Lifelong Learning Plan

Madison McClafferty
NUR460-501
Dr. Sokola
November 19, 2023
 Although many people will graduate from college or complete a trade, learning is

continual, and every person experience lifelong learning. To me, lifelong learning is continuing

to better yourself by learning new ways to better your own life but as well as learning more to

improve your professional life. Lifelong learning usually comes naturally when you are involved

in a profession, but it is a natural want to continually learn, and it is usually driven by a person's

own want to keep learning. Lifelong learning is an instinct that we all have, but to me there needs

to be a drive that pulls you into wanting to keep learning.

In the nursing profession, we experience learning whether we are continuing our education with
schooling or not. In our line of work, we must complete courses, certifications, and training to

keep up the requirements that our employers require of us but with lifelong learning we seek

learning opportunities to better our nursing practice. I've already started my lifelong learning

journey by completing my BSN education. I see myself doing much of what I already am doing

especially when it comes to courses and continuing my education within my own work

organization. I seek out new classes such as trauma, stroke, and infection prevention classes to

keep up with my competencies and up to date with the current practices.

In my current job, I have started to feel as though I am not learning and am only doing

the same tasks every shift for the last two years. I am the kind of person who loves to learn,

especially when it comes to my job. I now am applying to different jobs such as the Emergency

Department because I want to challenge myself and give myself new learning opportunities. I

think seeking learning opportunities and participating in lifelong learning will not only allow me

to grow as a nurse, but care for patients better as I will have more knowledge than I once did. It

is important to me to continually learn as that is what allows nurses to give patients the best

possible outcome.

My ultimate career goal would be to continue as a bedside nurse in some degree, but I

would love to become a clinical instructor. I love to precept in my current job and help novice

nurses become flourishing nurses. I had a great experience with all my clinical instructors and
learned so much, that I want to be able to give that same opportunity to student nurses. I would

prefer to work part time as a bedside nurse and teach as an adjunct professor/clinical instructor,

hopefully at Delaware Tech. If I wanted to become an in class adjunct instructor, I would have to

get my Master's Degree but eventually I would like to get my master's in education anyways as it

is a goal of mine to have a Masters Degree either way, no reason just for myself.

In regard to Nursing certifications, I have a few that I would love to pursue. I am

currently working in Trauma nursing and want to get certified in Trauma which also will

coincide with getting certified as an ED nurse. To keep up with the requirements I will have to
take classes and maintain 100 hours of continuing education in a four-year period. To get the

certification, I will have to have a current eligible Nursing license, pay for a fee and take the test.

As a nurse to even keep your license active, you have to complete continuing education credits

which include 2 hours of substance abuse training for it to be active in Delaware. Even if I am

not actively in school, this helps me to continue my education. Some steps to achieve my goals

include actively pursuing classes that my hospital offers and eventually applying to a master's

program which my hospital even will help some people fund which allows me to achieve this

goal. Since I have been a nurse for two years, I am going to start studying to take my Trauma

certification so that I can become certified in that and after (if I get the job in the ED) I will

pursue taking my ED certification. I also would eventually want to pursue a job as a clinical

instructor through Deltech to pursue that goal of mine.