking care of psychiatric needs across the lifespan. I assess, diagnose and provide medication management for mental health needs. My desire for this clinical is to improve my skills and maintain my competencies as a psychiatric nurse practitioner to meet people’s needs. According to Kumar, Kearney, Hoskins, & Iyengar (2020), an NP should use the nursing framework and align with patient needs to design future systems. An NP should be able to position themselves as providers of a distinct domain of mental health care, delivering care based on the general mental health needs of the population. I plan to learn how to provide consultative psychiatric services to primary care settings that will take the form of telephonic or video consultation, education for providers, resource coordination, collaboration with providers, and in-person or virtual consultation (Kumar, Kearney, Hoskins, & Iyengar, 2020). I plan to be punctual, respectful, and professional at all times, arrive prepared for clinical with necessary equipment and resources, and document all clinical hours in Meditrek.
References
American association of college of nursing (2022). APRN Clinical preceptor resources guide. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/Education-Resources/APRN-Education/APRN-Clinical-Preceptor-Resources-Guide
Kumar, A., Kearney, A., Hoskins, K., & Iyengar, A. (2020). The role of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners in improving mental and behavioral health care delivery for children and adolescents in multiple settings. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 34(5), 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.07.022
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