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.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

The PMHNP Clinical Skills List and PMHNP 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 skills list covers all necessary skills you should demonstrate during your practicum experiences.

For this Assignment (just as you did in PRAC 6645), 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. As you complete your self-assessment this week, you may wish to look back over your self-assessments from prior practicums to reflect on your growth.

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 the clinical skills in the PMHNP 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.
• Review the resources on nursing competencies and nursing theory, and consider how these inform your practice.
• Download the PMHNP Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form to complete this Assignment.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Use the PMHNP Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form to complete the following:

• Rate yourself according to your confidence level performing the skills identified in 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.

BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 1

Submit your completed PMHNP Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form.

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 WK1Assgn2+last name+first initial.
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_6665_Week1_Assignment2_Rubric

PRAC_6665_Week1_Assignment2_Rubric

CriteriaRatingsPts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeRate yourself according to your confidence level performing the skills identified on the Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form.

25 to >22.0 pts

Excellent

The response provides ratings for all skills on the form.

22 to >19.0 pts

Good

The response provides ratings for most of the skills on the form.

19 to >17.0 pts

Fair

The response provides ratings for some of the skills on the form.

17 to >0 pts

Poor

The response provides ratings for only a few skills on the form, or ratings are missing.

25 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBased on your ratings, summarize your strengths and opportunities for improvement.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

30 to >26.0 pts

Excellent

The response provides an accurate, clear, and complete summary of both the strengths and opportunities for improvement.

26 to >23.0 pts

Good

The response provides an accurate summary of both the strengths and opportunities for improvement.

23 to >20.0 pts

Fair

The response provides a somewhat vague, inaccurate, or incomplete summary of both the strengths and opportunities for improvement.

20 to >0 pts

Poor

The response provides a vague, inaccurate, or incomplete summary of the strengths and/or opportunities for improvement, or the summaries are missing.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

30 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBased 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.

30 to >26.0 pts

Excellent

The response provides three to four (3–4) clear, appropriate, and measurable goals and objectives for the practicum experience.

26 to >23.0 pts

Good

The response provides three to four (3–4) appropriate, measurable goals and objectives for the practicum experience.

23 to >20.0 pts

Fair

The response provides three to four (3–4) unclear or inappropriate goals and objectives for the practicum experience.

20 to >0 pts

Poor

The response provides three to four (3–4) unclear or inappropriate goals and objectives for the practicum experience, or goals and objectives are missing.

30 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWritten Expression and Formatting—Paragraph Development and Organization: Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused—neither long and rambling, nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided, which delineates all required criteria.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

5 to >4.0 pts

Excellent

Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement, introduction, and conclusion is provided, which delineates all required criteria.

4 to >3.5 pts

Good

Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity 80% of the time. Purpose, introduction, and conclusion of the assignment is stated, yet is brief and not descriptive.

3.5 to >3.0 pts

Fair

Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity 60%–79% of the time. Purpose, introduction, and conclusion of the assignment is vague or off topic.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

3 to >0 pts

Poor

Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity <60% of the time. No purpose statement, introduction, or conclusion was provided.

5 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWritten Expression and Formatting—English Writing Standards: Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

5 to >4.0 pts

Excellent

Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation with no errors.

4 to >3.5 pts

Good

Contains a few (1 or 2) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

3.5 to >3.0 pts

Fair

Contains several (3 or 4) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

3 to >0 pts

Poor

Contains many (≥ 5) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors that interfere with the reader’s understanding.

5 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWritten Expression and Formatting—APA Format: The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, parenthetical/in-text citations, and Reference List.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

5 to >4.0 pts

Excellent

Uses correct APA format with no errors.

4 to >3.5 pts

Good

Contains a few (1 or 2) APA format errors.

3.5 to >3.0 pts

Fair

Contains several (3 or 4) APA format errors.

3 to >0 pts

Poor

Contains many (≥5) APA format errors.

5 pts

Total Points: 100

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Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students

Mastery and practicing fundamental clinical skills are critical for beginning as a medical professional. Therefore, understanding one’s knowledge and skills is vital at the onset of any medical course. A clinical skills self-assessment allows an individual to evaluate oneself based on specific clinical skills to identify strengths and opportunities for growth. Besides, clinical skills self-assessment enable an individual to establish SMART goals to achieve at the end of the course. This assignment provides a completed clinical skills self-assessment, strength, need for growth, and goals to accomplish at the end of the practicum.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

PRAC 6665/6675 Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form

Desired Clinical Skills for Students to Achieve	Confident (Can complete independently)	Mostly confident (Can complete with supervision)	Beginning (Have performed with supervision or needs supervision to feel confident)	New (Have never performed or does not apply)
Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation skills in:
Recognizing clinical signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness across the lifespan (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)		✓
Differentiating between pathophysiological and psychopathological conditions		✓
Performing and interpreting a comprehensive and/or interval history and physical examination (including laboratory and diagnostic studies)(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)			✓
Performing and interpreting a mental status examination	✓
Performing and interpreting a psychosocial assessment and family psychiatric history(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)	✓
Performing and interpreting a functional assessment (activities of daily living, occupational, social, leisure, educational). (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)		✓
Diagnostic reasoning skill in:
Developing and prioritizing a differential diagnoses list		✓
Formulating diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data  (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)	✓
Differentiating between normal/abnormal age-related physiological and psychological symptoms/changes		✓
Pharmacotherapeutic skills in:
Selecting appropriate evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for medication plan (e.g., risk/benefit, patient preference, developmental considerations, financial, the process of informed consent, symptom management)(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)			✓
Evaluating patient response and modify plan as necessary		✓
Documenting (e.g., adverse reaction, the patient response, changes to the plan of care)	✓
Psychotherapeutic Treatment Planning:
Recognizes concepts of therapeutic modalities across the lifespan		✓
Selecting appropriate evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for a psychotherapeutic plan (e.g., risk/benefit, patient preference, developmental considerations, financial, the process of informed consent, symptom management, modality appropriate for the situation)(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)			✓
Applies age-appropriate psychotherapeutic counseling techniques with individuals and/or any caregivers		✓
Develop an age-appropriate individualized plan of care (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)		✓
Provide psychoeducation to individuals and/or any caregivers		✓
Promote health and disease prevention techniques	✓
Self-assessment skill:
Develop SMART goals for practicum experiences  (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)	✓
Evaluating outcomes of practicum goals and modify the plan as necessary	✓
Documenting and reflecting on learning experiences	✓
Professional skills:
Maintains professional boundaries and therapeutic relationships with clients and staff	✓
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to improve clinical practice in mental health settings  (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)	✓
Identifies ethical and legal dilemmas with possible resolutions		✓
Demonstrates non-judgmental practice approach and empathy		✓
Practices within the scope of practice (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)		✓
Selecting and implementing appropriate screening instrument(s), interpreting results, and making recommendations and referrals:
Demonstrates selecting the correct screening instrument appropriate for the clinical situation			✓
Implements the screening instrument efficiently and effectively with the clients (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)		✓
Interprets results for screening instruments accurately		✓
Develops an appropriate plan of care based upon screening instruments response		✓
Identifies the need to refer to another specialty provider when applicable		✓
Accurately documents recommendations for psychiatric consultations when applicable (Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)	✓

Summary of strengths:

Per the clinical skills assessment, my strengths are spread across the desired clinical skills for students to achieve. I am competent in carrying out and interpreting mental status evaluations, psychosocial assessments, and psychiatric history for families and formulating diagnoses based on DSM-5 and client data. In addition, I am competent in documenting clinical issues, including patient response to treatment, changes in the care plan, adverse reactions, and promoting disease prevention and health techniques. Moreover, I am competent in developing SMART goals for my practicum, evaluating their outcomes and modifying targets as necessary, and documenting and reflecting on the learning outcomes. Lastly, I can maintain professional boundaries and therapeutic alliances, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and document clinical recommendations.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

Growth opportunities:

Based on my evaluation, there are significant opportunities for growth. One opportunity for growth is to consult with my preceptor and other professionals at the practicum site to enhance my ability to carry out and interpret comprehensive psychiatric assessments and physical examinations. Psychiatric assessment and physical examinations are the basis of the mental health treatment continuum (Ball et al., 2021; Boland & Verduin, 2021). In addition, the university library and other healthcare resources, including guidelines at the practicum site, would provide information on the best available evidence-based clinical procedures for medication planning. Evidence-based practice is central to effective mental health care (Curtis et al., 2017). Moreover, engaging in various clinical interventions and reviewing online materials from reputable sites will be crucial in identifying and using appropriate screening tools for different clinical situations.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

Goals and Objectives

1. Goal: To enhance my competence in executing and interpreting comprehensive mental health assessments and physical examinations.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)
   1. Objective – Engage in various mental health assessment and physical examination procedures.
   2. Objective – Review existing mental health reports and cases at the practicum site and other reputable sources.
   3. Objective – Consult with my preceptor and other professionals within the practicum site whenever necessary.
2. Goal: To enhance my competence in selecting and applying relevant evidence-based clinical practice procedures for medication planning.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)
   1. Objective – Consult with my preceptor whenever necessary
   2. Objective – Review existing clinical guidelines at the practicum site
   3. Objective – Review evidence-based clinical guidelines from the university library and other recommended sources.
3. Goal: To enhance my competence in choosing the relevant evidence-based clinical practice procedures for psychotherapeutic planning.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)
   1. Objective – Consult with my preceptor whenever necessary
   2. Objective – Review existing clinical guidelines at the practicum site
   3. Objective – Review evidence-based clinical guidelines from the university library and other recommended sources.
4. Goal: To enhance my competence in choosing the correct screening instruments for various clinical scenarios.
   1. Objective – Utilize provided resources at the practicum site in consultation with the preceptor and experienced healthcare personnel.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)
   2. Objective – Review existing evidence-based guidelines for existing screening tools.
   3. Objective – Proactively engage and assist in clinical assessments.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

Conclusion

Clinical skills self-assessment is crucial in identifying strengths and weaknesses before pursuing a given program or course. Besides, clinical skills self-assessment is vital in identifying goals to achieve at the end of the program or course. Given the significance, nursing students can own their studies and progress by setting goals and evaluating them periodically to ensure success in every program. In this case, I have established my strengths and weaknesses and goals and objectives to achieve at the end of the practicum.(Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Essay for Nursing Students)

References

Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2021). Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination-E-Book: An Interprofessional Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Boland, R., & Verduin, M. (2021). Kaplan & Sadock’s Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Curtis, K., Fry, M., Shaban, R. Z., & Considine, J. (2017). Translating research findings to clinical nursing practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(5-6), 862-872. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjocn.13586