Assignment 1

Developing professional goals is critical to guiding your career and transitioning to become a practicing NP. The goals that you develop should be SMART. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-specific (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Human Resources, n.d.). Keeping your goals SMART will increase your chances of meeting or exceeding your professional career goals.

For this Assignment, you will identify three short-term and three long-term goals. You also will explain how each goal relates to your professional career development and how you might achieve each of these goals.

For this Assignment, write a paper that is no more than 2 pages long that addresses the following:

• Identify at least three short-term goals (1-2 years)
• Identify at least three long-term goals (3-5 years)
• Explain why you selected each goal and how they relate to your professional career development
• Create a strategic plan that explains how you might achieve each of these goals

Assignment 2

A self-assessment is an opportunity for you to review what you have learned in the program, evaluate your clinical skills, and develop goals before exiting the NP program. For this assignment, you will complete the Risk Control Self-Assessment Checklist for Nurse Practitioners and identify your areas of strength and weakness. You also will explain how you plan to improve on these weaknesses, as well as how you plan to master clinical skills you have not obtained prior to exiting NP program.

To prepare:

• Complete the Risk Control Self-Assessment Checklist for Nurse Practitioners
• Review preceptor and faculty evaluations in Meditrek for all completed clinical courses
• Consider your strengths and weaknesses
• Review types of patients treated and clinical procedures performed

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

• Identify at least three strengths
• Explain why you consider these strengths and what you can do to maintain them in your practice
• Identify at least three weaknesses
• Explain how you plan to address each weakness
• Examine at least three clinical skills you need to obtain prior to exiting the program
• Explain how you plan to master the clinical skills before exiting NP program
• Analyze the history of advanced practice nurses and the emerging role of your specialty area, and discuss what contributions you plan to make to advance the nursing profession.