SMART Goal reflection

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