Assignment: Practicum – Week 1 Journal Entry

As a future advanced practice nurse, it is important that you can connect your classroom experience to your practicum experience. By applying the concepts, you study in the classroom to clinical settings, you enhance your professional competency. Each week, you complete an Assignment that prompts you to reflect on your practicum experiences and relate them to the material presented in the classroom. This week, you begin documenting your practicum experiences in your Practicum Journal.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Analyze nursing and counseling theories to guide practice in psychotherapy*

· Develop goals and objectives for personal practicum experiences*

· Create timelines for practicum activities*

In preparation for this course’s practicum experience, address the following in your Practicum Journal:

· Review the media Clinical Interview: Intake, Assessment, & Therapeutic Alliance in your Learning Resources.

· Select one nursing theory and one counseling theory to best guide your practice in psychotherapy.

Note: For guidance on nursing and counseling theories, refer to the Wheeler textbook in this week’s Learning Resources.

· Explain why you selected these theories. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

· Develop at least three goals and at least three objectives for the practicum experience in this course.

· Create a timeline of practicum activities based on your practicum requirements.

Note: Be sure to use the Practicum Journal Template, located in this week’s Learning Resources.

Required Readings

Wheeler, K. (Eds.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

• Chapter 1, “The Nurse Psychotherapist and a      Framework for Practice” (pp. 3–52)

Required Media

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2012). Clinical interview: Intake, assessment, & therapeutic alliance [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.

PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED Practicum Journal Template AND JOURNAL SAMPLE (TIME LOG & JOURNAL ENTRIES) FOR WRITING THIS ASSIGNMENT…..ALSO FOR THE TIME LOG AND JOURNAL ENTRIES, JUST MAKE UP A REASONABLE INFORMATION AND CLIENT INFORMATION

Use the following to answer questions 1 and 2.

Your sister Mandy is in her final semester of school, getting ready to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare management. She has been working as a radiology tech for a local hospital earning $40,000 per year with guaranteed pay increases of $5,000 every five years. Your sister is considering returning to school to further her education. She has applied, and been accepted, into two different programs, and is trying to decide which option makes the most financial sense, given that she is planning to retire at the age of 65. Knowing that you have just finished taking a finance class, Mandy has turned to you for help making a decision.

• The first option is a one year advanced radiology certificate program. After earning the certificate, she will automatically be eligible for a $10,000 increase in her annual salary (her salary will increase $5,000 every five years until she retires… that is, after completing the certificate she will receive a pay increase of $10,000 for a total of $50,000 per year. After another 5 years, her salary will increase to $55,000 per year. Five years later her salary will increase by another $5,000 and so on). Mandy will be completing the certificate outside of normal work hours, so she will not lose any income during this time. The total cost of the program is $5,000, due when she begins in the program.
• Mandy’s second option is to return to school to earn an MBA degree, which will allow her to be promoted to a managerial position within her firm. The position comes with an increase of $20,000 in her annual salary, and cost of living adjustments of $5,000 every 5 years. The MBA program will take three years and costs $25,000 per year, due at the beginning of each year. She will attend evening classes, so Mandy will not lose any income while working towards her MBA degree.
• Answer according to the following assumptions:

o Salaries are paid once per year at the end of each year.

o Each salary increase will become effectively immediately upon graduating from either program. Because salaries are paid at the end of each year, the first salary increase will be paid exactly one year after graduation.

o Assume the certificate and MBA programs are mutually exclusive.

o Your sister will turn 30 the day she begins either of the programs.

o The appropriate discount rate is 10%

1.What is the value of undertaking the MBA program? Round up to the nearest whole dollar.

2.What should Mandy do?

1. Nothing
2. Earn her certificate
3. Earn her MBA

3.This week’s Mega Millions jackpot is $50 million and you hold the only winning ticket. You are given the option of taking a one-time lump sum payment of $15 million or receiving annuity payments of $1 million per year for 40 years with an additional lump sum payment of $10 million dollars after 40 years. The appropriate discount rate is 10%. Should you take the lump sum or opt for the yearly payments?

1. Lump sum
2. Yearly payments