LEARNING PLAN

Learning Plan
Carrie S. Minns
Trent University

LEARNING PLAN

Name: Carrie Minns

Course Number: NURS 1020
Course Name: Clinical Practice in a Residential Setting
Area of Practice: Long Term Care

Competency Category: Knowledge Based Practice (CNO, 2014)

Goals:
1. By April 4th I will develop a thorough understanding of 3 common chronic diseases
among older adults and how Registered Nurses in Long Term Care facilities can work
with Personal Support Workers and how they can be involved in Chronic Disease
Management.
2. By April 4th, I will develop and apply 5 specific relational practice skills and use these
skills to ensure a positive and client-centered approach to care with older adults.
3. By April 4th I will ensure that I help 3 residents identify their goals while I am working
with them (for example, the goal could be engaging in a form of physical activity with
my help and guidance). I will help 3 residents achieve at least 1 of their goals by April 4th.
Activities, resources, and timeframe:
Goal #1: Competency 24- Demonstrates Knowledge of the way in which RN practice can
facilitate positive client health outcomes (CNO, 2014).
1. By February 29th, I will use Fundamentals of Nursing Fifth Edition, (Potter, & Perry,
2014) Ebersole and Hess Gerontological Nursing and Healthy Aging, (Touhy, Jett,
Boscart, McCleary) to learn symptoms, the medical terminology, and treatment methods
for Chronic Kidney Disease, Arthritis, and Dementia, specifically in older adults.
2. By March 7th, I will use the Registered Nurses Association of Ontarios (RNAO) Best
Practice Guildelines and the Canadian Nurses Associations (CNA) Chronic Disease
Prevention and Management documents to learn 1 strategy for each of the above chronic
illnesses that Registered Nurses use to manage chronic illnesses in older adults living in
Long Term Care facilities.
3. By April 4th, I will use all 3 of these strategies found in the RNAO to facilitate positive
client health outcomes. To ensure that I am using these strategies and performing them to
a quality standard I will ask my clinical instructor to evaluate my performance when I am
using these strategies and ask for feedback.
Goal # 2: Competency 29: Demonstrates knowledge of relational practice by utilizing relational
skills as the foundation for nursing practice (CNO, 2014).
1. By February 8th, I will familiarize myself with relational practice by reviewing CNAs,
CNOs, and the RNAOs definitions of relational practice as well as the NURS-1001
lecture on relational practice.

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2. By March 7th, I will read RNAOs best practice guidelines on Client-Centered Care and
Developing a Therapeutic Relationship. From these guidelines I will develop a checklist
of 5 skills I can use to develop client-centered care and therapeutic relationships.
3. By April 4th, I will have my peers or my clinical instructor check that I am using these
skills that I have outlined and give feedback to me regarding my relational practice skills.
Goal #3: Competency 37-Facilitates client engagement in identifying their health needs,
strengths, capacities and goals (CNO, 2014).
1. By February 8th, I will perform a literature review in CINAHL on how to help older
adults in Long Term Care set and achieve their own goals.
2. By March 14th, I will help 3 residents develop a list of goals they would like to achieve
and develop a plan with them to achieve these goals, ensuring their right to autonomy and
their needs.
3. By April 4th, I will complete the developed plans with the residents and evaluate whether
the goals were met and assess the residents outcomes.
Evaluation: How will I know I have achieved my goals?
Goal #1:
-I will be able to articulate confidently 3 common chronic illness and feel comfortable with
caring for older adults with these illnesses, as well as be able to answer questions they may have
about their condition.
-I will know nursing interventions and strategies to working with older adults with these chronic
conditions. I will be able to use these to facilitate positive and healthy management of these
illnesses.
-I will feel confident and informed when answering any questions residents might have about
their illness and ways to make them feel more comfortable.
Goal #2:
-I will be able to define relational practice and what it means to the different nursing
organizations and how it is relevant in the long term care setting.
-I will have developed 5 relational practice skills and be able to use them every time I am
working with residents to ensure I am using client-centered approach to care and developing
therapeutic relationships.
-The checklist I have made will be complete, ensuring I am using these skills in practice.
Goal #3:
-I will have learned and applied strategies to help residents set and achieve health related
personal goals.
-I will have helped at least 3 residents set and achieve at least 1 goal while ensuring they are the
primary part of their care plan and that I respect their autonomy and decisions.

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Competency Category: Ethical Practice (CNO, 2014)

Goals:
1. By March 28th, I will effectively and efficiently perform 3 safe non-mechanical lifts and
transfers and assist with 2 mechanical lifts and transfers.
2. To promote a safe environment for residents living with cognitive impairment, I want to
learn more about cognitive impairment in the older adult, how to safely and respectfully
care for them, and effectively apply this knowledge in the long term care facility. By
April 4th, I will be able to articulate 3 cognitive illnesses/diseases common in the older
adult as well as effectively and comfortably communicate with residents living with
cognitive impairment.
3. By April 4th, I will be able to articulate common ethical dilemmas that registered nurses
face in the long term care facility and use at minimum 2 informed decision-making
processes to solve these ethical dilemmas and take a course of action.
Activities, resources, and timeframe:
Goal #1: Competency 78- Promotes a safe environment for clients, self, health care providers
and the public that addresses the unique needs of clients within the context of care (CNO, 2014).
1. By February 22nd, I will read RNAOs Prevention of Falls and Fall Injuries in the Older
Adult best practice guideline and re-watch the Panopto videos from NURS-1020 on
performing lifts and transfers. http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/prevention-falls-and-fallinjuries-older-adult
2. By March 14th, I will perform at least 1 non-mechanical lift and 1 mechanical lift with the
assistance of my clinical instructor, peers, or a staff member and ask for their feedback on
how my lifts and transfers can be improved. I will also ask for the patients feedback in
terms of whether or not they felt comfortable and safe.
3. By March 21st, I will perform a literature review on CINAHL on performing safe,
effective, and efficient lifts and transfers in Long Term Care facilities.
4. By March 28th, I will effectively and efficiently perform 3 safe non-mechanical lifts and
transfers and assist with 2 mechanical lifts and transfers. I will ask my clinical instructor,
peers, and other staff (preferably the same people who gave me feedback earlier) to
provide me with feedback and whether or not I have improved.
Goal #2:
1. By February 22nd, I will read about 3 common cognitive illnesses/diseases in the older
adult in Potter and Perry and Touhey and be able to articulate the symptoms, causes, and
possible therapy options.
2. By February 29th, I will learn about how to effectively care for and communicate with
older adults experiencing cognitive impairment by reading RNAOs Caregiving
Strategies for Older Adults with Delirium, Dementia and Depression practice guideline. I
will also familiarize myself with RNAOs Establishing Therapeutic Relationships
practice guideline to improve my communication skills.

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3. By March 14th, I will work with at least 2 patients with cognitive impairments and have
my clinical instructor, peers, and other staff give me feedback on my communication
skills and approach to care with the residents. I will also rate my comfort level in the
encounters with these residents.
4. By April 4th, I will be able to use the knowledge I have gained throughout the winter
semester to effectively and comfortably communicate with residents living with cognitive
impairments. I will use the feedback given in March and compare this to the feedback
given to me at my final evaluation as well as rate my comfort level at this stage and
compare it to my comfort level in March. Both areas will improve.
Goal #3: Competency 85-Uses an ethical framework and evidence informed decision-making
process to address situations of ethical distress and dilemmas (CNO, 2014).
1. By February 22nd, I will conduct a literature review on CINAHL on ethical dilemmas
registered nurses face in long term care facilities as well as review ethical principles from
NURS-1001 lectures and readings from Ethics and issues in contemporary nursing,
(Burkhardt, Nathaniel, Al & Walton, 2010). I will choose 2 ethical dilemmas that could
apply to my experiences in long term care.
2. By March 7th, I will review RNAOs Best Practice Guidelines on how to make informed
decision making on the ethical dilemmas chosen in step 1.
3. By April 4th, I will articulate to my clinical instructor in the final evaluation common
ethical dilemmas in long term care. I will also explain 2 ethical frameworks and informed
decision making processes that I applied to specific situations in long-term care
throughout the winter term.
Evaluation: How will I know I have achieved my goals?
Goal #1:
-I will feel confident and comfortable performing mechanical and non-mechanical lifts on older
adults.
-I will know strategies to prevent falls and make residents feel comfortable when being
transferred.
-With ongoing feedback, the feedback will demonstrate that I my lift and transfer skills have
improved.
Goal #2:
-I will have developed skills and knowledge on cognitive impairments and how to care for older
adults living with these.
-I will feel comfortable communicating with these residents, and my communication skills will
improve as a result.
Goal #3:

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-I will be able to develop strategies to resolve common ethical dilemmas in Long Term Care
based on researched ethical frameworks and informed-decision making strategies.
-I will feel more comfortable when identifying and addressing ethical dilemmas in Long Term
Care and know what resources to turn to.
My learning plan addresses:
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o
o
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Self Reflection
Course Learning Objectives
Consideration to previous evaluation
Cumulative and Appropriate for educational level

Signature_____________________________

Date_______________

References
Burkhardt, M., Nathaniel, Al & Walton, N. (2010). Ethics and issues in contemporary nursing.

LEARNING PLAN
Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd.
College of Nurses of Ontario. (2014). Competencies for entry-level Registered Nurse practice.
Retrieved from http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/reg/41037_EntryToPracitic_final.pdf
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. (2002). Establishing Therapeutic Relationships.
Retrieved from Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. (2002).
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. (2002). Client Centered Care. Retrieved from
http://rnao.ca/sites/rnao-ca/files/Client_Centred_Care_0.pdf
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. (2004). Caregiving Strategies for Older Adults with
Delirium, Dementia and Depression. Retrieved from http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines
/caregiving-strategies-older-adults-delirium-dementia-and-depression
Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G., Ross-Kerr, J.C., & Wood, M.J. (Eds.). (2014). Canadian
fundamentals of nursing (5th ed.). Toronto: Elsevier Canada.
Touhy, T. A., Jett, K. F., Boscart, V. & McCleary, L. (2012). Ebersole and Hess gerontological
nursing & healthy aging (1st Canadian Ed.). Toronto, ON: Elsevier.