3. SMART Goals
SMART goals is an acronym which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. The purpose of SMART goals is to include all these criteria in order to help focus one’s efforts and increase their chances of achieving their goals.
S – I want to be able to put on my personal protective equipment securely at all times without worrying about any sort of transmission from patient to patient occurring from me.
M – This will be measured by monitoring how consistently I follow the correct steps when putting on and taking off my PPE, ensuring that I take no shortcuts or make any mistakes. Success will be demonstrated when I am able to successfully complete each step of putting on my PPE with feedback from my instructor and maintaining a personal checklist until it becomes second nature.
A – This is an attainable goal because during my training sessions I will have guidance from my clinical instructors and during my clinical placement I will have to regularly practice putting on PPE which will help me gain more experience.
R – This goal is highly relevant to my future career as a nurse as proper PPE use is critical in stopping the spread of infections, protecting both myself and my patients. As a person who recently went through the pandemic, I have seen first hand how important PPE can actually be and mastering this skill is essential to providing safe and effective care.
T – I plan to achieve this goal by the midterm of my clinical placement, ensuring I can confidently apply this skill in any situation for the remainder of the semester and beyond.
S – I want to be able to take vital signs of patients confidently without worrying about recording incorrect results.
M – I will be able to measure this by observing how many times I have to redo a patient’s vitals. I will know I have reached this goal when I am able to get the vitals during my first try, which will be reached through practice.
A – This goal is attainable because I will have access to dedicated training and guidance from experienced mentors while on my clinical placement. I will use these resources to ensure I learn this critical skill perfectly.
R – Being able to take accurate vital signs is directly relevant to my role as a current nursing student and future nurse as it is a critical skill that ensures patient safety and effective care.
T – I am aiming to achieve this goal by the end of the clinical placement next term, this gives me ample time to perfect my skills and gives me a mental deadline to ensure I have the skill completely down. I am confident that I will be able to make this goal in time.