Practicum and Experience

The practicum is important for every student in the healthcare department because it provides students with practical experience under the mentorship of experienced healthcare providers. The practicum is carried out in healthcare organizations such as clinics, hospitals, or community centers, where students can get hands-on experience and enhance their knowledge. Practicum is also important for students to fill the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application so that students can learn how to apply the theory in clinical practice (Gassas, 2021). My duties involved dealing with overweight autistic teenagers and maintaining their health and well-being which was an enriching experience. 

Reflection

My practicum involved catering to the unique needs of overweight autistic teenagers who were at a specialized facility restricted for them. The facility provided me enriching learning environment which included some challenges that enhanced my growth. These challenges helped me to dig deep into research and knowledge to develop important skills needed to manage the health and well-being of overweight autistic teenagers. Furthermore, experienced healthcare providers guided me in overcoming the challenges I faced by giving evidence-based practices and resources  (Dagne & Beshah, 2021). 

Preceptor Role as a Mentor and Supervisor

Becoming my own mentor and site supervisor was only possible with the help of the experience and mentorship I gained from my preceptor. They also contributed to my professional growth by guiding me throughout my training. They ensured that I understood every piece of invaluable advice they offered me and helped me learn the complex procedures and protocols of the facility. I was able to deal with complex cases and treatment interventions and fulfill my responsibilities with their guidance and knowledge. 

Reflection

I was able to learn evidence-based practices and interventions important to managing the health of overweight autistic teenagers because my preceptor has provided me invaluable advice on everything they have learned in their extensive years of experience in the field. Managing patient care and supervising therapy roles were the leadership responsibilities that I was afraid to fulfill but with my supervisor’s advice and mentorship, I was able to confidently carry them out. In conclusion, the enriching learning experience at the facility for overweight autistic teenagers helped me develop an in-depth understanding of their needs and develop personalized plans under mentorship which contributed to my goal of making a difference in their lives. Thai experience has made me confident and dedicated to serving vulnerable populations in the future. 

Goals and Objectives of Practicum Experience

This assessment is focused on the goals of practicum experience to help students enhance their knowledge and gain practical experience in managing the healthcare needs of patients and grow personally and professionally. The leading purpose of the practicum is to offer patients advanced treatment care and quality. For this purpose, students must acquire skills that would help them to meet the needs of overweight autistic teenagers and offer individual approaches to them. Health and well-being management of overweight autistic teenagers includes such interventions as nutrition diets, behavior modification strategies, and enhancing health results using best practices for the treatment (Steinbrenner et al., 2020). However, it is also important that overweight autistic teenagers’ health needs are managed while the students maintain empathy and a compassionate persona. The practicum also fulfills another objective of increasing the awareness of the students on health complications that are linked with obesity and autism spectrum disorder. That is why, through learning the physiological and psychological aspects of obesity and autism spectrum disorders, students understand what the patient is experiencing and their healthcare needs (McPherson et al., 2021). It also enables them to manage both the physical and psychological symptoms related to obesity and autism spectrum disorder. In addition to developing clinical skills, the practicum experience fosters interdisciplinary teamwork and other professional competencies in students. Davis (2021) identified that to provide efficient care to patients, students need to acquire good interpersonal and collaboration skills to function effectively in interprofessional teams. Moreover, the other professional skills related to the problem-solving approach require students to use empathetic communication and patient-centered treatment interventions. The students will also be able to acquire leadership and management skills and offer improved care and treatment to overweight autistic teenagers (Kwame & Petrucka, 2021). If students want to improve awareness about the health management of overweight autistic teenagers, they have to carry out research and identify ways of improving the quality of management. To achieve the goal of improving patient care, students can develop the required skills and knowledge by analyzing literature reviews, actively participating in research work, and incorporating evidence-based practices in their clinical practice. 

Completion of Hours

I have sincerely and efficiently completed the required practicum hours for this assessment. My role as a nurse for overweight autistic teenagers involved completing tasks related to their health management and performing various activities aimed at enhancing their well-being. Collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, using EHR systems to accurately conduct data analysis, and developing customized treatment plans for interdisciplinary teams are all part of my enriching practicum experience. This experience has contributed to my professional and personal growth by helping me develop various skills to perform efficiently in my role and meet the goals of my practicum.

References

Dagne, A. H., & Beshah, M. H. (2021). Implementation of evidence-based practice: The experience of nurses and midwives. Plos One, 16(8), e0256600. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256600 

Davis, J. (2021). Health care professional students’ perceptions of teamwork and roles after an interprofessional critical care simulation. Dimensions Of Critical Care Nursing, 40(3), 174–185. https://doi.org/10.1097/dcc.0000000000000472 

Gassas, R. (2021). Sources of the knowledge-practice gap in nursing: Lessons from an integrative review. Nurse Education Today, 106, 105095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105095 

Kwame, A., & Petrucka, P. M. (2021). A literature-based study of patient-centered care and communication in nurse-patient interactions: Barriers, facilitators, and the way forward. BMC Nursing, 20(158), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00684-2 

McPherson, A. C., Perez, A., Buchholz, A., Forhan, M., & Ball, G. D. C. (2021). “It’s not a simple answer.” A qualitative study to explore how healthcare providers can best support families with a child with autism spectrum disorder and overweight or obesity. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1867909 

Steinbrenner, J. R., Hume, K., Odom, S. L., Morin, K. L., Nowell, S. W., Tomaszewski, B., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N. S., Yücesoy, S., & Savage, M. N. (2020). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism. in eric. FPG Child Development Institute. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED609029