Your Guide to Setting Smart Goals for Nurses
Your Guide to Setting Smart Goals for Nurses
Aspen Care would like to reflect on what a tremendous year we've had. COVID-19 has been a challenge for many companies over the last few years. Don't get us wrong, the Coronavirus is not disappearing on us anytime soon - but we are learning to cope and manage better daily. Luckily, we see positive changes and the light at the end of the tunnel.
With the holidays around the corner, it is a great time to reflect on our accomplishments, wins, praises, and feats this year. We have a lot to be grateful for!
This article looks at 2022 in review, breaks down SMART goals, nursing SMART goals, what our company's SMART goals are for next year, provides examples of SMART goals for nurses, and guides you on how to set SMART nursing goals.
Aspen Care's 2022 In Review
Wow, what a year it's been! 2022 is nearing completion, and we're so excited to see what 2023 has in store! Here are a few things we're proud of this year:
Completed the design of My Health Journals edition 2
Partnered with a distributor for My Health Journals
Sold out and donated the remainder of My Health Journal, edition 1
Reopened Aspen Care home care services since the beginning of COVID-19.
What Are SMART Goals?
The term "SMART goals" is an acronym that stands for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
The goal setting uses the "SMART" method to ensure these parameters are set and the objectives are attainable within a specific time frame.
An example of a SMART goal is this: I would like to accomplish [quantifiable objective] by this time [timeframe or deadline]. I [or key participants] will achieve this goal by doing [list steps needed to reach the goal]; attaining this goal will [write outcome or benefit].
Specific:
For the goal to be practical, you must be specific when describing your objective.
Here is an example of what not to do: "I would like to be a nurse" is a general goal. Instead, add specificity when describing your goal. For instance, "I would like to go to nursing school and work at XYZ hospital as a registered nurse by 2025" is much more specific.
A specific goal answers these questions: What needs to be accomplished? Who's responsible for it? By when and how?
Measurable:
A key to a SMART goal is to make your goal measurable. To have measurable goals, you must ensure they are quantifiable - it makes your goal easier to track and know when you've accomplished it.
For instance, "I would like to go to nursing school and work at XYZ Hospital by 2025" is very specific but needs a measurable component.
Add some quantifiable measures to know you're on the right track, e.g., "I would like to graduate from nursing school as a registered nurse by [date], (1 measure), and work at XYZ hospital as a registered nurse by 2025 (2 measure).
Attainable:
Make your goal achievable!
It's simpler said than done. To have attainable goals, one must set realistic goals that are achievable by nature. Whenever you set a SMART goal, ask yourself if you can truly accomplish the goal and if it is realistic for you. It might need some tweaking or perhaps adjusting the time frame - never the less, it is always good to check in with yourself when setting attainable SMART goals.
Relevant:
Check if you have relevant goals. Do you understand why you are setting this goal? Why, or why you are doing this, is a fundamental question to ask yourself.
Time Bound
Make your SMART goal time-bound. The last piece of your SMART goal must be time bound or deadline driven. You must set time-bound parameters or a deadline to see if you're succeeding and correctly measuring your goals.
SMART goals should always have time-related parameters built in, so you can stay on track within a designated time frame.
Once you have an idea of your SMART goals for 2023, you can then break down your SMART goals into "action steps." For instance: "I would like to go to nursing school and work as a registered nurse at XYZ Hospital by 2025" may be your SMART goal, but how do you track progress? Create actionable steps to track progress and break down your goal setting.
E.g., "I would like to go to nursing school and work as a registered nurse at XYZ Hospital by 2025."
Action Steps:
Graduate as a registered nurse by April 2025
Apply to at least ten various registered nurse positions at XYZ Hospital by August 2025
If you like goal setting, visit our Health Journal website to grab your Journal and set SMART goals and action steps in the "Health and Wellness Goal" section.
Aspen Care's 2023 SMART goals
The New Year is approaching and we want to set some SMART goals for our company and team here at Aspen Care.
Frequently, corporations keep SMART goals as an internal measure for success. At Aspen Care, we are open about our accomplishments and want to share our SMART goals with our readers and clients so that you know what we're up to, what are hopes and dreams are for the near future, and what we plan to do going forward.
Launch My Health Journals edition 2 by Spring 2023 and sell the Journals at various retailers across Canada.
Continue to grow our home care practice by hiring more staff and gaining more clients. We will grow by 20% and take all of the clients off the waitlist by Summer 2023.
Aspen Care will continue to provide excellent patient care by ensuring they are comfortable, safe, and supported throughout all times of the day in our care.
3 Examples of SMART Nursing Goals
In nursing, goal setting is vital in building detailed care plans, tailoring your care to each patient, and setting objectives for yourself as you grow in your nursing career.
Setting SMART goals for nurses is beneficial for building your nursing career, nursing students, and working nurse practitioners.
We've listed 3 SMART goals examples or SMART nursing goals you can use in 2023!
1) Patient Care
A typical SMART goal for many nurses is to deliver top-notch patient care. Goals associated with patient care have a lot to do with safety, service delivery, communication, and excellent patient support. You can create a care plan (treatment plan) or break down your SMART goals, including those factors, so you can be excited to deliver excellent care in 2023.
I will provide first-class, compassionate care to all of my clients by making specific care plans that incorporate patient details and ensure they feel safe and comfortable at all times while in my care.
2) Community Outreach and Education
As a nurse, you are caring, compassionate, and love working with people. These skills are transferable to the greater community. Many nurses have SMART goals involving community outreach and furthering their education or general nursing education in some capacity. An example of community outreach SMART goal:
I will include stress management topics in my social media to help my clients, followers, and future clients, manage their anxiety and mental health weekly.
3) Professional Development
Nurses must update and refresh their skills and training, even if they've been in the nursing profession for many years. Professional development is key to a long and healthy nursing career, from updating your CPR license to practicing communication skills.
Aspen Care loves to hire nurses excited about learning and continuing to grow in their nursing careers. We encourage our employees to train, refresh their nursing skills, and dedicate themselves to lifelong learning. A great SMART goal example could be:
This month, I will set aside 20 minutes daily to read and learn the latest evidence-based practices that have proven successful for wound care interventions.
New Years Resolutions for Nurses
We hope this article helped you build your own smart goals. Now is a great time to ask yourself critical questions, develop your SMART goals and create realistic resolutions for the new year.
May 2023 bring you outstanding accomplishments with nursing goals, career goals, health goals, and more!
