Clinical Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
Assignment: Journal Entry
Critical reflection of your growth and development during your practicum experience in a clinical setting has the benefit of helping you to identify opportunities for improvement in your clinical skills, while also recognizing your strengths and successes.
Use this Journal to reflect on your clinical strengths and opportunities for improvement, the progress you made, and what insights you will carry forward into your next practicum
- Refer to the “Advanced Nursing Practice Competencies and Guidelines” found in the Week 1 Learning Resources, and consider the quality measures or indicators advanced nursing practice nurses must possess in your specialty of interest. Clinical Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
- Refer to your “Clinical Skills Self-Assessment Form” you submitted in Week 1, and consider your strengths and opportunities for improvement.
- Refer to your Patient Log in Meditrek, and consider the patient activities you have experienced in your practicum experience. Reflect on your observations and experiences.
In 450–500 words, address the following:
Learning From Experiences
- Revisit the goals and objectives from your Practicum Experience Plan. Explain the degree to which you achieved each during the practicum experience.
- Reflect on the three (3) most challenging patients you encountered during the practicum experience. What was most challenging about each?
- What did you learn from this experience?
- What resources did you have available?
- What evidence-based practice did you use for the patients?
- What new skills are you learning?
- What would you do differently?
- How are you managing patient flow and volume?
Communicating and Feedback
- Reflect on how you might improve your skills and knowledge and how to communicate those efforts to your Preceptor.
- Answer the questions: How am I doing? What is missing?
- Reflect on the formal and informal feedback you received from your Preceptor.
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
Subjective
CC (Chief Complaint): Depression
HPI: 54-year-old white female. Individual reports depression has increased. “I been dealing with my boyfriend being in the nursing home. I have no desire to do anything. I just feel depressed and all I do is lay around crying.” Individual reports anxiety the same. She reports Seroquel helps with sleep and denies side effects from medications. Individual rates life 4/10 with 10 being the happiest. She denies SI/HI at this time.
Past Psychiatric History
General Information: The case is a 54-year-old female
Caregivers (If Applicable): The patient does not have a caregiver.
Hospitalizations: Inpatient psychiatric facility within the past 6 months
Medication Trials: No medical trials
Previous Psychiatric Diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression
Substance Use and History: No history of substance abuse
Family History: Mother (deceased) cancer, mood disorder
Psychosocial History: Bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety
Medical History: HTN/ COPD- Bronchitis/Emphysema/ Type II DM/ Hyperlipidemia. Clinical Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
Current Medications:
Quetiapine 50 mg, Oxycarbazepine 300 mg, Fluticasone propionate 50 mcg, Loratadine 10 mg, Levothyroxine sodium 50 mcg, Montelukast sod 10 mg, Losartan potassium 50 mg, Novolog 100 units/ml vial; Diltiazem HCL ER coated BEA, VIT D2 1.25 mg (50,000 unit).
Allergies: The patient has no allergy, nor does she have any reaction to certain aspects such as seasonal changes, dust, or pollen.
Reproductive Hx: The patient began her menstrual periods at 15. The patient has no history of reproductive health complications.
Past Medical History: Bronchitis/Emphysema
ROS:
GENERAL: The patient is composed and well-presented. The patient’s speech is clear. The patient is depressed, and her melancholy interferes with her ability to function. However, during an examination and the chat, the patient is easily distracted (McCutcheon et al, 2020). The patient suffers from anxiety, insomnia, despondency, a sense of worthlessness, anxiousness, delusions, and hallucinations.
HEENT: The patient’s vision and hearing are both in good shape. There is no history of glaucoma or other eye disorders in this patient (Angst & Cassanoy, 2018). The hearing and sense of smell are in good working order. Furthermore, the patient’s dental health is satisfactory, and his throat is free of cancer or sore throat.
SKIN: The patient has no wounds, itches, or bruises.
CARDIOVASCULAR: The patient has no dyspnea, palpitations, or oedema problems.
RESPIRATORY: The patient has a history of bronchitis
GASTROINTESTINAL: The patient has no reflux, abnormal bowel sounds, or abdominal pains.
GENITOURINARY: The patient has had tubal ligation and vulvectomy in the past
HEMATOLOGIC: The patient has no blood disorder, and she has no history of cancer.
LYMPHATICS: The patient has no issues or challenges relating to pain or swelling of the lymph nodes.
ENDOCRINOLOGIC: The patient has not reported any issues of endocrinal challenges.
Objective
Physical Examination: Vitals are as follows: Height 5’11, Weight 247 lbs, BMI 34
Diagnostic Results: Blood and urine tests returned typical results, and the MRI and Ct scan also returned specific results.
Assessment
Mental Status Examination:
The patient is a 54-year-old white female with an age-appropriate look. The patient is aware and cooperative, and she is usually tidy, clean, and well-dressed. There are no abnormalities, and the patient always speaks clearly and coherently (Gordovez, 2020). The patient’s memory, focus, and insight are intact. However, the patient reports a lack of happiness daily over the past two weeks. Clinical Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
Differential Diagnosis:
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition where a person experiences some hypomanic disorders characterized by increased energy or irritability. They have symptoms alternating between feelings of lows and highs. People who experience bipolar disorder also experience depressive episodes where these people have low moods, and such people tend to isolate themselves from the public. The diagnostic criteria for the condition are the presence of hypomanic episodes. The hypomanic episodes are characterized mainly by inflated self-esteem. The main signs of bipolar disorder are depressive episodes, weight loss and changes in mood swings.
Depression
Depression is a mental health challenge where the individual usually has mental health challenges due to constantly thinking about a particular situation, which makes this person detached from the everyday world. People who suffer from depression tend to have suicidal or homicidal thoughts, which affect the. Some of the common symptoms of depression include changes in sleep patterns, overeating or eating and changes in mood swings. Additionally, people battling depression like staying alone most of the time. The primary diagnostic condition of depression is the changes in mood swings and the hallucinations that one might experience.
Reflections:
The final diagnosis is bipolar disorder. The patient has been treated for bipolar disorder in the past. The final diagnosis for the patient is bipolar disorder. The patient rates her happiness levels as 4 out of 10. The best treatment plan will be using suitable medication and counselling therapy (Carvallo et al, 2020). Non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods must be used to treat bipolar disorder. The pharmacologic treatment will be Fluticasone propionate 50 mg daily and Loratadine 2 mg, Levothyroxine sodium 2 tablets each daily. Cognitive theraphy will also be given to ensure that behavior is corrected. The patient will also be encouraged to adjust to her diet and avoid saturated fat, red meat and simple carbohydrates. Additionally, the patient should be educated on how to stick to the treatment, the possible side effects and how to manage these side effects.
References
Angst, J., & Cassano, G. (2018). The mood spectrum: improving the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorders, 7, 4-12.
Carvalho, A. F., Firth, J., & Vieta, E. (2020). Bipolar disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(1), 58-66.
Gordovez, F. J. A., & McMahon, F. J. (2020). The genetics of bipolar disorder. Molecular psychiatry, 25(3), 544-559.
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
Subjective
CC: “it works a little too well. It makes me sleepy.”
HPI: The patient is a White female who is 26 years old. She says that she was given medication that made her sleepy during her recent admission to an inpatient psychiatric facility. She says that she was struggling with sleep before she was treated at the facility. She also reports that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She says that within one week, she has lost 14 pounds. She complains that she sleeps too much at night. She rates her happiness in life at an eight out of ten and denies suicide and homicide ideation. The patient reports that she has highs and lows in her moods.
Past Psychiatric History
General Statement: The patient has been previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Caregivers: not reported.
Hospitalizations: Prior inpatient admission at a psychiatric facility.
Medication Trials: Lithium during last inpatient visit
Previous Psychiatric Diagnosis: Bipolar disorder
Substance Use History: The patient does not drink, abuse illicit drugs, and has never smoked.
Family History: Both her parents are alive, and her father has skin cancer that has metastases to the brain.
Psychosocial History: No reported psychosocial history.
Medical History:
Current Medications: Gabapentin 600mg in the morning and noon, and 1200mg at night. Abilify 5mg at night
Allergies: Lithium causes her to have diarrhea. Clinical Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
Reproductive Hx: No reported childern.
Past Medical History: Hyperlipidemia.
ROS:
GENERAL: The patient is alert and well oriented to time, place, and person.
HEENT: The patient does not have any swellings on the head, audio and visual acuity is normal, no sinus infections, and no swollen lymph nodes in the throat.
SKIN: The skin does not have any breakages or rashes. It is also sufficiently moist with normal pigmentation.
CARDIOVASCULAR: The patient does not experience any discomfort in the chest.
RESPIRATORY: The patient has steady breathing and does not experience shortness of breath. The rising and falling of her chest are expected, with no dyspnea or respiratory issues.
GASTROINTESTINAL: The patient does not have any nausea, abdominal pains, running stomach, or vomiting episodes
GENITOURINARY: The patient can pass urine without experiencing any pain or discomfort.
MUSCULOSKELETAL: The patient has a full range of ambulatory movements with no pain in her joints. She moves freely with no constraints or pain.
HEMATOLOGIC: The patient does not have anemia.
LYMPHATICS: There is no splenectomy or swollen lymph nodes present.
ENDOCRINOLOGIC: There are no endocrinal conditions noted or any unusual hormonal changes.
Objective
Physical Examination: Vitals are as follows: Ht: 5’11” Wt: 169 lbs BMI: 23.57 Pain: 0/10
Diagnostic results: Blood and urine tests returned unremarkable results, and the MRI and CT scan also returned unremarkable results.
Assessment
Mental Status Examination
The patient is a 26-year-old White female who is well oriented to time, person, and place. She is cooperative during the examination with clear and coherent speech. She also articulates her thoughts clearly. She does not have any suicidal or homicidal ideations. The patient says that she has experienced hallucinations and delusions. Both her long-term and short-term concentration are good. The patient has experienced hypomania, mania, and depression.
Differential diagnosis
Bipolar I Disorder
Bipolar I disorder is a mental condition where the individual experiences manic or hypomanic episodes characterized by high increases in energy or irritability (McIntyre et al., 2020). Individuals also experience depressive episodes when they have low moods and isolate themselves from people. The diagnostic criteria for the condition involve the presence of manic and hypomanic episodes (McIntyre et al., 2020). The manic episode is characterized by grandiosity and inflated self-esteem, being talkative, flight of thought, and increased psychomotor activity. The depressive episodes are characterized by a persistent depressed mood, lack of interest in activities, considerable weight loss, hypersomnia or insomnia, and psychomotor retardation (McIntyre et al., 2020). The patient displays manic, hypomanic, and depressive episodes. They have also reported significant weight loss. These symptoms are consistent with bipolar I disorder, making it the primary diagnosis.
Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition characterized by schizophrenic symptoms, including delusions and hallucinations (Miller & Black, 2019). The state also presents with mood disorder symptoms which include mania and depression. There are two types of schizoaffective disorders, namely depressive type and bipolar type (Miller & Black, 2019). Individuals with the condition will present with delusive behavior such as having fixed and false beliefs that contradict apparent evidence. They will also have visual or auditory hallucinations and bizarre behavior (Miller & Black, 2019). The depressive symptoms will manifest as feelings of emptiness and sadness. The individual will also feel worthless. Individuals with schizoaffective disorder will often have suicide and homicidal ideation (Miller & Black, 2019). The main difference between bipolar I disorder and schizoaffective disorder is the presence of psychosis. The patient, in this case, does not exhibit symptoms of psychosis which rules out schizoaffective disorder.
Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder is a mental health condition characterized by a relapsing and remitting cycle of depressive episodes (Hasin et al., 2018). The depressive episodes can manifest in a persistently low mood. During depressive moods, the individual will also experience a decrease in their self-attitude, which leads to low confidence and self-esteem. There will also be reduced physical and mental energy. The individual’s low mood may also manifest as hopelessness, self-deprecation, and self-blame (Hasin et al., 2018). Some of the common symptoms of the major depressive disorder include changes in the individual’s sleep patterns, either hypersomnia or insomnia (Hasin et al., 2018). The individual will also have suicidal and homicidal ideations. The presence of psychotic episodes is also another symptom where the individual will have delusions or hallucinations. While both major depressive disorder and bipolar I disorder have overlapping symptoms, the main distinction is that major depressive disorder is unipolar. It means that in major depressive disorder, there are no manic episodes, whereas in bipolar I disorder, there are manic episodes. Clinical Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
Reflections
The patient has been treated for bipolar I disorder in the past. She has been taking Gabapentin and Abilify, but she complains that she sleeps too much. She rates her happiness mood highly, meaning that she must be on a manic episode. Her pharmacological treatment plan will be Gabapentin, one tablet taken twice daily and 1.5 tablets taken at night. She will also be prescribed Aripiprazole 5 mg taken at night. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been proven to be effective in treating bipolar I disorder (David et al., 2018). Therefore the psychotherapy plan will involve using cognitive-behavioral therapy to improve the patient’s symptoms by modifying her behavior and helping her manage both her manic and depressive episodes. The patient will also be subjected to alternative therapy, including joining support groups for individuals with the same condition. The patient will also be encouraged to adjust their diet and avoid diets rich in saturated fats, red meat, trans fats, and simple carbohydrates (Łojko et al., 2018). The patient should also be educated on how to adhere to their prescriptions, any potential side effects they should anticipate, and when to seek medical advice if the side effects worsen.
References
David, D., Cristea, I., & Hofmann, S. G. (2018). Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current
gold standard of psychotherapy. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 4.
Hasin, D. S., Sarvet, A. L., Meyers, J. L., Saha, T. D., Ruan, W. J., Stohl, M., & Grant, B. F. (2018).
Epidemiology of adult DSM-5 major depressive disorder and its specifiers in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(4), 336-346.
Łojko, D., Stelmach, M., & Suwalska, A. (2018). Is diet important in bipolar disorder?. Psychiatr.
Pol, 52(5), 783-795.
McIntyre, R. S., Berk, M., Brietzke, E., Goldstein, B. I., López-Jaramillo, C., Kessing, L. V., … &
Mansur, R. B. (2020). Bipolar disorders. The Lancet, 396(10265), 1841-1856.
Miller, J. N., & Black, D. W. (2019). Schizoaffective disorder: A review. Annals of clinical
psychiatry: official journal of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists, 31(1), 47-53. Clinical Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement