1- GUIDELINES FOR WRITING CORRECT NURSING OBJECTIVES
writing nursing objectives! Nursing objectives are essential for guiding patient care and ensuring
clear communication among healthcare providers. Here are some guidelines to follow:
1. Be specific: Clearly state what you want to achieve in measurable terms. For example, instead of
saying "improve patient outcomes," specify the outcome you want to achieve, such as "increase
patient satisfaction scores by 20%."
2. Use action verbs: Start your objectives with action verbs that describe what the nurse will do.
Examples include "assess," "administer," "educate," "monitor," or "evaluate."
3. Be realistic: Set objectives that are attainable within the given resources and time frame. Avoid
setting unrealistic goals that may lead to frustration or disappointment.
4. Make it relevant: Ensure that your objectives align with the patient's needs, the healthcare
facility's goals, and the nursing standards of practice. This helps maintain focus and relevance in
patient care.
5. Include a time frame: Specify a time frame for achieving the objective. This helps create a sense of
urgency and accountability. For example, "Within two weeks, the nurse will complete a
comprehensive pain assessment for all assigned patients."
6. Collaborate and communicate: Involve other healthcare team members in the objective-setting
process to ensure a holistic approach to patient care. Share the objectives with the entire team to
promote collaboration and effective communication.
Remember, nursing objectives serve as a roadmap for providing quality care and achieving positive
patient outcomes. By following these guidelines, you can create clear, measurable, and attainable
objectives that support excellent nursing practice.
2- PURPOSE OF WRITING OBJECTIVES
The purpose of writing nursing objectives is to have clear goals for nurses to follow when taking care
of patients. These objectives help nurses know what they need to do and how to do it. They also help
nurses communicate with other healthcare professionals and measure how well they are doing.
Writing nursing objectives is important because it helps nurses provide safe and high-quality care to
patients and allows them to grow and improve in their profession.
key points about the purpose of writing nursing objectives:
- Clear goals for nurses to follow in patient care
- Helps nurses prioritize and organize their actions
- Facilitates communication and collaboration with the healthcare team
- Provides a measurable framework for evaluating progress and outcomes
- Ensures safe and high-quality care for patients
- Promotes accountability and professional growth for nurses
3- DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN GOALS & OBJECTIVES:
In easy words, objectives and goals are similar but have a slight difference:
Objectives:
- Objectives are specific and measurable actions or steps that need to be taken to achieve a goal.
- They are more detailed and provide a clear direction on what needs to be done.
- Objectives are often time-bound and have a deadline for completion.
- They are more focused on the process or actions needed to reach the desired outcome.
Goals:
- Goals are broader and more general statements of what you want to achieve.
- They are the overall aims or targets that you set for yourself.
- Goals are usually long-term and may not have a specific deadline.
- They are more focused on the desired outcome or result.
In simple terms, objectives are like the smaller steps or tasks you need to complete to reach your
goal. Goals are the bigger picture or the ultimate achievement you want to accomplish.
4- APPROPRIATE & MEASURABLE ACTION VERBS:
When writing objectives, it's important to use action verbs that are both appropriate and
measurable. Here are some examples:
- Assess: Evaluate or examine a patient's condition or situation.
- Administer: Give or provide medication, treatment, or care.
- Educate: Teach or provide information to patients or their families.
- Monitor: Keep a close watch on a patient's progress or vital signs.
- Collaborate: Work together with other healthcare professionals to provide care.
- Document: Record or write down important information about a patient's condition.
- Implement: Put into action a specific plan or intervention.
- Advocate: Speak up for a patient's rights or needs.
- Evaluate: Assess or measure the effectiveness of a treatment or intervention.
Using these action verbs helps make objectives more specific and measurable, allowing for clear
evaluation and progress tracking.
5- EVALUATE OBJECTIVES AGAINST THE SMART CRITERION:
let's evaluate objectives against the SMART criterion. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Here's how we can assess objectives using these criteria:
Specific: Are the objectives clear and well-defined? Do they focus on a specific action or outcome?
Measurable: Can the objectives be quantified or measured in some way? Are there clear criteria for
determining if the objective has been achieved?
Achievable: Are the objectives realistic and attainable? Can they be accomplished given the available
resources and constraints?
Relevant: Are the objectives relevant to the overall goal or purpose? Do they align with the needs
and priorities of the situation or context?
Time-bound: Are there specific deadlines or timeframes associated with the objectives? Is there a
clear timeline for completion?
By evaluating objectives against these criteria, we can ensure that they are well-defined, measurable,
attainable, relevant, and time-bound, which increases the likelihood of successful outcomes.
