Get notified when new graduate content drops.
Goal setting is a key activity within the planning phase of the CPD cycle. It flows directly from the self-reflection you undertake to identify learning needs, assess practice gaps, and consider your current or future context of practice.
As covered in our article, planning your CPD is essential because it results in positive learning outcomes and evidence-based improvements to practice.
Once you’ve reflected on your knowledge, skill, confidence or practice gaps, the next step is to clearly identify relevant and meaningful learning goals that will guide your development across the CPD year.
Many nurses and midwives find goal setting challenging. However, tools, including Ausmed’s CPD Portfolio tools, can assist you in this phase.
Using these tools, learners can write their learning goals and outline how they plan to address their identified learning goals with different action strategies.
Below are some tips on articulating clear, meaningful, and achievable learning goals that will drive your CPD activities to be as effective and meaningful as possible.
By setting well-defined goals, you can enhance your professional growth, increase your confidence, and provide better patient care.
Learners should be able to reach their goals. The possibility or probability of success will increase motivation and positivity, encouraging the learner to go the extra mile to achieve their goal.
Too ambitious goals can often work against the learner, reducing your confidence.
Avoid subjective goals that are vague, potentially opinion-based or not clear enough. For example: 'My main goal for the year is to be a better nurse.'
Objective goals are based on facts, specific, clear, and far more likely to be measurable (see Tip 3 below). An objective approach to learning goals will help you identify and embrace strengths and areas for improvement.
This will enable you to track and understand your progress and competence. Setting measurable goals is particularly important if the learning undertaken is long-term. This will allow you to maintain focus and ensure they stay on track.
When setting goals, establish how often you will review your progress. To facilitate this, set action items that relate to the goals and review them upon completion of the action items.
Learning goals should not be static. They should dynamically shift, adjust, and evolve as you develop your skills and professional practice. For example, if your job role or the skills required to complete a specific role change, your learning goals should be updated to reflect this. If needed, goals can also be added or removed.
According to Guidelines on CPD, the learning that healthcare professionals complete must be relevant to their Context of Practice. Goals should reflect this.
Managers, mentors and peers are invaluable sources of knowledge, motivation, inspiration and guidance.
Use all available resources to identify your goals and develop action plans to achieve them.
Identifying learning goals is a great opportunity to set a path for growth within your role and workplace. Honesty is key to ensuring that CPD and learning contribute to this.
However, it is also important that the workplace culture encourages learners to feel comfortable admitting their shortcomings and weaknesses.
Where do you lack confidence? While you may be considered competent in a task, are you confident you could always complete it to the standard required? Asking these tough questions is essential so you can carefully consider and plan what areas matter most to your professional practice, and thus, you need to focus on CPD.
Set at least one goal that stretches you. Whether it's exploring a new clinical area, building leadership skills, or tackling a topic you've avoided. This is your time, professional practice and the small steps you can take to build momentum in your career.
Goal setting is an important activity within the planning phase of the CPD cycle. By reflecting on your learning needs, understanding the reasons behind them, and planning your activities accordingly, you can create a roadmap for your professional development.
With clear goals, you can ensure that your learning in each CPD activity and year is purposeful and effective.
Start planning your CPD using Ausmed’s free CPD App. Write, track, and reflect on your learning goals, all in one place, or select relevant goals from our Learning Goal Library.
Log in or sign up now to get started.
Ausmed Education is a Trusted Information Partner of Healthdirect Australia. Verify here.