Goal 1
I'll practice my clinical presentation abilities by giving my preceptor four patient cases per week. I hope to have improved my presentation abilities by the end of this clinical experience, as indicated by my preceptor giving me fewer corrections.
1. Specific: Become more skilled at presenting patient cases to my supervisor.
2. Measurable: I intend to present at least four cases each week.
…Cont’d
3. Attainable: This goal achievable through becoming more involved in every-day patient care from admission to discharge.
4. Realistic: Honing my clinical presentation skills will enable me to communicate with other staff members effectively.
5. Time-bound: By the end of the clinical experience.
Goal 2
By the end of the first month of my clinical experience, I will be able to determine the proper diagnoses and treatment plans for my patients with little oversight from my preceptor.
1. Specific: I want to improve my patient-management competencies.
2. Measurable: I intend to make accurate diagnoses and management plans every week.
…Cont’d
3. Attainable: This goal is achievable through constantly engaging with patients who come to the facility which will expose me to a wide range of psychiatric conditions.
4. Realistic: I can achieve this goal through reviewing diagnostic criteria and management protocols for specific psychiatric conditions.
5. Time-bound: By the end of the first month.
Goal 3
I will improve my critical thinking skills during this clinical experience by using weekly case studies to practice applying critical thinking skills in different scenarios. By the end of this clinical practicum, I should be able to apply my critical thinking skills in real-life clinical scenarios.
1. Specific: I intend to improve my critical thinking skills.
2. Measurable: Use case studies every week that simulate clinical scenarios requiring the application of critical thinking skills.
…Cont’d
3. Attainable: This goal is achievable through setting aside time to review clinical situations that require one to utilize their critical thinking skill when managing psychiatric patients.
4. Realistic: Improving my critical thinking skills is a crucial facet of being a well-rounded mental health professional.
5. Time-bound: By the end of this clinical practicum.
Goal 4
Weekly, I'll steadily increase the number of patients I see. I hope to be able to manage a heavy patient load on my own by the end of the clinical rotation with little help from my preceptor.
1. Specific: Become better at handling increased clinical workload.
2. Measurable: Increase the number of patients I am tasked with looking after by taking on a new patient ever week.
…Cont’d
3. Attainable: I will voluntarily increase my patient workload at my clinical site ever week.
4. Realistic: Increasing my patient load by one patient every week is sustainable in the long-run and is unlikely to make me experience burnout (Pérez-Francisco et al., 2020).
5. Time-bound: By the end of the clinical experience.
Goal 5
I will improve my time management skills by setting reminders on my smartphone to notify me of any upcoming due dates for projects and assignments. By the end of the first six weeks I should be submitting all my projects and assignments on time.
1. Specific: To become a better time manager.
2. Measurable: By tracking the projects and assignments that I complete on time.
…Cont’d
3. Attainable: Setting constant reminders will help me keep track of pending assignments and projects.
4. Realistic: Keeping track of my professional and academic obligations will enable me to manage my time better to accomplish them on time.
5. Time-bound: The first six weeks of this clinical experience.
References
Ayano, G., Demelash, S., Haile, K., Tulu, M., Assefa, D., Tesfaye, A., … & Tsegay, L. (2021). Misdiagnosis, detection
rate, and associated factors of severe psychiatric disorders in specialized psychiatry centers in Ethiopia. Annals of general
psychiatry, 20(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-021-00333-7
Chichirez, C. M., & Purcărea, V. L. (2018). Interpersonal communication in healthcare. Journal of medicine and
life, 11(2), 119. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6101690/
Pérez-Francisco, D. H., Duarte-Clíments, G., del Rosario-Melián, J. M., Gómez-Salgado, J., Romero-Martín, M., &
Sánchez-Gómez, M. B. (2020). Influence of workload on primary care nurses’ health and burnout, patients’ safety, and
quality of care: Integrative review. In Healthcare (Vol. 8, No. 1, p. 12). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fhealthcare8010012
