Prepare To Review Your Clinical Skills Self-Assessmen 220636

To Preparereview Your Clinical Skills Self Assessment Form You Submitt

To prepare review your Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form you submitted last week and think about areas for which you would like to gain application-level experience and/or continued growth as an advanced practice nurse. 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, 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 template, including three to four (3–4) practicum learning objectives you will use to facilitate your learning during the practicum experience. Use the clinical assessment form you did last week.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The process of self-assessment in clinical skills is a fundamental component of professional development for advanced practice nurses. Reflecting on previous assessments and setting clear, targeted learning objectives enables nurses to identify growth areas and align their practicum experiences with their career goals. This paper discusses how to review a self-assessment form, establish strategic learning objectives, and engage preceptors effectively to facilitate professional growth in a practicum setting.

Reviewing the Self-Assessment Form

The initial step involves critically reviewing the self-assessment form submitted in the previous week. This form typically captures a nurse's perceived strengths, weaknesses, and development needs across various clinical competencies (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, & Day, 2010). A thorough review helps identify specific areas for application-level improvement, such as complex diagnostic reasoning, patient management, or interprofessional communication. Recognizing these gaps provides direction for setting realistic and targeted learning objectives aligned with one's professional aspirations.

Developing Effective Learning Objectives

In crafting learning objectives for the practicum, adherence to the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, and Time-bound—is essential. For example, a nurse might set an objective such as: "Within the next eight weeks, independently manage at least five new patient cases involving chronic disease management, demonstrating application of diagnostic reasoning skills at an advanced level." This objective clearly specifies what needs to be accomplished, how success will be measured, and the timeframe. Incorporating higher-order Bloom’s taxonomy domains, such as application and analysis, fosters deeper learning and helps in achieving competence necessary for advanced practice (Bloom, 1956).

Aligning Objectives with Practice and Resources

Discussing proposed objectives with a preceptor is critical for ensuring their feasibility within the available resources and clinical environment. Preceptors can offer insights into the practice site's capabilities and suggest modifications that align with organizational goals and patient demographics. This collaborative process enhances the relevance and attainability of the objectives while fostering professional mentorship and guidance, essential components for successful skill development (Reed et al., 2013).

Incorporating the Practicum Experience Plan (PEP)

All learning objectives must be documented in the Practicum Experience Plan (PEP). This formalized plan serves as a roadmap, guiding structured learning and providing measurable benchmarks for progress evaluation. Including 3-4 well-defined objectives, supported by the clinical assessment form, helps maintain focus and accountability throughout the practicum (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2012).

Conclusion

Self-assessment, strategic goal setting, and effective preceptor collaboration form the cornerstone of professional growth during a practicum. By critically reviewing the previous self-assessment form and developing SMART, application-level objectives, nurses can ensure focused learning that advances their clinical competencies. Documenting these objectives in the PEP facilitates structured progress and resource alignment, ultimately preparing nurses for advanced practice roles with confidence and competence.

References

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2012). The essentials of master’s education in nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/Masters-Essentials.pdf
• Benner, P., Sutphen, M., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2010). Clinical wisdom and uncertainty in nursing: Charting a path toward expert practice. Springer Publishing Company.
• Bloom, B.S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. David McKay Company.
• Reed, S.C., et al. (2013). Mentoring in clinical nursing education: Literature review. Nurse Education Today, 33(8), 832-835.
• Feigenson, K., & Khan, S. (2014). Strategic planning and goal setting for advanced nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Education, 53(11), 635–639.
• Wilkinson, J., et al. (2013). Establishing learning objectives in clinical practicum: Enhancing student competence. Journal of Nursing Education, 52(4), 219-223.
• Institute of Medicine. (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. The National Academies Press.
• Kelly, M., et al. (2015). The impact of structured clinical goals on student performance. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(8), 1771-1782.
• McCormack, B., et al. (2010). Developing practice knowledge and skills: Resources for clinical nurses and educators. Nurse Education Today, 30(2), 92-96.
• Woolf, S.H., et al. (2015). Building a Medicare-based learning health system. Health Affairs, 34(11), 1843-1850.