Learning Plans

My Learning Needs
1. I want to gain additional knowledge about what I can do as a health care professional to
prevent substance abuse for people within the community.
2. I want to gain more experience interacting and working as a health care professional with
individuals in the pediatric age group.
Learning Goal #1: Medication practice standard
To identify causes behind substance abuse of controlled drugs and use interventions to
prevent substance abuse within my health care facility. I will do this within 3 months of
working as a Registered Practical Nurse.
Activities and Timeframes
I will review the College of Nurses of Ontarios Practice Guideline: Medication within
one week of this goal.
Using nursing journals such as Canadian Nurse, I will identify articles about substance
abuse and the use of controlled substances in a health care setting and reflect on what I
have learned from these articles. I will do this within one month of setting this goal.
If available within my community, I will attend community educational sessions about
controlled drugs and safe administration of these drugs under the controlled acts. I will do
this within two months of setting this goal.
Within 3 months, I will use the knowledge I have learned through literature and extra
education about the causes of substance abuse and intervene in situations involving
substance abuse with potential patients I will provide care for.
Learning Goal #2: Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship standard
I will learn about pediatric mental illness and easily identify methods for optimal
communication with children. I will complete this goal within 3 months working as a
Registered Practical Nurse.
Activities and Timeframes
I will review the College of Nurses of Ontarios Practice Guideline: Therapeutic NurseClient Relationship within one week of setting this goal.
As part of adhering this practice guideline, I will learn the appropriate measures to take
under the policies of my work environment involving abusive behaviour, and witnessing
abuse in the workplace. I will do this within a month of setting this goal.
Reading literature such as The Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing by Potter & Perry, I
will learn methods of communicating with children, and approaches that are useful when
conducting physical examinations on children to improve my nursing diagnoses. I will
complete this goal within a month of setting it.
I will volunteer to work in a health care environment in which general admission of
patients varies from all ages including pediatrics such as general surgery, emergency, or
in a clinic to develop more hands on skills in aiding childrens medical needs. I will do
this in three months of working at a health care facility.

How do my learning goals support my commitment to continuing competency?

Setting learning goals for myself encourages me to become a better practical nursing student
prior to my registration within the nursing field by expanding my knowledge in various clinical
settings. Creating, and successfully completing these goals also helps me understand my
strengths and weakness, therefore helping me understand areas where I can improve and reflect
on my practice.
Evaluation of changes/outcomes to my practice
Although I feel as if I have learned most of the responsibilities of a practical nurse, I still have to
learn to improve my skill in performing the various tasks I know. And in order to better my
performance in completing these tasks, I must do so by growing my knowledge, practicing these
skills hands on in labs and then performing them in clinical settings. My learning plan will help
motivate me to be a better practicing practical nursing student prior to becoming a registered
practical nurse and to look at my goals in a timely, measurable and realistic manner.