NR667 Wk1 FNP Capstone Practicum and Intensive

Learning Goal: Improve my knowledge on identifying and treating neurological disorders.

To enhance my understanding of neurological disorders, I will complete all APEA and Leik questions on neurology with the objective of answering 90% of the questions correctly. In addition, I will watch all APEA and Hollier videos on neurology, which will further reinforce my learning. I plan to review case studies of neurological disorders to gain practical experience with real-life scenarios, which will enhance my understanding of these conditions. To deepen my knowledge, I will read two medical journal articles that review common neurological diseases. I aim to complete all these learning activities by the end of week 6, as neurological disorders will be a key topic of review during this week. Although most of this material will be mastered by the end of week 6, I will continue to review it throughout the course as needed.

Reflection:

A better understanding of the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological disorders will enable me to identify neurological problems in my patients more quickly and treat them more effectively in practice. While I feel confident in managing conditions like stroke, headaches, neuropathy, and dementia, I recognize that I need to improve my familiarity with other neurological disorders. By focusing on these areas of weakness, I will enhance my overall knowledge and increase the likelihood of answering more neurological questions correctly on the certification exam.

Learning Goal: Improve my knowledge on growth and development milestones, identifying and managing pediatric diseases, and becoming more familiar with immunization schedules.

To strengthen my knowledge in pediatric health, growth, and development, I will complete all APEA and Leik questions related to these topics, with a goal of achieving a 90% accuracy rate. I will also watch all APEA and Hollier videos on pediatrics, growth, and development to reinforce my learning. In addition, I will study the chapter on pediatric health promotion in Hollier’s Clinical Guidelines in Primary Care book. To gain hands-on experience, I will ask my preceptor to show me how to conduct comprehensive assessments on newborns and young children, which will increase my familiarity with growth and developmental milestones. I plan to complete all these learning activities by the end of week 2, as pediatrics will be a key focus during this time. I will continue to review this information throughout the course as needed.

Reflection:

Improving my ability to identify, diagnose, and treat health problems in the pediatric population will increase my confidence and enable me to provide better and safer care to my patients. Since I have limited experience working with children and we do not see young children frequently in clinicals, I am less comfortable assessing and treating this population. However, I feel confident in my ability to manage conditions like ADHD, autism, and speech abnormalities, as these are common in my clinical experience. Enhancing my knowledge in pediatrics will help me answer more questions correctly on the exam.

Learning Goal: Improve my knowledge of how to monitor the process of pregnancy, and the management of disease in pregnancy.

To enhance my understanding of pregnancy and the management of diseases during pregnancy, I will complete all APEA and Leik questions on pregnancy, aiming for a 90% accuracy rate. I will also watch all APEA and Hollier videos on pregnancy and review case studies of pregnant patients to gain practical experience with real-life scenarios. Furthermore, I plan to attend the FNP intensive review, with a particular focus on pregnancy. I intend to complete all learning activities by the end of week 7, with the exception of attending the FNP intensive review, which will be completed during week 8. Although these activities will be completed by the end of week 7, I will continue to review the material as needed throughout the course.

Reflection:

A deeper understanding of pregnancy management will enhance my ability to care for pregnant patients, ensuring a safe and healthy pregnancy for both mother and fetus. My clinical experience with pregnant patients has been limited, and I recognize that I need to spend more time on this topic. My strengths lie in helping women manage anxiety and depression during pregnancy and identifying abnormalities that require closer monitoring. By increasing my knowledge in this area, I will improve my performance on the certification exam and be better equipped to provide comprehensive care to pregnant patients.

Learning Goal: Improve my knowledge on the identification and treatment of women’s health disorders.

To enhance my knowledge of women’s health disorders, I will complete all APEA and Leik questions on women’s health, aiming to answer 90% of the questions correctly. I will watch all APEA and Hollier videos on women’s health and review the chapter on women’s health disorders in Hollier’s Clinical Guidelines in Primary Care book. Additionally, I will ask my preceptor to allow me to practice performing pelvic exams to increase my competency in this area. I plan to complete all these learning activities by the end of week 7, as women’s health disorders will be a key topic of review during this week. Although most of the material will be covered by the end of week 7, I will continue to review it throughout the course as needed.

Reflection:

A thorough understanding of the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of women’s health is essential for providing safe and appropriate care to patients with women’s health issues. I feel confident in managing contraception and cancer, as I have experience working with patients in these areas. However, I recognize the need to broaden my knowledge to cover other women’s health disorders. By doing so, I will increase the number of correctly answered questions on the certification exam and be better prepared to care for patients with diverse women’s health concerns.

Learning Goal: Improve my knowledge of respiratory function and diseases.

To strengthen my understanding of respiratory function and diseases, I will complete all APEA and Leik questions on respiratory topics, with the goal of answering 90% of the questions correctly. I will watch all APEA and Hollier videos on respiratory topics and review the chapter on pulmonology disorders in Hollier’s Clinical Guidelines in Primary Care book. To further enhance my knowledge, I will read two medical journal articles on common pulmonary diseases. I plan to complete all these learning activities by the end of week 5, as respiratory topics will be a key focus during this week. I will continue to review this information as needed throughout the course.

Reflection:

Proper management of respiratory disorders can be life-saving. Understanding the pathophysiology of respiratory diseases will enable me to better diagnose and treat these conditions. My strengths in this area include managing COPD, pneumonia, and asthma, which are common in my clinical experience. However, I need to spend more time reviewing other respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis and lung cancer. By studying these topics in more detail, I will be better prepared to answer respiratory-related questions on the certification exam.

Learning Goal: Improve my assessment skills and knowledge.

To enhance my assessment skills, I will focus on answering assessment-type questions while completing APEA and Leik questions. During clinicals, I will work on improving my assessment skills by appropriately gathering subjective and objective data. I will also study different assessment techniques, such as the straight leg raise test and the drop arm test, which are important for diagnosis. Additionally, I will study the hallmark signs and symptoms of various diseases. I plan to complete all these learning activities by the end of week 8, as improving my assessment skills is essential in all areas of practice.

Reflection:

Without a comprehensive assessment and understanding of assessment techniques, accurate diagnosis and treatment cannot be achieved. While I am proficient in performing detailed assessments, I need to improve my familiarity with anatomical medical terms and the physical diagnostic tools used to identify specific disease processes. Given that many exam questions focus on assessment, enhancing my assessment skills across various diseases will be crucial for passing the certification exam.

Learning Goal: Improve my knowledge and understanding of pharmacotherapeutics.

To increase my understanding of pharmacotherapeutics, I will focus on identifying the correct medications and dosages for diseases during clinicals. For any medications I encounter that I am unfamiliar with, I will review their mechanisms of action, side effects, and dosing considerations. I will also study the different classes of medications for each disease in Hollier’s Clinical Guidelines in Primary Care book. Furthermore, I will study first-line treatments for common diseases such as UTIs, STDs, hypertension, diabetes, pneumonia, COPD, and asthma exacerbations. I plan to complete all these learning activities by the end of week 8, as a strong understanding of pharmacotherapeutics is essential in all areas of practice.

Reflection:

Prescribing medications is a significant part of an NP’s role, so understanding which medications are best suited for specific diseases and the correct dosages is vital for safe and effective patient care. Given the vast number of medications to remember, I sometimes struggle to recall which medications belong to which class or which are the first-line treatments for particular diseases. However, I am confident in treating acute diseases and exacerbations, as this is where most of my experience lies. I am also becoming more familiar and confident in treating certain chronic conditions in primary care settings. Since pharmacotherapeutics is a large portion of the exam, increasing my understanding of this topic will be critical for passing the certification exam.