Format for Journal
Dates Worked:
Shift:
Student’s Name:
Journal Entry
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
(Circle one)
For
each course objective, answer all of the questions related to the
objective. Journal entries must address all course objectives.
Course
Objective 1: Demonstrate competence
in psychomotor skills.
- What psychomotor (technical)
skills did you perform during the last 24 hours of work.
(After the first journal entry, include only new skills performed.)
- Identify the skills in which
you improved your technical competence.
How do you know you improved your technical competency?
Give objective data.
C.
What references (sources) did you use to ensure that you were performing
your psychomotor (technical) skills competently?
Include texts and the agency’s policy manual. (After the first journal entry, include references for new
skills only.)
Course
Objective 2: Using the nursing
process, manage care for a group of
patients.
- How many patients did you
care for each time you worked during the last 24 hours worked?
Describe their level of care.
- What did you do to ensure
that you provided excellent patient care?
How do you know you provided excellent nursing care?
Give objective data.
- Describe what you did during
the last 24 hours to improve your organizational skills.
- What changes will you make in
your organization to achieve increased efficiency in your work while
maintaining excellence in patient care.
Course
Objective 3: Establish caring communications and relationships (relationship centered
skills) with patients (individuals),
families, significant support
person(s) and other health care workers.
- Describe a caring moment that
you created for a patient, family member, significant support person or
other health care worker during the last 24 hours worked.
Throughout your Journal, be sure to focus on each of these
relationships at least one (1) time. Be
creative. Go the second mile.
B.
Describe the feelings your experienced as you were creating this caring
moment. How did you experience and
perceive the feelings of the individual receiving the caring moment?
C.
How have you changed as a result of this caring moment?
Course
Objective 4: Practice within the ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks of nursing standards and
nursing practice.
- Choose one situation that
you experienced during the last 24 hours of work and explain how your values
and beliefs influenced your actions. In
what way was the ANA Code of Ethics helpful to you?
- Describe one situation with
legal implications that you experienced during the last 24 hours of work.
Include specific references to the Nurse
Practice Act.
Course Objective 5: Use critical
thinking skills to conceptualize and apply information in the clinical
setting.
- In what way
did the theories you learned in psychology, anatomy and physiology and
English composition influence the nursing care you provided during the last
24 hours you worked?
- How
did your knowledge about a patient’s pathophysiology, medications and
treatment of a medical condition influence your decisions about nursing care
during the last 24 hours of work?
Course Objective 6:
Experience current nursing practice on a clinical unit in an acute care
setting.
- Choose an
experience that you had during the last 24 hours of work.
Given a similar situation in the future, what would you do
differently? Why?
- Describe an
observation of teamwork during the last 24 hours of work on the nursing unit
where you are assigned. What
worked well? What worked
poorly? What would you have
changed to improve the teamwork?
Course Objective 7:
Participate in activities that promote lifelong
learning.
- Which of your
personal objectives did you meet during the last 24 hours of work?
Explain how you accomplished these objectives.
B. Describe
an event that occurred during your last 24 hours of work that raised a question,
posed a problem and/or caused you to think about it after it occurred.
What was it about the event that made it stand out in your mind?
What was your resolution?