Personal Goals
Houa Chang
HCS/301
June 17, 2013
Dale Mueller

Goals, as we define them, are to have a set outcome. We invent them out of fantasy of how we

want our lives to be, we cannot predict our future, so setting goals helps guide us. When we

set goals it does not end when we achieve that goal. We accomplish the goal, we

immediately look to the next goal, therefore I have set out my professional short and long -term

goals. Some of them include professional, personal, and when I plan on completing these

goals. I have also taken into consideration barriers that I may come across throughout my

journey.

Personal Goals

Setting goals helps us to determine where we vision ourselves in the future. It encourages us to strive for better opportunities that allow for individual growth. My idea of nursing is to be a patient advocate and use effective communication. Ethnicity, religion, and an individual’s background plays an important role but that is why nursing is so diverse and special. It allows each of us to set out short and long- term goals to improve ourselves. As stated by Cynthia O’Neal, (November 2004). Journal of Nursing Education, 43 (11), 524. “In today’s health care environment, baccalaureate nurses must be prepared to use essential leadership skills to manage and coordinate teams of care.”
Professional Short -Term Goal My personal short-term goal is to obtain a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing. I want to grow in my career as a nurse therefore I know I have to be motivated. In doing so I found that surrounding myself with others who share similar goals has kept me focused. I have asked other more experienced nurses to act as my mentors. These people can offer guidance in what I can expect. They can also provide me with support during difficult times, as the ability to manage stress is essential for someone working in my field. I have also invested in my education to further my career by attending continuing education classes, which give me an opportunity to refresh my skills and learn new ones. Attending classes and educational seminars also offers the opportunity to engage with and learn from other professionals. Another priority in achieving my short-term goals is adequate funds for school. I have used loans and attempted to meet federal eligibility requirements and maintained satisfactory academic progress to maintain financial stability while in school. I have also written down this short-term goal in a journal to help me stay on task. There are many duties I perform as a Float Nurse working the night shift. I have to prioritize, according to the severity of my patients. I also have to remain flexible and willing to float from Telemetry to Medical Surgical. Telemetry units are very busy and have a high turn around. I may start the night with a full patient load and finish up with a completely new set by morning. Some of my day-to-day job duties include maintaining accurate, detailed charting, monitoring cardiac patients, modifying patient treatment plans as indicated, and updating care plans as needed to correlate with his or her care. I also teach my patients on health maintenance and disease prevention. I have a tremendous level of responsibility in my field. My attitude and performance at work may safe a life. I thrive to treat my patients with the same type of care and respect as if they were my own family, after all they are the reason I have a job. I promote a healthy lifestyle and interpret information to my patients. Every patient requires emotional support, thus focusing on helping him or her. I encourage him or her to look at alternative behaviors and choices and develop a sense of control. At the same time I ensure I, am protecting my patients rights and advocating for them.
Professional Long -Term Goal My long- term professional goal is to obtain a master’s in science nursing degree. Upon achieving this goal, I plan on teaching the Nursing program at my local university. Some of my strategies to reach my destination are to continue with my schooling. Before becoming a nurse I have thought about pursuing teaching. I think I would enjoy teaching and mentoring students onto their pathway to becoming nurses. Teaching lecture sounds intimidating, at the same time could be challenging. I am not sure if teaching will be an easier job versus working on the floor at the hospital but I know I will be staying late grading papers. Sometimes teachers are blamed for poor test scores, therefore teaching brings on different responsibilities and stress level. In the journal, Nurse Educator (November/December 1997-volume 22-issue 6-pp 25-29) states, “ Nurse educators face many challenges in the current healthcare environment. Educational methods, philosophies, and the content of curricula need to be reexamined to meet the needs of professional nurses who will practice in the next millennium.” Another long- term goal would be to Management of Outpatient services. Instead of teaching students I would be teaching out patients with continuum of care, which would be equally as rewarding.
Short -Term Personal Goal One short- term personal goal I have set is to learn how to manage stress and set time out. Challenges can lead to non-stop stress, which can lead to health problems. A person may have a physical illness, whereas the other person’s illness is caused by stress. I sometimes I am I under too much stress when I have an upset stomach, feeling fatigue or have headaches. I get impatient with my family and felt my mind is racing. I also tend to forget or constantly worry about things when I am overwhelmed by stress. My appetite decreases and I have trouble sleeping when I cannot get things done. Identifying the daily events that bother me helps me to focus on what is positive. By doing this, I plan to start a diary for two weeks writing down my response to each stressful event that occurs. Managing and coping with stress in the past I have realized that walking, bike riding, listening to quiet music or getting a massage has helped me with stress. These are positive activities I aim for in reducing stress in my everyday life.

Communication Team -work and effective communication between my family, peers, and mentors will help me achieve my educational, personal, and career goals. I find that to have good communication skills I have to be an effective listener too. Skills I can remind myself are, to make eye contact, not to have a conversation when one person is standing, and the other sitting. Using body language to acknowledge the person I am speaking to by leaning slightly forward and avoid crossing my arms. Suspending judgment and collaborating with people daily creates for a healthier atmosphere, thus promoting teamwork among my coworkers and family.
Barriers
Barriers may occur when working toward goals, and there are also barriers to communication. Barriers to communication can be developing strong emotions toward one’s opinions or developing low self-esteem. At work, language, and cultural differences can hinder communication. Using English as a primary language at work enables others to understand what they are saying at all times. This will eliminate my coworkers to negatively misunderstand what the conversation is about.
Milestones
I plan on achieving my professional goal in one and a half years and my long- term goal in four years. In doing so I know I, would have to stay focused and set these time frames. Setting milestones help me know when I need to adjust my personal and work schedule. If I achieve a goal early, it may be possible to reset my time frame for other goals.
Management of Time Reevaluating how I manage my time will help map and prioritize what needs to be done first. There are limited hours of the day, there are many duties I carry as a student, mother, wife, and nurse, therefore the way I manage my time needs to be realistic to these daily demands to be worthwhile. The things I like to do and the things I have to do require breaking bad habits, such as procrastination and having a positive attitude on a routine basis. Listing a “To Do” list has helped me organize my day and keep me on track.
Conclusion and Recommendations By setting short and long- term goals, setting milestones for accomplishing it and learning how to manage our time will help us achieve goals in life. Excellent teamwork is the result of effective communication. Recognizing and understanding what barriers hold us back will teach us ways to overcome it.

References
Forsyth, P. (2007). Successful Time Management (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page.
Kupperschmidt, B., Kientz, E., Ward, J., & Reinholz, B. (2010,January 31). A Healthy Work Environment: It Begins With You. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 15(1). Retrieved from http://
O'Neill, B., & Brennan, P. Q. (Summer 1997). Financial planning education throughout the life cycle. Family and Consumer Sciences, 89(2), 32-36.