What nursing has taught me in goalsetting..
Nursing nursing nursing. Oh nursing nursing.. Nursing has taught me a lot not only about my future profession ofcourse, but also about life. How hand washing is important in staying healthy, how sex is a physiologic need, how babies are made and probably more. 
But the most important thing that it has taught me is Goal Setting. A nurse needs to set goals for every patient. This goal will be the basis of client care or the Nursing Care Plan. There are five characteristics of a goal. The goal should be SMART .
Specific. First of all, a goal should be specific. The goal should be pondered upon and revised until you get the most defined and specific picture of the goal. In nursing, this is important since the patient may have alot of complaints or problems, but setting the goal specifically will make caring and planning much easier. So is in real life, making a specific goal will also mean easier and more effective plans.
Measurable.The goal should be measurable. It should be indicated in specific numbers. This will allow the intervention plan to be more specific too. An example would be, “Gaining alot of money in a short span of time” and “gaining $500 in one week”. The second one is more effective, because knowing how long and how much your goal is will make it easier for you to act on the goal and will give you a sense of accomplishment when you do hit the goal. Alot of money is too vague, alot would mean different things to different people at different times.
Attainable.The goal should be attainable. Limits are important. Everyone should set limits. Do not force yourself on a goal which clearly can’t be reached.Goals that are easily attainable will give you a better sense of accomplishment when you achieve that goal. More attained goals means better self esteem and morale.
Realistic. The goal should be realistic. If you believe that you will only be able to achieve a lower goal as opposed to a very hard to reach but rewarding goal, then go for what you feel is more realistic. Aiming for impossible goals will only make you work hard for nothing and will only put you down in disappointments.
Time bounded . Any Goal should be time bounded. This is to prevent you from going astray, lose sight of the goal and work on another goal when one goal that was started is not yet done. Specify the amount of time you will be working on a goal and work on that goal only.
That’s about it. Remember to keep it SMART. Any goal that is SMART can be achieved so as long as there is focus. That is one thing I am working on myself though. ^_^ kudos!
December 6th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
wow!! ikaw na dyud!