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Personal Goals

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Personal Goals
Kimberly Ryker
HCS/301 Undergraduate Nursing Studies
October 9, 2011
Hope Dunn

Personal Goals
Gustavus F. Swift once said “The secret of all great undertakings is hard work and self-reliance”. His words constantly remind me of how I want to live my life. I continually set goals and work to accomplish them. My professional short-term and long-term goals are to become Critical Care Registered Nurse credentials and Advanced Nurse Practitioner specializing in critical care, whereas my personal goals are to be physically fit and an amazing mother.
After moving to North Carolina from Washington, I knew I might not work in the same area as I did back home. While in Washington I enjoyed working as a critical care nurse on a Progressive Care unit and was studying for my PCCN credential. Upon arrival to North Carolina I found myself in an unfamiliar territory. I was in a large community but, with limited hospitals nearby, it made for a difficult time to set myself apart from applicants for the limited critical care positions available. I could demonstrate my clinical and communication skills, as well as my ability to work in a team environment, and to my surprise, obtained an ICU position. I have been working a 34-bed ICU for two years and the vast of knowledge gained has been tremendous. I believe it is time to put my knowledge to the test. I would very much like to have my CCRN credential. I have met the requirements needed to qualify for the examination, and must prepare, plan, and study for this examination (Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2007). With this credential comes some financial gain in the workplace, but the prestige and respect and self validation gained is the ultimate prize.
Ever since I attended nursing school I have dreamed of advancing my career to become a nurse practitioner. I have been a critical care nurse for six years and currently hold leadership, Charge nurse position. With that role come many responsibilities. I not only have to mentor my nurses but also ensure quality care for 34 patients. I work closely with medical doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who frequent the ICU. This experience has been very rewarding and enlightening. It has given me some insight into the future career field I wish to pursue. This experience has been valuable in helping set the path to reach my long-term goal. Currently, I am enrolled in a bachelor’s of nursing program and once I complete my bachelor’s degree I can move to the next step of working on my master’s of nursing degree. A barrier I foresee is giving up on my advanced career because of the time it would consume to complete in a classroom. With this in my mind I have done a substantial amount of research and located some hybrid colleges that would allow me to complete classroom work online and use my current residence for clinical rotations versus living in the state of the college I am attending.
Life needs balance and therefore setting personal goals are also important. My personal short-term goal is become physically fit again. In the past, I was very physically active and hiked, biked, taught kickboxing classes. In February 2011, I discovered I was pregnant. I know my fitness level has taken a backseat to the other priorities in my life. I wish to resume my active lifestyle and continue my kickboxing training. This event not only helped me stay active and fit but also provided me a release from the everyday stressors of life. To accomplish this goal will be no easy task, as I am going to be responsible for another life. I will have to put my child’s demands and needs in front of my own. But, with help of my friends and family support, I plan to make time for myself and return to the gym at least three times a week. I know I will have accomplished this goal if I can return to my pre-pregnancy clothes and weight in eight weeks.
People always say, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish it.” That is exactly what I want to do. I want to be an amazing mother, not in the eyes of others, but in the eyes of my child. I was one who never thought I was going to have children. Life experiences as well as time, has changed that. My short-term personal goal is a spring-board for my long-term personal goal, be an amazing mother. I am an older mother but I don’t want my child to suffer because of my choice. I want to be an active part of his life. Participate in his extracurricular activities and still have the time and energy to be a wife and woman. This is really an immeasurable goal. Only I can decide if I have accomplished this task, and only the future will tell. I can see many obstacles to accomplishing this task: time management and life. I am a very task and detailed-oriented person. Time management is one of my strong personality traits, I am not usually one to procrastinate, as I think this only stresses me twice as much and I am less productive (Kratz, Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2009). I am told children through a monkey wrench in plans, but I believe with some organizational and time management skills, tasks can still be accomplished. I also understand there has to be some flexibility. Not everything will work the way I have planned but as long as it works the outing or planned task was a success.
I have set challenging goals both professionally and personally and am working to accomplish these goals by taking necessary steps, achieving balance in my life, and maintaining focus on my goals. Only the future knows if I will accomplish these goals in my lifetime. Just working toward them makes me a winner.

References
Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. L. (2007). Keys to College Studying:Becoming an Active Thinker (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Kratz, J. R., Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. L. (2009). Keys to Nursing Success (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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