Overview
The clinical practicum rotation integrates, synthesizes and applies diagnostic reasoning and management skills in a comprehensive interdisciplinary, and autonomous manner that reflects the AG-ACNP scope of practice. These hours should be spent in high acuity settings such as internal medicine, cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, endocrinology, etc. Optionally, the preceptor facility assists with allowing observational rotation in inter-professional departments such as radiology, pharmacy, dietetics or physical therapy. Observational opportunities augment the students overall learning and understanding, however, these hours do not count toward the required hours.
NURS-DNP 541: Acute Care Clinical Practicum
Required for: AGNP Acute Care Doctor of Nursing Practice Students
Course Description: Synthesizes and implements theoretical, clinical, and scientific principles for the adult/gerontology practitioner practice in acute care settings. Provides comprehensive care to diverse patient populations. Evaluates patients to determine appropriate interventions for complex patients.
Course Objectives
- Synthesis, implementation, and evaluation of theoretical, clinical, and scientific principles of AGNP practice.
- Consistently demonstrate accountability and competency in all aspects of the role of the AGNP in clinical practice providing care for adults across the lifespan, under the supervision of the preceptor, including: advanced skills in advanced practice nursing, communication, documentation, clinical reasoning, decision making, information literacy, evidence-based practice, and self-directed learning.
- Construction, implementation, and evaluation of safe, appropriate, effective, patient-centered, ethical, and evidence based plans for assessment, diagnosis, and management of health/chronic and acute illness in adult-geriatric patients and their families.
- Provision of the full spectrum of health care services within the full scope of the adult-geriatric acute care nurse practitioner role, including transitions across the continuum of care settings.
- Leading creation of mutually respectful, collaborative, effective, trust-based, partnerships with patients, families, and inter-professional team members.
- Development of an outcomes focused plan of care that prescribes intervention for patients in the primary care setting.
- Thorough, ongoing evaluation of the patient’s changing condition and response to therapeutic interventions.
- Synthesis of an inter-professional plan of care to optimize the goals and outcomes of treatment.
Clinical Competencies
All rotations require hands on, direct patient interaction. Observation only time should be very minimal. Student should acquire the following skills/competencies during this rotation:
- Taking appropriately comprehensive complete and focused health histories.
- Reconciliation of health histories and medication.
- Performing appropriately comprehensive complete and focused physical examinations.
- Selecting and interpreting appropriate diagnostic testing as indicated by the clinical presentation.
- Identification of risk factors.
- Developing appropriate differential diagnoses with evidence based rationale.
- Arriving at final working diagnosis with evidence based rationale.
- Development of a management plan with preceptor guidance- would expect high level of autonomous diagnostic reasoning and decision making.
- Patient education / counseling / health promotion and protection.
- Evaluation of management plans with preceptor guidance.
- May perform scope specific procedures under direct preceptor supervision.
- Documentation of a SOAP note. For educational purposes students are expected to develop a traditional written note in the SOAP format. It is preferred that students document and review notes with their preceptor using this format rather than documenting in the EMR. The SOAP note format is better suited to developing and demonstrating skills of diagnostic reasoning than is an EMR template.