Examples of Nursing Goals that can Separate You from the Crowd
A career in nursing is as much a calling as it is a career. People who go into nursing tend to have a deep care for other people as well as a desire to help minimize suffering in the world. They also have a strong interest in helping expedite the healing process, sometimes in new and innovative ways. It is a commendable choice to go into the nursing field.
Among the other more practical requirements of study for this field is the need for a defined set of nursing goals. Nursing goals help set the course for a nursing career and help keep you on track with the type of nurse you would like to be. Nursing goals are generally put forth in three categories, emphasizing the short term, long term and also on a more personal level.
Short Term Nursing Goals
Short term nursing goals generally deal with practical matters of study and getting one’s career off the ground. Passing exams, landing an internship or position in one’s field of choice, and generally getting your nursing career on track and headed in the right direction all fall into the category of short term nursing goals. Short term nursing goals can also include educational milestones and receiving letters of recommendation that will open doors and get your career on track and off on the right foot.
Long Term Nursing Goals
With longer term goals, you’re invited to look down the road and decide where you’ll want to be in five years, ten years, and beyond. Some long term nursing goals could include attending specific types of seminars, joining the American Nurses Association or other professional organizations, and lobbying or becoming an advocate for specific causes within the nursing field. Other long term goals could include advanced degrees and working your way up to other desired positions in your field.
Long term nursing goals provide the framework for the unfolding of a nursing career, including promotions, desired accolades, accomplishments and association memberships. You can also set your sights on the type of work you would like to be doing for the majority of your career, even if more schooling and experience is required. Setting such goals greatly increases the likelihood of reaching them, and a five and ten year plan are a powerful way to set your course for success and fulfillment as a nurse.
Personal Nursing Goals
On a personal level, nursing goals tend to be less about specifics and more about intentions for your work and life as a whole. Personal goals for a nurse include the type of nurse you want to be, how you aim to treat your patients and how you might contribute to the field. Personal goals can help your work and home life to be more integrated and harmonious. Through your personal goals, you can strive to leave your mark on the nursing field through your own personal beliefs and style of care.
Personal nursing goals are as diverse and unique as each nurse is as a person, and this is your chance to put forward your style, beliefs, and inner connection to people and the nursing field. Personal goals should come from the heart and allow a nurse to feel genuinely connected to their work and their clients in a way that goes beyond just specific skill sets or memberships in professional organizations.
Nursing Goals that can set you Apart
While each nurse will set goals that are specific to their chosen career and help their career arc to manifest, there are ways to set goals that can truly help you stand out from the crowd. While a number of nursing goals tend to be the same or similar among most nurses, it is in the areas of long term and especially personal goals that you can truly set yourself apart.
The key to successful goals setting is to make sure all of your goals come from a genuine and heartfelt place. Don’t choose goals just from a desire to please others or impress someone. Ultimately, it’s your career and your life, make the most of it. If you follow your heart, the rest is likely to just fall into place.
