Introduction
The last few weeks have been the most exciting in my career thus far due to the immense experience I have gained. I have been able to apply theoretical aspects of medical practice in the field, and this has been massively fulfilling. The highlight of this period was the chance I got to assess my first patient. My preceptor, a Pediatric Medical Doctor, prepared me for the experience beforehand. The preparation involved a brief overview of the patient’s details in a separate room and a revision of the procedures I was required to undertake. This preparation helped me conquer the anxiety that has been a block in realizing successful patient interactions. My presence at the healthcare facility was termed life-saving by my colleagues as it helped reduce the bulk they encountered beforehand. Lin et al. (2021) note this as a highlight of why the position of the Nurse Practitioner was developed, to help smoothen healthcare operations.
Change in Definition of Family
My perception of family and its composition has been impacted in the last few weeks due to the number of people I interacted with. I now comprehend that a family is not necessarily composed of people related by blood due to the rise in adoptions in recent years. Some families showed up with their children for pediatric care while both parents were separated. The parents lived in separate homes but both made efforts to ensure that the healthcare of their child was guaranteed. The increase in the number of same-sex couples bringing their children to be cared for was also instrumental in influencing my views. These parents adopted a child and ensured its best interests were met to ensure healthy growth and development. Charlton et al. (2018) highlight that the recent decrease in stigma and increased acceptance of such arrangements by society are responsible for the increased emergence of such families.
How Understanding of Family Influenced Assessment
The differences in various families and the existence of conflicts due to disagreements are responsible for the difficulties that arise during treatment. Different parents feel that they have the best interests of their children compared to the others, and this was a massive complication during clinical rotations. This required me to practice restraint, wisdom, and efficient communication skills to ensure an understanding. It was crucial that both parents and other family members felt that their opinions were given sufficient consideration before I advised on a course of action. Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (PNP) must ensure an adequate understanding of various family arrangements that guarantee all families are treated well (Manzer et al., 2018). This entails reading widely on changes within the practice and reflecting on the developments to guarantee effective evidence-based practice.
Change in Understanding of Culture
Diverse cultures are the phenomena of everyday life and were the component displayed in the healthcare clinic during my rotations. The various beliefs various communities have about the practice of medicine, especially whenever children are concerned, were interesting. I interacted with families of African ancestry and others of Latino-American heritage, and they all had different beliefs on pediatric care. This interaction helped me realize that there is no universal manner of treating all communities. This calls for a keen investigation of various cultures and beliefs to ensure that families seeking medical care do not leave feeling discriminated against (Alenezi et al., 2019). An act as simple as asking the families whether they were opposed to any medical practice and agreeing with them was vital. PNPs must abandon any prejudice towards a certain culture and sideline their own culture when taking care of patients.
Assessment of Goals and Objectives
The experience was essential in enabling me to achieve some of the objectives I had set at the start of my practicum. I was able to put my theoretical understanding of various concepts into practice, hence better understanding. I was also able to attend to many patients and therefore gained immense experience in the field. The practicum ensured better interest in children’s and adolescent comfort, a goal I had set for myself at the start of the experience. I had also set a goal to interact with at least five different cultures and ensure comprehension of their views towards healthcare. I have been able to interact with more cultures than I anticipated, and better understood that there is a need to ensure better education of the public on pediatric healthcare. The prevailing beliefs and laxity towards seeking scientific-based healthcare are responsible for the complications witnessed later in life due to late diagnosis.
Refining of Goals and Objectives
The practicum experience has enabled me to realize that I can set more ambitious objectives in my career to ensure satisfaction. I realized that I need to develop better communication skills with children to ensure they are jovial when in my care. This will ensure happiness and openness when explaining their needs as they will view me as a friend. I intend to attend newborn care sessions as much as possible in the foreseeable future to ensure I better learn how to meet their healthcare needs. I have realized the importance of Roy’s adaptation model in the PNP practice and intend to read more about it. This model views people as an adaptable system that advances behavioral modifications in reaction to environmental influences (Saini, 2017). In practice, the emphasis is on enhancing healthcare outcomes for patients to ensure recovery and comfort in the process.
References
Alenezi, A., Pandaan, R. P. M., Almazan, J. U., Pandaan, I. N., Casison, F. S., & Cruz, J. P. (2019). Clinical practitioners’ perception of the dimensions of patient safety culture in a government hospital: A one‐sample correlational survey.Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(23-24), 4496–4503.
Charlton, B. M., Gordon, A. R., Reisner, S. L., Sarda, V., Samnaliev, M., & Austin, S. B. (2018). Sexual orientation-related disparities in employment, health insurance, healthcare access and health-related quality of life: a cohort study of US male and female adolescents and young adults. BMJ Open, 8(6), e020418.
Lin, C., Siao, S., Tung, H., Chung, K., & Shun, S. (2021). The gaps of healthcare service quality in nurse practitioner practice and its associated factors from the patients’ perspective.Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 53(3), 378–386.
Manzer, D., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Doucet, S. (2018). Myths, misunderstandings, and missing information: Experiences of nurse practitioners providing primary care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients.The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 27(2), 157–170.
Saini, N. (2017). Roy’s Adaptation Model: Effect of care on pediatric patients.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of NURSING & MIDWIFERY RESEARCH, 4(1), 52–60.