Did you meet your personal goals?

Self Reflection 

The personal goals that I want to learn are improving clinical assessment interviews with pediatric patients, seeking psychiatric medication treatment and prescribing, and recognizing when and how to transition from one medication to another after a change in symptoms or identified side effects with an emphasis on children and teenagers. To create a diagnostic case, order appropriate diagnostic testing, and build a rapport with the patient family for the pediatric and adolescent population while simultaneously developing an optimal care strategy for each patient.

My first rotation was in a mental ward, and it was a fantastic learning opportunity to learn about the evaluation method and clinical treatment for adult populations. I also used to work at a shelter for children who had been separated from their parents or guardians due to abuse and negligence. The majority of the children were well treated, but what got on my nerves was the children who were manipulative, disrespectful, and rude to their peers and the medical professionalattempting to support them. It could be both challenging and intimidating to become comfortable working with difficult children

My clinical site, it is in Washington State. It provides the best services available with compassion and sensitivity in a secure, supportive environment operated by health care professionals who care and know-how to handle them. My preceptor this semester, who supervises and supports me in learning screening processes, diagnostic procedures, and drug control for the pediatrics and adolescent population.

As a PMHNP, my goal is to open a private practice within my community that works on the underserved population. My professional goal is to provide trauma-informed care to ensure the best possible outcome for my patients. Since I will expend more time on these patients than with our adult population (who we will either discharge or admit within 24 hours), I will start treatments and monitor them for a more extended period to assess effectiveness.

I am very familiar with patient settings and deal with adult populations suffering from psychiatric disorders, drug dependence, and dual diagnosis. I want to enhance my understanding of adolescent treatment, especially when it applies to drug use and addiction and psychosocial interventions for this remarkable, at-risk youth group. This will include reviewing and comprehending the various developmental stages and how they affect diagnosis and prescription because medication management differs for teenagers and adults due to weight-based calculations and age restrictions. 

However, my plan to improve my skills is to build a therapeutic relationship by improving communication skills with the younger patients conducting the appropriate physical assessment, and comprehending pediatric medications such as drug dosing knowledge. I would want to learn how to avoid being offended as a child acts out so that I do not even behave or communicate in a manner that jeopardizes my attempt to connect with the child while evaluating and treating the patients.