My Professional Goals

Clinical Practice-Related Goals:

Short-term goal (Present – 2 years): Develop an easily changeable nursing brain that will aid in

my SBAR report at the change of shift.

Long-term goal (3 – 5 years): Improve my critical thinking with high acuity patients and

anticipate their needs.

Educational Goal:

1. Earn my CCRN certification and continue my education to obtain a DNP.

Plan for Achieving these Goals:

My plan to achieve all three goals relies on the education and support I receive through

my Nurse residency program in the MSICU at Northwest Medical Center. To achieve my first

goal, I will look at the various nurse brains provided to the staff on a daily basis and ask

experienced nurses what they change on their nurse brain to better organize themselves and

know their patients more. This will aid in altering and curating my own brain sheet and

document an SBAR to deliver at change of shift. While working in the Intensive care unit, I will

be taking care of high acuity patients. To gain the most knowledge about these patients during

the first 8-12 weeks with a preceptorship I will question about various conditions and teach back

the newly learned information. This way I can ensure active learning and long-term retention.

Anticipation of needs comes with time and practice, so I will do exactly that, however, will ask

for help when needed.

 During this time of constant education on critical care patients, I will be studying and

completing coursework from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses during the first 2

years of my nursing career. Once I gain confidence in my critical skill, thinking, and anticipation

of needs, I plan to take the exam to become a CCRN. Looking at long-term goals, I hope to

shadow various DNP’s and their specialties to gain a sense of what direction to go for graduate

school, and hopefully apply and attend the DNP program at the University of Arizona in

September 2024.