Revise your study plan, summarizing your current strengths and opportunities for improvement. Enhanced Study Plan and SMART Goals for Continued Growth Enhanced Study Plan and SMART Goals for Continued Growth Develop 3–4 new SMART goals for this quarter and the tasks you need to complete to accomplish each goal. Include a timetable for accomplishing them and a description of how you will measure your progress. Describe resources you would use to accomplish your goals and tasks, such as ways to participate in a study group or review course, mnemonics and other mental strategies, and print or online resources you could use to study.
Enhanced Study Plan and SMART Goals for Continued Growth
Academic processes seek to impart a specified set of knowledge and skills to the learners. Central to these processes are classroom and extra-classroom activities that address learners’ weaknesses to improve their skill set and knowledge in various learning areas (Tuononen & Parpala, 2021). Reflecting on my academic journey, I am more confident in various medication concepts. My efforts in revising these areas are finally bearing fruits, as I can now articulate my thoughts around these concepts and even discuss them with my peers. While many improvements are evident in my mastery of pediatric diagnoses, I still feel that I should put in more effort to attain excellence on the topic. Pediatric diagnoses are integral to psychiatric nursing. Accurate diagnoses of pediatric illnesses provide a better guarantee of health as they ensure that the child’s mental development is optimal (Liang et al., 2019). As an aspiring nurse, maintaining competency in this area is key.
In my pursuit of nursing academic excellence, I intend to focus more on my weaknesses while also touching on my strengths. Using a working study plan as a guide, I will distribute these areas evenly to maximize my efficiency when revising the study areas in question. As Yusuff (2018) reports, a working study plan provides a pathway toward academic excellence by improving time management and increasing productivity. I have developed three SMART goals for the quarter that will help me accomplish my overall goal of excellence. This is in line with Brazeau (2022), who states that the key to academic success is setting achievable short-term goals that contribute to overall excellence. The first goal is to be able to list common medications utilized in managing mental health disorders after six reading sessions. This goal seeks to expand my knowledge of psychiatric medications. It can be accomplished by 16 hours of textbook reading. The progress towards attaining this feat can be evaluated through self-administered quizzes.
The second goal is to verbalize common mental health disorders among pediatrics within the first month of study. This can be attained by textbook readings, case studies, and by reviewing online resources such as YouTube videos. A total of 32 hours is required for a full understanding of these disorders. Progress towards accomplishing this goal can be evaluated through self-administered tests, confidence during group discussions, and a comprehensive self-assessment based on pediatric mental health illnesses.
The third goal is to list common screening and diagnostic tools for at least three mental health illnesses within the first month of the study. This can be accomplished through textbook reading, group discussions, and watching videos on common diagnostic equipment for mental health disorders. A total of 32 hours is required to fully attain this feat. The progress towards accomplishing this goal will be evaluated by scores from self-administered tests and quizzes.
Table 1
| Day | 0600-0700 | 0700-0900 | Break | 0930-1130 |
| 1 | Medications | Assessment tools | Assessment tools | |
| 2 | Medications | Pediatric diagnoses | Assessment tools | |
| 3 | Medications | Assessment tools | Pediatric Diagnoses | |
| 4 | Medications | Pediatric Diagnoses | Pediatric Diagnoses | |
| 5 | Self Evaluation | Self Evaluation | Rest |
Resources
Diverse learning resources will be used to enhance understanding of the concepts. As Corsino & Fuller (2021) report, diversification of learning resources enables a better understanding of learned concepts by addressing different learning styles and learners’ abilities. Group discussion, test book readings, case study reviews, and watching videos are some of the resources that I will utilize to further this course. These resources are available in the library and on the Internet.
References
Brazeau, G. A. (2022). Pursuing excellence in your academic journey. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 86(6), 9029. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe9029
Corsino, L., & Fuller, A. T. (2021). Educating for diversity, equity, and inclusion: A review of commonly used educational approaches.