SMART Goals: Improving Renal Transplant Care & Communication Skills

This essay presents a set of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals designed to enhance the care of post-operative renal transplant patients during a clinical placement. The goals focus on preventing pulmonary complications through evidence-based guidelines, improving interpersonal and communication skills to bridge information gaps between patients and healthcare providers, and gaining technical expertise in pulmonary care under the supervision of registered nurses. Specific plans are outlined for achieving each goal, including monitoring drug concentrations, assessing patient understanding, learning communication techniques, and mastering technical skills such as central line placement and mechanical ventilation management. The overall aim is to improve patient outcomes and provide comprehensive care during the clinical placement.

Running head: SMART GOALS
SMART Goals
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1
SMART GOALS
Goal 1
Safely deliver post-operative care of a patient of renal transplant in order to prevent
pulmonary complications via employing evidence based guidelines and adhering to the
clinical guidelines under the active supervision of a registered nurse during my clinical
placement.
Plans to achieve goal 1
1. I will go through the clinical guidelines of treating patients with renal transplant
during the post-operative conditions
2. I will closely monitor the drug concentration especially the immunosuppressive drugs
for the early detection of the pulmonary or respiratory complications.
3. I will ensure that I have proper knowledge about the medication, its mode of
administration, mode of action and the required dose under the supervision of a
registered nurse of that post-operative ward
4. I will timely make notes of the vital parameters of the post-operative patients
including the heart rate, pulse beat, respiratory rate, blood pressure and the oxygen
saturation as this will help me to facilitate early detection of pulmonary complications
5. I will vouch for constant feedback from the clinical supervision in the domain of care
that is being procured by me to the patient
6. I will also make A to E assessment of the patients in a periodic manner in order to
detect any signs of the pulmonary complications (Airway, Breathing, Circulation,
Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) via the use of pulse oxymeter

2
SMART GOALS
Goal 2
I will increase my intra-personal and communication skills during my clinical
placement to order to prevent the gap of the information communicated between the patients
or their family of carers and thereby helping to prevent the lack of informed consent and
bridging of confidentiality
Plans to achieve goal 2
1. Assess patient/family understanding about the disease and prognosis
2. Be present and listen to patient regarding how they feel or the pain they are suffering
from and designing the care plan accordingly via discussing with them
3. Following the senior registered nurse and learning the approaches which she follows
in order to communicate the process of disease prognosis with the patient and the
family members
4. Learning based on evidence based literature support in order to increase the
communication and intra-personal skills
5. Access the understanding of the patient via asking about the goals of care along with
the research treatment options
6. Communicate honestly and thereby encouraging patients to initiate conversation and
describing typical day of treatment
7. Respect of patient’s privacy and right of decision making
8. Counselling with the patient and family members under the supervision of the
registered nurse
9. Joining special communication classes under the supervision of the registered nurses
to improve the medical vocabulary and intra-personal skills

3
SMART GOALS
Goal 3
Gaining technical expertise in pulmonary care while working under a registered nurse
during 3 weeks of clinical placement.
Plans to achieve goal 3
1. Techniques to be learnt include
 Central line placement
 Initiation, maintenance, and discontinuation of mechanical ventilation
 Initiation, maintenance, and discontinuation of noninvasive ventilation
 Management of the difficult airway
 Endotracheal intubation
 Chest tube placement and management
2. Detailed analysis of the process via working under close supervision of the registered
nurses and doctors in order to understand the exact technical principles
3. Study in detail about each and every technical process and the mechanism operating
behind it from the literately articles and books
4. Seeking professional advice from the doctors and the registered nurses in order to identify
when to apply these processes on the basis of the patients’ conditions and emergency