IF YOU DON’T KNOW…

Ask preceptor

Ask clinical faculty

Ask didactic faculty

We all want students to learn and be successful

MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (April 2017) Page 5

Practicum Site

A practicum site is a health agency or other appropriate setting at which students have supervised,

applied practice experiences that are consistent with their education and training. Officials at practicum

sites enter into an affiliation agreement with Walden, stating they will provide appropriate support and

supervision for students during the practicum experience. Virtual sites are not allowed for practicum

courses.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

In general, students must spend the majority of their clinical experience time in general primary care

settings seeing a good overall mix of age groups over the lifespan (FNP) or with adolescents and adults

(AGACNP, AGPCNP) with a broad range of health promotion, disease prevention, and acute and chronic

health problem assessment and management needs. Appropriate practicum sites for the AGPCNP/FNP

specializations can include physician’s offices (family practice, pediatric practice, women’s health, or

internal medicine); clinics that provide primary care, such as health departments; and hospital-based

primary care clinics. AGACNP students may use some of these sites in NURS 6531 and 6540 and acute

care facilities for NURS 6550 and 6560.

Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners will have practicum experiences in a wide range of setting

with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. NURS 6640 and NURS 6650 focus on psychotherapy

practice where NURS 6660 and NURS 6670 are integrative experiences (psychopharmacology coupled

with psychotherapy).NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

Primary Care

A primary care practice serves as the patient's first point of entry into the healthcare system and as the

continuing focal point for all needed healthcare services. Primary care practices provide patients with

ready access to their own personal physician. These practices provide health promotion, disease

prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and

chronic illnesses in a variety of healthcare settings. These practices are organized to meet the needs of

patients with undifferentiated problems, with the vast majority of patient concerns and needs being

cared for in the primary care practice itself. Primary care practices are generally located in the

community of the patients, thereby facilitating access to healthcare while maintaining a wide variety of

specialty and institutional consultative and referral relationships for specific care needs. The structure of

the primary care practice may include a team of physicians and non-physician health professionals.

Appropriate settings for primary care should be in outpatient primary care settings.

All students in NP specializations require primary care experiences. FNP students must complete all

clinical hours in primary care settings, AGPCNP students may complete clinical hours both in primary

care and specialty care settings, and AGACNP and PMHNP students may complete clinical hours in

MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (April 2017) Page 6

primary care, specialty care, and acute care settings.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

Acute Care

Acute care refers to a level of specialty care focused on the management of severe injuries, urgent

medical conditions, exacerbation of chronic illnesses, and/or recovery after surgical procedures. Acute

care settings provide patients with secondary healthcare services that address active healthcare

problems. Acute care practices provide access to healthcare teams that span the gamut of nursing,

medical, and surgical specialties. Acute care practitioners perform assessments, order and interpret

diagnostic tests, formulate diagnoses, perform procedures, and develop and/or implement treatment

plans. The quintessential acute care setting is the in-patient hospital, but acute care is also provided in

emergency rooms, urgent care centers, or surgery centers. Essentially, comprehensive care of patients

with acute, critical, and/or exacerbated, complex, chronic conditions falls under the realm of the acute

care provider regardless of the practice setting. The acute care provider is specialized in addressing the

needs of high acuity patients along the illness-to-wellness spectrum.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

Supervision

Supervision by a preceptor is composed of a tutorial and mentoring form of instruction in which

practicum preceptors monitor students’ activities in the practicum during the provision of primary care

and facilitate learning and skill-development experiences. Preceptors guide students and provide

feedback on their practicum work.

Field Experience Roles

Preceptors

Preceptors are qualified practitioners within a clinical site who are responsible for guiding students’

practicum experiences (see Preceptor Requirements in Section 3). Preceptors must be employed at the

field site. Walden expects preceptors to be accessible to students and to provide guidance and feedback

that promotes growth of knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with Walden’s educational

goals as well as with best nursing practices. Preceptors provide mentoring and guidance appropriate to

students’ roles in their clinical sites, including ongoing feedback about the students’ progress in meeting

clinical goals.

Students

Students at Walden are considered to be adult learners who are capable of seeking educational

opportunities to meet their personal and professional goals. Walden expects students to collaborate

with faculty members and be self-directed to meet educational requirements. Students work with

faculty members, clinical instructors, and preceptors to ensure they obtain a well-rounded educational

experience.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (April 2017) Page 7

Students are expected to complete adhere to the following:

 Develop a learning contract to meet course objectives and outcomes for the practicum.

 Adhere to the learning contract as established by the student, clinical instructor, and preceptor.

 Comply with the policies and protocols established by the practicum site.

 Seek direct and indirect supervision from the clinical instructor and preceptor.

 Be appropriately prepared for each laboratory and clinical experience.

 Incorporate theory and research into clinical practice to provide evidence-based care to patients.

 Provide safe, competent, and quality care under the supervision of the clinical instructor and preceptor.

 Maintain an ethical and professional manner at all times.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

 Use acquired knowledge and clinical skills for appropriate clinical setting.

 Use various educational resources to provide evidence-based care to patients.

 Be on time and be prepared for each clinical session.

 Develop a clear and concise plan to meet course outcomes.

 Be respectful and professional.

 Participate in regular conferences with the clinical instructor.

 Seek regular feedback from the clinical instructor and preceptor about progress in the clinical setting.

 Adhere to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines at all times.

 Maintain a clinical journal, time logs, patient logs, and other pertinent clinical records as required by the clinical instructor and/or preceptor.

 Be adaptable and flexible learners.

 Evaluate the course, clinical experience, and preceptor.

 Develop long-term and short-term goals during the program.

 Participate in group and individual conferences.

 Complete the required hours needed for the didactic and clinical portions of the courses.

 Complete all course assignments satisfactorily.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

 Contact the clinical instructor and practicum site if unable to attend a clinical experience.

 Use critical-thinking skills and sound clinical judgment in providing patient care.

Students With Disabilities

The School of Nursing at Walden will not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to

providing all qualified students with disabilities equal access to its programs, services, and activities in

accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (April 2017) Page 8

In postsecondary education, it is the students’ responsibility to self-identify disability status and register

with the Office of Disability Services prior to requesting accommodations. To register, students should

submit documentation of disability along with Walden’s Accommodation Request form to

disability@mail.waldenu.edu.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

The process and form are available from the Office of Disability Services. Students with disabilities

requesting accommodations to access field experiences, such as a practicum and/or internship, should

register with the Office of Disability Services prior to registering for those field experiences and clarify

their specific accommodation needs. In most cases, field experience sites have their own systems for

ensuring equal access for employees/interns with disabilities. The Office of Disability Services will help

address any gaps in those systems.

Practicum Course Faculty Members

Walden nursing faculty members, who are doctorally prepared, teach the didactic portion of the courses

and communicate with clinical instructors and preceptors regarding the students’ successful mastery of

all competencies prior to recording the final course grades. Practicum course faculty members

collaborate with students and clinical instructors and inform specialization coordinators about any

difficulties that arise during the practicum experience. Didactic faculty members may also serve as

clinical faculty.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

Clinical Instructors

Clinical instructors are a critical element of the NP student practicum experience. These instructors

monitor and assess appropriate learning experiences to facilitate students’ achievement as it relates to

the practicum course objectives. The clinical instructors are NPs responsible and accountable for

assuring that students meet the course objectives at a specific practicum site and work closely with

preceptors.NURS 6600: CAPSTONE SYNTHESIS PRACTICUM DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

Clinical instructors communicate on a regular basis with NP students and their preceptors regarding

student progress and learning needs; they are also available to resolve problems that may arise. Clinical

faculty make practicum site visits (virtually and/or physically) to review students’ experiences and the

appropriateness of the setting. Clinical instructors are responsible for evaluating the students’ clinical

work.

Specific clinical instructor responsibilities include the following activities:

 Providing guidance to students in formulating the learning