A Smart Goal On Mentoring For Nurses Research Paper

A SMART goal Mentoring for Nurses

Introduction
The SMART goal: I will improve my knowledge skills in initiating a mentorship program to promote self-direction, enhance communication, and increase my leadership knowledge within the workplace, by coordinating and working with manager, educator, and colleagues to develop a mentorship program in 6 months.
As a matter of fact, most new nurses find it so hard to adapt to the new job requirements in nursing practice. They end up performing very poorly and fail to meet their job expectations. Such poor performances are believed to have been contributed by several reasons (Chin, 2008). For instance, enormous volumes of job and tight schedules make most of these nurses perform poorly. Additionally, lack of opportunities for career and education progression frustrates most of them thus affecting their overall performances. Such developments make most of them feel insecure and unappreciated in their line of duties thus affecting their motivation, which results in a destitute performance. When any employee performs poorly, it is normal for them to be demoted, fired, or underpaid. Based on this fact, I have chosen this goal in order to improve my knowledge in nursing and increase my leadership knowledge, promote self-direction, and enhance communication. Such effort will ensure high performance and health interaction with the rest of stakeholders.

IOM core healthcare competency: Working in interdisciplinary and inter-professional teams

Most researchers are encouraging health practitioners to concentrate on developing teamwork and ensure interdisciplinary collaboration (McCALLIN & Bamford, 2007). As a matter of fact, moving towards the development of a collaborative partnership helps health workers raise their performance, especially in assuring quality delivery and efficient time management (McCALLIN & Bamford, 2007). Based on this fact, nurses and other health workers are encouraged to work in teams rather than individually. They are expected to move towards an interdisciplinary working approach that realizes and values the perspectives and expertise of a number of health care providers thus ensuring a high-quality performance. Interdisciplinary care enables partnership between the clients and team of health care providers in a collaborative, participatory, and coordinated approach. (McCALLIN & Bamford, 2007).
An interdisciplinary teamwork approach requires a fundamental shift in attitudes of the practicing Nurses and other health practitioners towards healthy patients' interactions. Such approach requires changes and alterations in values, socialization patterns, and organization's structure within the workplace in order to achieve a healthy interaction and client's satisfaction (McCALLIN & Bamford, 2007). These changes are only produced when a working culture support patients' involvement in a decision making process and a healthy inclusion of the patients and their family members in an open discussion on issues associated with the patients' health conditions.
A number of researchers have concentrated their efforts on studying the teamwork, partnership roles, and operations, but little has been achieved in determining the processes teams must follow to ensure a collaborative nursing practice approach. Based on this fact, it is arguable that one of the most critical steps in this process is an establishment of a working culture that supports collaborative teamwork within the workforce.
According to AMSN (2014), Collaborative teamwork and interdisciplinary skills are highly required in nursing practice, especially in an emergency sector, where I work. Based on the fact that my goal is focused on developing communication, self-direction and increase leadership knowledge, and this approach will facilitate its achievement (McCALLIN & Bamford, 2007). In this case, the interdisciplinary team aimed to attain my goals will involve professional educators, nurses, doctors and other health practitioners who have different but specific skills. All these practitioners are believed to have a common goal or purpose, which is to improve knowledge in leadership, communication and enhance self-direction within a team.

Goal 1: Leadership Development

My goal states: I will improve my knowledge skills in initiating a mentorship program to promote self-direction, enhance communication, and increase my leadership knowledge within the workplace, by coordinating and working with manager, educator, and colleagues to develop a mentorship program in 6 months.

This goal seems to be in line with the SMART goal format:

Specific:
WHO- the goal is specifically referring to I. So, it is explicitly describing who will improve the knowledge skills, which is I.

WHAT- improve my knowledge skills in initiating a mentorship program to promote self-direction, enhance communication, and increase my leadership knowledge

WHERE- workplace
M-measurable
HOW- by initiating a mentorship program, which will involve direct consultations with educators, managers and colleagues on various issues related to my mentorship program

A-attainable

Resources: by coordinating and working with managers, educators, and colleagues.
R-realistic:
Obtainable: develop mentorship program and access knowledge from educators, managers and experienced colleagues at work.
T-time bound
Specific period: by six months
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Article 1: Nurturing Nurses: Growing nurses need care and feeding, too. How one mentorship program is getting results by Bonnie Ho
This article reviews how most professional nurses experience hardships while at work. According to the author, new nurses, usually, get mistreated by coworkers instead of getting the necessary support they require (Ho, 2006). Coping with the new working environments and tight schedule in various health practices, frequently, become a major problem for most of these new nurses (Ho, 2006). The article indicates some of the severe frustrations most nurses encounter at their first days at work, especially, when they get less or no support from their superiors and experienced coworkers. These frustrations, according to the author, result to some psychological and emotional conditions, which in return affects the overall performance and productivity of an individual nurse (Ho, 2006).
According to this article, mentorship programs are highly required to help new and inexperienced nurses deal with these frustrations (Ho, 2006). Mentorship, in this case, assists nurses to develop efficient and reliable knowledge in various fields within their areas of operation so that they can be able to deal with regular challenges within their profession. The article has indicated that the number of new nurses leaving the occupation after their first 18 months has been increasing in several as a result of lack of proper support (Ho, 2006). Based on this fact, the article has reviewed the importance of initiating mentorship programs in order to help new and existing nurses on the best approaches, which ensure high performance and productivity within the occupation.
My goal relates to the explanations in this article. I am looking forward to developing a mentorship program, which involve knowledge and skill development on leadership, communication and enhance self-direction. As per the author's argument, some problems encountered by new nurses are due to lack of proper skills and experience on time management, workforce interactions and in a development of self-confidence (Ho, 2006). In this case, as the article has indicated, through the implementation of this goal, I will be able to create a health communication tactics.
Article 2: Making a fresh start: Coaching or mentoring as early performance management strategies can turn challenging situations into opportunities for change.
This article reviews some of the common misconducts of professional nurses at workplace and how mentorship and coaching programs may be applied to deal with such problems (Chin, 2008). As per this article, such poor behaviors, which result in poor performances, are believed to be caused by several factors. First, some nurses are, usually, overwhelmed by the massive volumes of job and strict expectations from their superiors (Chin, 2008). Secondly, according to the article, other nurses misbehave due to lack of opportunities to progress with their education and career development. Such negative feeling affects their motivation and morale towards their jobs thus lowering their performance and productivity (Chin, 2008). Such misunderstanding extends to the top management, whereby, the decisions concerning nursing practices seem to be ineffective and results in reduced workforce performance (Chin, 2008).
The article has indicated that in order to identify such problems and execute an early rectification process, pre-active interventions, such as coaching and mentoring (Chin, 2008). The article indicates that when such interventions occur soon enough, the problems that seem to affect communication between managers and practicing nurses are prevented and solved before causing any damages in the overall performances. In this case, I believe that by creating this mentorship program, I will be able to address behavioral problems, which affects work capabilities of individual nurses (Chin, 2008). As indicated in the article mentoring program might not be in a position to solve all the problems associated with nursing. However, they should be incorporated into nursing management programs in order to enlighten managers and supervisors on how to develop practical skills in health interaction and efficient communication.

Credible Websites

The Academic of Medical-Surgical Nursing (AMSN. ORG) (https://www.amsn.org/professional-development/mentoring)
AMSN has been offering tools for designing successful mentoring programs to mentors, mentees or coordinators of the mentoring programs at hospitals and other health care centers (AMSN, 2014). These programs are aimed to foster mentoring to graduate nurses, helping them with various challenges, like the ones identified in the section above (AMSN, 2014). The program also focuses on encouraging, developing and supporting relationships within a nursing profession. It provides relevant guidance to nurses and other stakeholders in their personal, professional and interpersonal growth and in communicating information concerning learning opportunities, stressors, and expectations. (AMSN, 2014). Therefore, this website provides information, which relate directly to my SMART goal, which is, entirely, based on knowledge skill development.
The Role of Nursing Leadership in Creating a Mentoring Culture in Acute Care (Environmentshttp://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/5593167)
The website evaluates the role played by nursing leadership in facilitating successful mentoring programs (Bally, 2007). It states that, leaders act as role models by setting effective visions for other team members to emulate and follow (Bally, 2007).As a matter of fact, in order to enable all staffs in nursing achieve performance goals regarding mentoring, all professional nurses should be in a position to act as role models in the effort to attain the mentorship goals and objectives (Bally, 2007). Based on this argument, my SMART of developing a mentorship program will require role models and that is why I am focusing on involving educators and managers whom the mentees will emulate and follow.

Plan of Action

In order to develop a strategy that will help me attain my SMART goal, I will focus on a number of knowledge development processes, which are as follows:
In the first one month within the mentorship program, I will approach a number of educators, managers and experienced coworkers requesting for their participation in the program. Under this step, I will make sure that all targeted managers and teachers are informed of the schedule and briefed plan to follow. Such an effort will be through open discussions and direct engagements with the parties involved.
In the remaining time, the program will involve actual mentoring process whereby in the first one month, the program will require a development of supportive and encouraging relations between the leaders and practicing nurses. This will involve direct engagement in discussions and interaction between the educators and other involved parties.

Third month will involve a provision of guidance to nurses in their professional, interpersonal, and personal growth.

Fourth month will include addressing particular needs on nurses in order to provide the required personal problems in terms of interpersonal relationships.
The fifth month will be covered by communicating information related to leading causes of stress, learning opportunities, and expectations of the career.
In the last one month, the program will involve an evaluation of knowledge gained on the respectful fields, which are leadership, inter-communications, and self-directions, through the entire program.
In order to enhance such plan and ensure the success of the whole program, I will review the AMSN mentoring program and National League for Nursing Education Programs for Nursing.

Conclusion

Based on the fact that so many new and inexperienced nurses face stiff challenges in line of duties due to lack of interpersonal and professional skills and lack of proper support from coworkers and leaders, my goal is aimed to initiate a mentoring program, which will ensure knowledge development on leadership, communication and self-direction. Working in interdisciplinary, and inter-professional teams are the core competence focused in this discussion. My SMART goal is focused ensuring on development of a collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork skills, which are likely to assist new and inexperienced nurses to deal with the harsh work environments. This paper has reviewed various articles that go hand in hand with the mentoring program I am aiming to attain. The goal follows a SMART format whereby it is specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and time bound. Based on the actions' plan developed in this paper, which defines every step involved in mentoring program, it is clear that the SMART goal will be attained within the stipulated period.

References

AMSN. (2014). Mentoring. Retrieved on 23th March 2015 from
https://www.amsn.org/professional-development/mentoring.
Bally, J. (2007). The Role of Nursing Leadership in Creating a Mentoring Culture in Acute Care
Environments. Nursing Econ, 25(3), 143-148. Retrieved on 23rd March 2015 from
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/559316_7
Chin, H. (2008). Making afresh start: Coaching or mentoring as early performance management
strategies can turn challenging situations into opportunities for change. Nursing
Management, 15(2), 18-20.
Ho, B. (2006). Nurturing Nurses: Growing nurses need care and feeding, too. How one
mentorship program is getting results. Journal of patient advocacy.
McCALLIN, A., & Bamford, A. (2007). Interdisciplinary teamwork is the influence of emotional
intelligence fully appreciated?. Journal of Nursing Management, 15(4), 386-391.