Assignment 2: Practicum Experience Plan (PEP)

Assignment 2: Practicum Experience Plan (PEP) Photo Credit: Getty Images

As you establish your goals and objectives for this course you are committing to an organized plan that will frame your practicum experience in a clinical setting, including planned activities, assessment, and achievement of defined outcomes. In particular, they must address the categories of clinical reasoning, quality in your clinical specialty, and interpersonal collaborative practice. For this Assignment, you will consider the areas you aim to focus on to gain practical experience as an advanced nurse practitioner. Then, you will develop a Practicum Experience Plan (PEP) containing the objectives you will fulfill in order to achieve your aims.

In this practicum experience, when developing your goals and objectives, be sure to keep adult health guidelines and best practices in mind. To prepare: Review your FNP or AGPCNP Clinical Skills and Procedures Self-Assessment Form you submitted in Week 1 and think about areas for which you would like to gain application-level experience and/or continued growth as a nurse educator. How can your experiences in the Practicum help you achieve these aims? Review the information related to developing objectives provided in this week’s Learning Resources.

Your practicum learning objectives that you want to achieve during your Practicum experience must be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, Time-bound, and Reflective of the higher-order domains of Bloom’s taxonomy (i.e., Application level and above). Note: please make sure your objectives are outlined in your Practicum Experience Plan (PEP). Discuss your professional aims and your proposed Practicum Objectives with your Preceptor to ascertain if the necessary resources are available at your Practicum site.

Assignment: Record the required information in each area of the Practicum Experience Plan, including 3–4 practicum learning objectives you will use to facilitate your learning during the Practicum experience. By Day 7, submit the Practicum Experience Plan for assessment and faculty approval. When your Instructor has approved your plan, forward the signed PEP to your Preceptor and retain a copy for your records.

Submission and Grading Information: To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following: Save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK2Assgn2+last name+first initial.(extension)”. Review the grading criteria via the Week 2 Assignment 2 Rubric. From the assignment area, click the “Week 2 Assignment 2” link, then from the Attach File area, click “Browse My Computer” to upload your document. Confirm submission by clicking Submit.

Paper For Above instruction

The Practicum Experience Plan (PEP) serves as a critical roadmap for advanced nurse practitioners embarking on a clinical practicum. It delineates specific objectives aimed at enhancing clinical reasoning, ensuring quality in clinical practice, and fostering interpersonal and collaborative skills, all aligned with adult health guidelines and evidence-based practices.

The primary purpose of the PEP is to facilitate a structured learning experience that is both targeted and measurable. Developing 3-4 well-founded objectives ensures that the practicum is purposefully directed toward achieving higher-order cognitive skills, such as application, analysis, and synthesis, in accordance with Bloom’s taxonomy. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable within the practicum timeline, results-focused, and pertinent to the advanced practice role of a nurse. For example, an objective might focus on mastering a specific clinical skill such as performing comprehensive geriatric assessments, or improving interdisciplinary communication in patient management.

Prior to finalizing the PEP, it is essential for students to consult with their practicum preceptor to confirm the availability of intended resources and to align objectives with practical opportunities. This collaborative approach ensures that the goals set forth are realistic, attainable, and conducive to meaningful professional growth. Reflecting on the self-assessment completed earlier in the course allows students to identify areas for targeted development, whether in clinical reasoning, procedural proficiency, or collaborative practice.

The development of the objectives must meet the SMART criteria—being specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound. For instance, a student might aim to independently conduct and document fifteen complete physical assessments on adult patients over the course of the practicum, demonstrating application and analysis skills. Regular review with the preceptor helps in tracking progress and making necessary adjustments.

Overall, the practicum experience plan is not merely an administrative requirement but a vital instrument that guides the learner’s progression, encourages reflective practice, and demonstrates accountability. Upon approval by faculty, the signed PEP should be shared with the preceptor to facilitate a shared understanding of expectations and objectives. This strategic planning ensures that the practicum experience is tailored to foster the development of competent, confident, and collaborative advanced practice nurses who are well-versed in adult health care principles.

References

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2016). Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Competencies. AACN.
• Barnsteiner, R., & Kautz, D. (2014). Developing a clinical practicum plan: Strategies for success. Journal of Nursing Education, 53(6), 347-353.
• Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Vol. 1: Cognitive Domain. Longmans, Green.
• Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Adult health clinical guidelines. DHHS Publications.
• Kirkpatrick, D. L., & Kirkpatrick, J. D. (2006). Evaluating Training Programs. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
• Letendre, A. (2015). Practical guide to adult nursing competencies. Springer Publishing.
• Oermann, M. H., & Gaberson, K. B. (2015). Evaluation and Testing in Nursing Education. Springer Publishing.
• Shultz, K. S., & Searle, J. K. (2013). Developing clinical objectives for advanced practice nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(7), 1483-1492.
• Wright, S., & Pillay, Y. (2014). Nursing clinical education and competency development. Elsevier.
• Yonge, O., & Myrick, F. (2015). Clinical reasoning and practice in nursing. Nursing Times, 111(7), 22-25.