SMARTDevelopingLearning Goals
College of Nurses of Ontario Developing SMART Learning Goals 2IntroductionThis guide will help you develop SMART learning goals. A learning goal clearly describes what you want to learn or achieve. A SMART learning goal is: SpecificMeasurableAttainableRelevantTime-limitedDeveloping a SMART learning goal makes sure that your goal is focused and provides a clear idea of what you want to learn. A SMART goal makes it easier to plan relevant learning activities, measure your progress toward achieving the goal and know when you have met your goal. This graphic shows you how developing SMART learning goals is part of a continual process, which includes reflecting on your practice and developing a Learning Plan with goals and activities. How do I start?You start by reflecting on your practice, and discovering what your strengths and learning needs are. You can also get feedback from colleagues, which will help you identify strengths and learning needs that you missed or didn’t think about, adding depth to your own reflection. This reflection helps you to continually improve your competence as a nurse. There are suggestions to help guide your reflection in the Practice Reflection worksheet at www.cno.org/qa-resources.You will use the learning needs you identified in your reflection to develop learning goals and your Learning Plan.Reflect on your practice and get feedback from colleaguesIdentify and complete your learning activitiesEvaluate changes to your practiceIdentify your learning needsDevelop SMART goals