Learning one’s strengths and weaknesses, and understanding goals are essential in meeting the demands of graduate school. Goal Setting It was a daunting task for me to arrive in my decision to pursue advance-nursing education beyond my busy career and family life. After careful analysis and consultations, I realized that the advantages I would get from completing Family Nurse Practitioner Program outweighed its disadvantages. I utilized Specific, Measurable, Action related, Realistic and Time based (S.M.A.R.T.) Objectives in setting my goals to ensure my success in my chosen “battle” (Pugsley, 2009).
It provides me opportunities to mix professional practice with teaching and research. I anticipate that this will be a challenging journey, but my perseverance, determination and self-motivation will serve me well along the way. As will my ability to communicate with others, apply the knowledge I will gain, and learn from those around me. I will be challenged to improve my writing skills, but rather than seeing this as a weakness, I see it as a challenge. As a doctoral student, the key ingredients to success in the program will be to effectively manage time and maintaining a highly motivated disposition.
Another reason I am pursuing my graduate studies is in hopes of obtaining a fulfilling position in criminal justice that will also help me meet my financial and family obligations. Enrolling is my prime opportunity to explore, find new passions and even new interests. I realize school is a great big time commitment. The first challenge I face is balancing school and family life responsibilities. Time must be set aside to prepare for class, type essays, and complete homework assignments.
Dedication, discipline, and adopting a goal driven mind set are also other vital elements of personal responsibility one would need to employ in order to achieve success. A dedicated attitude to achieving academic success involves devoting time and commitment to doing what it takes to be successful. This could mean balancing time between work, school and family. The student would have to discuss, with his or her family, the changes which are going to come about and listen to their opinions about those changes. A good example of this is I decided to go back to school to complete my degree.
I also feel that there is not only medical help that patients ask for from nurses but attention, care and sympathy which I feel that I could distribute. I also have a genuine concern for the sick and the wounded. Taken together, these several factors clenched my decision to pursue nursing. I have chosen to pursue baccalaureate preparation in nursing for one it is a stepping stone to receiving a master’s degree in nursing which I am very interested in obtaining. Also having the baccalaureate degree in nursing gives me more opportunities in the competitive career world.
Through the formulation of three goals, I looked forward to achieve the desired competencies, among the several: “ Define professional and essential responsibilities of the charge nurse to ensure prompt, safe and effective care of the surgical patient in a open-heart surgery setting”. Several variables were to be considered due to the nature of the operating room, such as cancelled cases, add-on cases, emergencies, and crisis situations. Time was the main issue. It was a perpetual dilemma in conflict with the planned organizational and technical aspects of the mentorship session. My mentor and I had to employ several times, the alternative options with appropriate solutions in order to accomplish the desired tasks.This experience, as a whole, has not only enriched my skills as perioperative nurse and deepen the perception of discipline and organizational management, but it has also made me more self-empowered and confident to provide safe, quality nursing care while engage in leadership duties.
I look forward to the countless opportunities to become intellectually engaged in an attempt to understand and solve complex problems as they relate to leadership and K-12 education. Drawing from the doctoral dispositions (Grand Canyon University, 2011b), I am here to reflective on my practice by asking questions of myself and others. I will learn to self-reflect and continuously search for new meaning, new truth, or new knowledge in order to grow and develop as a practitioner-scholar. Doctoral Motives of Study Leonard, Becker and Coate (2005) maintained the most powerful reason for individuals to obtain a doctorate degree as personal ambition. Findings identified personal ambition as a more powerful force than both career advancement and personal growth combined (Leonard et al., 2005).
Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success HCS 504 September Monday 12, 2011 Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success The challenges adults face when deciding to return to school begins with the decision to pursue graduate studies. This decision should not be taken lightly, but only after serious consideration of personal and professional goals. Evaluating the variety of programs, whether traditional classroom versus online classroom, availability of financial aid, employment while in school, time needed to complete assignments are examples of decisions one needs to make before dramatically changing your life (Weston Kramer, 2007). Once the decision was made to return to school, I had to examine my rationale for returning to school. My personal goal of obtaining an advanced degree before retirement age spurred me to start this process.
“The choices you make now, the people you surround yourself with, they all have the potential to affect your life, even who you are, forever” (Xplore). A best effort does give people the knowledge and experience to have more success. These are some key points on how opportunity is achieved. Secondly, when you become successful in school and step out in the real world, academic performance will help you get a job that you deserve. Academic performance is the best indicator of potential for success in life, because people who are educated and have a degree are the most likely to obtain employment.
* Am I in charge of my life and my studies - or am I just hoping it all will work out somehow? It has been recognised that students need structured opportunities to think about, and plan towards, their future. The exact content really depends on you. 1. A process of personal development Development planning can be a very personal process - or it can be a process required by your employer or tutor.