PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Troy Schmidt

PATIENT CARE
• Personal strengths – timely, honest, compassionate
• Opportunities for improvement – cultural competency, communication
• Short term goals – ask each patient about personal preferences, make myself more
available to the patient/family
• Long term goals – stay up to date on best practices after formal education ends,
take on the responsibility of serving patients as a NP
• Integrative modality for patient care – working from least invasive to more invasive,
advocating for patient comfort and safety
Kreitzer, M. J. (2015). Integrative nursing: Application of principles across clinical
settings. Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, 6(2). doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10200
UNIT LEADERSHIP
• Personal strengths – lead by example, look for ways to help others feel
welcome on the unit
• Opportunities for improvement – be more direct with expectations, take on
the responsibilities of others
• Short term goals – lead an interprofessional care team, help patients and
families navigate their hospital stay
• Long term goals – charge nurse role, serve on committees that guide hospital
policy
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Short term goals – earn CCRN certification, subscribe to the American Journal
of Critical Care
• Long term goals – continue formal education by returning to school for
graduate degree, become an AACN member

American Journal of Critical Care. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://aacnjournals.org/ajcconline
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.aacn.org/
MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP
BOOK
• Identification of strengths/areas for
improvement – recognizing that
people are not born leaders,
leadership skills are acquired by
those who wish to lead
• Professional growth – leaders make
mistakes, do not expect perfection,
allow time for growth
McCullough, D. (2005). 1776. New
York, NY: Simon & Schuster
LEADERSHIP SHADOWING
• SWAT nurse
• Understanding of how to use SWAT and rapid response teams
• SWAT nurses are an excellent resource for decompressing the ED
• Know when and when not to call a SWAT nurse
• Manage SAFE alerts at Banner
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
• Volunteering in SILC lab in August and for Family Weekend
• Value of inspiring those who follow you
• Joy of educating prospective students and families
• Knowing a topic well enough to teach it as a measure of competence
CONTINUING EDUCATION
• Personal aspirations – earn a DNP to become a NP, continue education as an
RN
• Potential opportunities – return to UA to complete graduate degree, stroke
conference, trauma conference
• Short term goals – attend annual conferences for CEUs and personal curiosity,
study and test for ACRN certification, utilize journals
• Long term goals – obtain advanced degree, keep up with current research
that pertains to my specialty
TIMELINE OF GOALS

• Serve on
Year 1-4 • Complete
committee • Charge nurse graduate
• ACRN • Move to day degree
certification shift • NP

Year 0-1 Year 5-10

REFERENCES
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.aacn.org/
American Journal of Critical Care. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://aacnjournals.org/ajcconline
Kreitzer, M. J. (2015). Integrative nursing: Application of principles across clinical
settings. Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, 6(2). doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10200
McCullough, D. (2005). 1776. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster