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Self Identified Learning Objectives #1

Sydney Collin

Trent University
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Working in a post-partum unit includes specific learning needs which involves new

mothers and their babes. For my first learning goal, I want to learn how to perform a baby bath

by the midterm evaluation on February 24th. As of the first shift I worked on the unit, I only

observed the care performed on babies. Improving my skills handling a newborn baby will help

my confidence while providing care for them. To attain this goal, I will review the readings and

preparations for a baby bath, continue to shadow my co-assigned nurse and seek out any

opportunities I might have to practice my skills. As for my second learning goal, I would also

like to be able to confidently provide breastfeeding education to mothers by the end of this

placement. I will achieve my goal by attending breastfeeding consultations, listening to my co-

assigned nurses’ health teachings to mothers before discharge and reviewing the health education

materials provided by my clinical instructor. I gave myself until the end of this placement as

breastfeeding itself is quite complex and difficult to get the hang of, especially for the new

mothers. I hope that by the end of placement I have a strong understanding of breastfeeding that

will allow me to answer any questions my patients might have, identity whether or not a baby is

getting sufficient milk and demonstrate the right techniques if not. For my third learning goal, I

want to be able to confidently demonstrate an abdominal examination on a mother by the

midterm on February 24th. This includes identifying the position of the fundus, correctly charting

it and evaluating whether it is firm or boggy. I will attain this goal by shadowing and observing

my co-assigned nurse and asking questions to develop a good understanding of what a firm

fundus feels like versus a boggy fundus, how to massage a fundus if not adequately firm and how

to chart the location. A strong knowledge base of the fundus is vital in post-partum care to avoid

any complications such as hemorrhaging.

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I believe my learning goals support my commitment to continuing competency as they

fall into the competency categories that are expected of entry-level practice for registered nurses.

Some of these competencies include, professional responsibility and accountability, knowledge-

based practice and self-regulation (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2018). These competencies

relate to my learning goals since performing a baby bath, providing health education and doing

abdominal examinations require me to be accountable for my skills, using knowledge-based

practice to exercise my goals, as well as gaining the knowledge for practice through both

observation and reviewing the literature which demands self-regulation.

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References

College of Nurses of Ontario. (2018). Entry-to-Practice Competencies for Registered Nurses

[PDF file]. Retrieved from

https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/reg/41037_entrytopracitic_final.pdf