The job of a nurse practitioner (NP) involves a variety of skills based on which one can identify professional goals. The basic requirement for NPs is that they should be able to provide different health services to their patients (Buppert, 2018). NPs are expected to perform a physical and psychosocial assessment of their clients. Also, they should be skilled in urgent and critical care delivery, as well as in promoting the aging population’s health (American Association of Nurse Practitioners [AANP], n.d.).
Also, AANP (n.d.) gives priority to the role of NPs in rural health development. The core competencies of NPs include analyzing data, integrating knowledge, and promoting new practice approaches based on research and practice. Employing the best evidence to enhance the quality of services and care is another important competency (Thomas et al., 2012). Apart from that, NPs need to serve as advocates for their patients by suggesting and promoting positive changes to law regulations (Reinisch, 2014). Based on the mentioned aspects of NPs’ professional preparation and practice, one should set SMART goals and come up with the plan of achieving them to become a successful NP.
Short-Term Goals
Based on the mentioned requirements and expectations of NPs, I have identified the following short-term goals:
- to receive high-quality education which will allow me to become a knowledgeable and skilled professional;
- to improve my knowledge of working with the aging population;
- to enhance the experience of working in rural health settings.
Each of these objectives is related to my professional career development since their attainment will promote my development as a high-skilled healthcare worker. The strategic plan for achieving short-term goals is the following:
- to enrich my research skills and learn how to be able to disseminate evidence (Thomas et al., 2012);
- to constantly engage in analyzing clinical guidelines and investigate the unknown issues;
- to improve my practical skills by reviewing patients’ cases and carefully examining them;
- to increase the amount of practice in rural settings.
Long-Term Goals
The long-term objectives are associated with innovation in practice and serving as an advocate for my patients. The following three goals have been identified for the 3-5-year period:
- to participate in the development and analysis of new health technologies;
- to promote patients’ rights to health care through removing barriers in state laws (Reinisch, 2014);
- to become a successful leader in healthcare settings.
The mentioned goals are linked to my professional career development since they will enable me to cooperate successfully in different environments and at various levels. The strategic plan of reaching my long-term goals includes the following aspects:
- performing an overview of innovations in health care and participating in some of the research projects;
- increasing my knowledge of leadership styles and learning to interact with people from different teams (interprofessional collaboration);
- learning health care initiatives of the state and identifying what aspects of legal regulations might be improved to reach benefits for patients.
Conclusion
To become a successful professional in health care, one needs to set professional goals and continuously work on achieving them. It is crucial to bear in mind that the sphere of health care is constantly developing, setting new requirements for individuals working in it. The short- and long-term SMART goals that I have identified will help me to enhance my professional qualities and create a positive change for my clients.
References
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (n.d.). Nurse practitioners in primary care. Web.
Buppert, C. (2018). Nurse practitioner’s business practice and legal guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Reinisch, C. E. (2014). Loretta Ford: Envisioning the future. Clinical Scholars Review, 7(1), 82-84.
Thomas, A. C., Crabtree, M. K., Delaney, K. R., Dumas, M. A., Kleinpell, R., Logsdon, M. C., … Nativio, D. G. (2012). Nurse practitioner core competencies. Web.