Practicum: Planning for the Practicum

Practicum: Planning for the Practicum

The practicum experience provides a significant opportunity to cultivate your professional growth and development. What skills, attributes, or categories of knowledge do you most need or want to nurture? How would improving in these areas enable you to be a more effective leader? And how would that allow you to facilitate the translation of evidence into practice?

In your practicum experience for this course, which is in a primary care family clinic, you will examine the change process as it relates to the translation of evidence into practice. In addition, throughout your practicum experience you will pay close attention to the role of leadership in such endeavors and reflect on your own development of leadership competencies.

To prepare:

•Review the information presented in the Learning Resources, and consider what approach you would use (including specific steps of the process) to plan for and implement an aggregate-level change that facilitates the translation of evidence into practice. Begin with the analytical process required to identify the change that needs to be made.*

•Think about learning objectives that would guide your practicum hours, as well as the activities you will undertake to achieve those objectives.

Draft two or three learning objectives that are related to the AACN DNP Essentials, your practice area specialty competencies, and the focus of this course—planning for and implementing a sustainable change related to the translation of evidence into practice, as well as the development of leadership competencies to facilitate this.
•Refer to the Practicum Time Log and Journal document.
•Develop a time line for your practicum experience in a family practice spreading over the next 10 weeks.

Note: It is important to formulate a big-picture view of this process. In Weeks 2 and 3, you will work with your practicum mentor to examine a change already underway or previously accomplished, and identify an additional aggregate-level change you would like to propose. You are not required to implement this change, but you do need to select an idea that is feasible, based on evidence, and appropriate for your practicum setting.

To complete:

Write a 2 page paper that includes the following : Use current 6th APA edition, must use at least 1-2 master’s level Peer review journal and must have an introduction and conclusion.

•An outline or visual representation indicating how you would guide planning for and implementing change related to the translation of evidence into practice for your practicum setting

•Two or three learning objectives for your practicum hours that are aligned to the AACN Essentials, your specialty area competencies, and the focus of this course (i.e., systems-related issues, translation of evidence into practice, intentional change, and leadership)

•Key leadership and other activities you will undertake to fulfill your identified learning objectives

Readings
•American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/DNPEssentials.pdf

Use the information in this report to guide the formulation of goals for your practicum experience.
•Garman, A., & Scribner, L. (2011). Leading for quality in healthcare: Development and validation of a competency model. Journal of Healthcare Management, 56(6), 373–382.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article, though focused on improving health care quality, provides valuable insights regarding leadership competencies. See the competencies outlined on page 378; these competencies may serve as a foundation for leadership development you undertake now and in the future.
•Kelly, D. L. (2011). Applying quality management in healthcare: A systems approach (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press. ◦Review Chapter 2, “A Systems Perspective of Quality Management: Characteristics of Complex Systems”

This chapter presents foundational information about systems and systems thinking.
◦Review Chapter 3, “Understanding System Behavior: Systemic Structure”

Review this chapter (required in a previous course), which uses an iceberg as a metaphor to describe systems. It also presents important lessons about systems, noting that systems structure influences behavior yet is largely invisible.
◦Review Chapter 4, “Visualizing System Relationships: Models for Health Services Managers”

After a brief overview of systems models, this chapter discusses four examples of systems models: the Three Core Process Model, Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, Systems Models of Organizational Accidents, and Socioecological Framework.

•Kotter, J. P. (2007). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 85(1), 96–103.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In this foundational reading, Dr. John Kotter discusses errors commonly made as organizations undergo change, and he recommends steps leaders can take to help avoid them.
•Pronovost, P. J., Murphy, D. J., & Needham D. M. (2010). The science of translating research into practice in intensive care. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 182(12), 1463–1464.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In this article, the authors discuss the translation of research into practice through a four-step process of engaging, educating, executing, and evaluating.
•Warrick, D. D. (2011). The urgent need for skilled transformational leaders: Integrating transformational leadership and organization development. Journal of Leadership, Accountability & Ethics, 8(5), 11–26.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In this article, the author discusses the concept of transformational leadership, including skills needed to change and transform organizations.
•White, K. M., & Dudley-Brown, S. (2012). Translation of evidence into nursing and health care practice. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. ◦Review Chapter 3, “Change Theory and Models: Framework for Translation”

As you review this chapter (assigned in a previous course), consider the foundational information about change. Also, pay attention to the frameworks and processes described, as they will be valuable as you proceed through this course. What insights arise regarding how you might be able to guide the implementation of change?