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Walden University

School of Nursing Practicum Manual

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nurse Practitioner Specializations:  Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse

Practitioner  Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse

Practitioner  Family Nurse Practitioner  Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (November 2017) Page ii

Walden University 100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 900

Minneapolis, MN 55401 1-800-925-3368

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org..

Walden University practices a policy of nondiscrimination in admission to, access to, and employment in its programs and activities. Walden does not discriminate on the basis of race,

color, sex, age, religion or creed, marital status, disability, national or ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or other legally protected status.

Walden is committed to providing barrier-free access to its educational services and makes appropriate and reasonable accommodations when necessary. Students requesting

accommodations per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must contact the Office of Disability Services at disability@mail.waldenu.edu.

This publication represents current curricula, educational plans, offerings, requirements, tuition, and fees. These may be modified or discontinued from time to time in the university’s sole

discretion to carry out the university’s purposes and objectives. Neither the provisions of this document nor the acceptance of students through registration and enrollment in the university

constitutes a contract or an offer of a contract. Find information on costs, occupation types, completion rates, and median loan debt for this

program at http://programdata.laureate.net/walden/master-of-science-in-nursing.html.

Walden University is a registered trademark of Walden University, LLC.

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MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (November 2017) Page iii

Contents Section 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1

Purpose of This Manual............................................................................................................... 1 Walden University ....................................................................................................................... 1

Vision....................................................................................................................................... 1 Mission .................................................................................................................................... 1 Social Change .......................................................................................................................... 1

School of Nursing ........................................................................................................................ 2 Vision....................................................................................................................................... 2

Mission .................................................................................................................................... 2 Goals ........................................................................................................................................ 2

MSN Program Outcomes ............................................................................................................ 2

Nurse Practitioner Licensure ....................................................................................................... 3 Note on Certification ............................................................................................................... 3

Note on Licensure, Authorization, Endorsement, or Other State Credentials Necessary to Practice as a Nurse Practitioner ............................................................................................... 3

Field Experience Terms............................................................................................................... 4

Practicum ................................................................................................................................. 4 Practicum Site .......................................................................................................................... 4

Primary Care ............................................................................................................................ 5 Acute Care ............................................................................................................................... 5 Supervision .............................................................................................................................. 5

Field Experience Roles ................................................................................................................ 6 Preceptors ................................................................................................................................ 6

Students.................................................................................................................................... 6 Practicum Course Faculty Members........................................................................................ 7 Clinical Instructors................................................................................................................... 7

Specialization Coordinators ..................................................................................................... 8 Program Director ..................................................................................................................... 8

Field Education Coordinators .................................................................................................. 8 Working Together.................................................................................................................... 9

Field Experience Regulatory Requirements .............................................................................. 10

State Requirements ................................................................................................................ 10 State Board Requirements ..................................................................................................... 10

Non-U.S.-Based Student Requirements ................................................................................ 10 Licensure Review .................................................................................................................. 10

Section 2. NP Practicum Program ................................................................................................ 12

Specializations Overview .......................................................................................................... 12 Required Activities .................................................................................................................... 12

Individualized Learning Objectives....................................................................................... 16 Conference Call ..................................................................................................................... 16 Journal and Time Log ............................................................................................................ 17

Performance Evaluation......................................................................................................... 18 Formal Preceptor and Student Feedback ............................................................................... 19

MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (November 2017) Page iv

Course-Specific Guidance ......................................................................................................... 19

Section 3. Getting Started ............................................................................................................. 25

Finding Practicum Sites and Preceptors .................................................................................... 25 Tips for Practicum Site and Preceptor Search ....................................................................... 25

Choosing a Site ...................................................................................................................... 26 Choosing a Preceptor ............................................................................................................. 26 Change of Preceptor .............................................................................................................. 28

Affiliation Agreements With Practicum Sites ....................................................................... 28 Field Site Onboarding Requirements ........................................................................................ 29

Completing and Submitting the Practicum Application............................................................ 31 Policy on Electronic Signatures ............................................................................................. 31 Verification Documents ......................................................................................................... 31

Obtaining the Required Information...................................................................................... 33 Application Deadlines ........................................................................................................... 35

Practicum Approval and Start ................................................................................................... 36 Application Approval ............................................................................................................ 36 Practicum Course Registration .............................................................................................. 36

Application Steps ................................................................................................................... 37

Section 4. Practicum Policies........................................................................................................ 39

Student Conduct and Responsibilities ....................................................................................... 39 Academic Standing.................................................................................................................... 39 Student Professional Competence Policy .................................................................................. 39

Problem Behaviors................................................................................................................. 40 Inappropriate and/or Unprofessional Conduct....................................................................... 40

Critical Behaviors .................................................................................................................. 41 Nondiscrimination and Sexual Harassment Policies ................................................................. 41

Nondiscrimination ................................................................................................................. 41

Sexual Harassment................................................................................................................. 41 Problem Resolution and Process ............................................................................................... 42

Section 5. Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................................................ 45

Section 6. Contact Information ..................................................................................................... 48

School of Nursing ...................................................................................................................... 48

Other Important Resources ........................................................................................................ 49 Field Education Resource Links ............................................................................................ 49

Academic Advising Team ..................................................................................................... 49 Office of Disability Services ................................................................................................. 49

Section 7. Programs of Study........................................................................................................ 50

MSN Core Courses .................................................................................................................... 50 MSN NP Specialty Track Courses ............................................................................................ 50

MSN NP Specialty Track Courses ............................................................................................ 51 Course Descriptions................................................................................................................... 54 Course Descriptions................................................................................................................... 57

Section 1. Introduction

Purpose of This Manual

Welcome to the field experience component of Walden University’s Master of Science in

Nursing (MSN) program. This manual describes the structure and timing of the classroom-based and on-site practicum experiences and the policies students must follow to be successful in the nurse practitioner (NP) specialties. For more information about the nursing programs, students

should refer to the School of Nursing Handbook.

This manual is intended to provide MSN-NP students with information they need related to practicum policies and procedures as well as to serve as a reference for practicum preceptors and other practicum personnel.

This manual refers to the Walden University Catalog and the Walden University Student

Handbook for specific information on university policies and courses. These resources can be accessed at catalog.WaldenU.edu.

Note: Walden University reserves the right to make program changes as needed to help ensure the highest quality program.

Walden University

The MSN program at Walden University is designed to promote Walden University’s vision,

mission, and ongoing commitment to social change. These guiding principles serve as a framework for the program curriculum and outcomes and are included here as a reference.

Vision

Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st-century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree that it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate

solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good.

Mission

Walden University provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to

transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.

Social Change

Walden University defines positive social change as a deliberate process of creating and

applying ideas, strategies, and actions to promote the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, and societies. Positive social change results in the improvement of human and social conditions.

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School of Nursing

Vision

The School of Nursing envisions recognition as a preeminent 21st-century school of nursing in which the contributions of nursing, health, and related sciences will transform the provision of

nursing services along the continuum of care and across the human lifespan to meet the needs of individuals and local and global communities.

Mission

The School of Nursing provides academically rigorous and culturally and contextually relevant educational programs, based on the scholar-practitioner model, for a diverse array of nursing

professionals seeking enhancement of critical-thinking skills, abilities to select and implement evidence-based practices, and core and specialty nursing knowledge in order to transform society.

Goals

The goals of the School of Nursing at Walden are to:

1. Empower nursing professionals through academic advancement that enhances personal

growth, professional development, and academic achievement.

2. Create an educational environment where learners are able to build on their existing

transformational and professional nursing knowledge, skills, and integrative abilities.

3. Educate nursing professionals with consideration for the complex needs of the diverse learner while upholding professional nursing standards.

4. Encourage learners to integrate biopsychosocial, nursing and health theories, research, and evidence-based practice that exemplify professional nursing standards.

5. Prepare professional nursing leaders who are empowered to promote social change for individuals, groups, and organizations locally, nationally, and globally.

MSN Program Outcomes

At the end of the MSN program, students will be able to:

1. Synthesize organizational/systems leadership for cost-effective specialist nursing practice that contributes to high-quality healthcare delivery, advancement of the nursing profession, and social change.

2. Critique evidence-based literature drawing from diverse theoretical perspectives and pertinent research to guide decision making that demonstrates best practices for specialist

nursing practice in a global society.

3. Integratively assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate cost-effective healthcare strategies that reduce health disparities by patient/population advocacy for access to

specialist nursing care.

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4. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate using audience-specific oral, written, and information technology for professional delivery of specialist nursing care.

5. Evaluate health needs of diverse populations for necessary teaching/coaching functio ns based on specialist nursing knowledge to restore/promote health and prevent illness/injury.

6. Exhibit ongoing commitment to professional development and value of nursing theories/ethical principles (altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, social justice) in accordance with ethically responsible, legally accountable, specialist nursing practice.

7. Implement specialist nursing roles to promote quality improvement of patient-centered care in accordance with professional practice standards that transform health outcomes for diverse

populations.

Nurse Practitioner Licensure

Note on Certification

The MSN-NP specializations are designed to prepare graduates to qualify to sit for national NP

certification exams, which are required for practice as an NP in most states. Because no university program can guarantee that graduates will be permitted to practice as an NP upon graduation,

Walden encourages students to consult with the appropriate Board of Nursing or state agency to

determine specific certification exam requirements. Walden enrollment advisors can provide information relating to national certification exams; however, it remains the individual’s

responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to national certification exams for the state in which he or she intends to practice as requirements vary widely.

Walden makes no representations or guarantee that completion of Walden coursework or programs

will permit an individual to obtain national certification. For more information about NP certification exams, students should visit the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners at

www.aanpcertification.org, the American Nurses Credentialing Center at

www.nursecredentialing.org, and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses at www.aacn.org.

Note on Licensure, Authorization, Endorsement, or Other State

Credentials Necessary to Practice as a Nurse Practitioner

The MSN-NP specializations are designed to prepare graduates with an active registered nurse (RN) license to practice as NPs. However, each state Board of Nursing has its own academic and

certification requirements and issues its own credential for an RN to be permitted to practice as a NP

in that state. Because no university program can guarantee that graduates will be permitted to practice as NPs upon graduation, Walden encourages students to consult with the appropriate Board

of Nursing or state agency to determine specific requirements in the state in which they wish to

practice. Walden enrollment advisors can provide guidance relating to the state-by-state requirements for practice as a NP; however, it remains the individual’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and

comply with all requirements relating to the practice as a NP in the state in which he or she intends to practice as requirements vary widely. Walden makes no representations or guarantee that completion

of Walden coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure, authorization,

endorsement, or other state credential. For more information about the requirements to practice as a NP, students should contact the appropriate Board of Nursing or state agency. After graduation, all

file:///C:/Users/spotler/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/ZK3VPQH1/www.aanpcertification.org

file:///C:/Users/spotler/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/ZK3VPQH1/www.nursecredentialing.org

file:///C:/Users/spotler/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/ZK3VPQH1/www.aacn.org

MSN Practicum Manual: Nurse Practitioner Specializations (November 2017) Page 4

certification, credentialing, and licensure forms and requests must be sent to Nursing Licensure at

nurslicensure@mail.waldenu.edu.

Field Experience Terms

For the purposes of this manual, the following terms are defined in this way:

Practicum

A practicum is a distinctly defined supervised on-site experience in which students develop applied skills and integrate professional knowledge in the provision of advanced practice nursing care. All NP students with catalog years before Spring, 2018 must complete four practicum

courses, with a minimum of 576 hours of supervised clinical experience (144 hours in each course). Students with catalog years after Spring, 2018 must complete four practicum courses,

with a minimum of 640 hours of supervised clinical experience (160 hours in each course). The didactic (classroom) and clinical components of the courses are integrated. The courses vary by specialization:

 Students in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) specialization

must complete NURS or NUNP 6531, 6540, 6550, and 6560.

 Students in the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) specialization must complete NURS or NUNP 6531, 6540, 6551, and 6565.

 Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialization must complete NURS or

NUNP 6531, 6541, 6551, and 6565.

 Students in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specialization must

complete NURS or NUNP 6640, 6650, 6660, and 6670.

Practicum Site

A practicum site is a health agency or other appropriate setting at which students have

supervised, applied practice experiences that are consistent with their education and training. Officials at practicum sites enter into an affiliation agreement with Walden, stating they will provide appropriate support and supervision for students during the practicum experience.

Virtual sites are not allowed for practicum courses.

In general, students must spend the majority of their clinical experience time in general primary care settings seeing a good overall mix of age groups over the lifespan (FNP) or with adolescents and adults (AGACNP, AGPCNP) with a broad range of health promotion, disease prevention,

and acute and chronic health problem assessment and management needs. Appropriate practicum sites for the AGPCNP/FNP specializations can include physician’s offices (family practice,

pediatric practice, women’s health, or internal medicine); clinics that provide primary care, such as health departments; and hospital-based primary care clinics. AGACNP students may use some of these sites in NURS or NUNP 6531 and 6540 and acute care facilities for NURS or NUNP

6550 and 6560.

Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners will have practicum experiences in a wide range of setting with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. NURS or NUNP 6640 and NURS or

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NUNP 6650 focus on psychotherapy practice where NURS or NUNP 6660 and NURS or NUNP 6670 are integrative experiences (psychopharmacology coupled with psychotherapy).

Primary Care

A primary care practice serves as the patient's first point of entry into the healthcare system and as the continuing focal point for all needed healthcare services. Primary care practices provide

patients with ready access to their own healthcare providers. These practices provide health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, diagnosis, and

treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in a variety of healthcare settings. These practices are organized to meet the needs of patients with undifferentiated problems, with the vast majority of patient concerns and needs being cared for in the primary care practice itself. Primary care

practices are generally located in the community of the patients, thereby facilitating access to healthcare while maintaining a wide variety of specialty and institutional consultative and

referral relationships for specific care needs. The structure of the primary care practice may include a team of physicians and non-physician health professionals. Appropriate settings for primary care should be in outpatient primary care settings.

All students in NP specializations require primary care experiences. FNP students must complete

all clinical hours in primary care settings, AGPCNP students may complete clinical hours both in primary care and specialty care settings, and AGACNP and PMHNP students may complete clinical hours in primary care, specialty care, and acute care settings.