Personal Strategic Planning: Creating a Personal Vision/Plan for serving as a Change Agent in Healthcare

The IOM emphasizes the importance of Nursing, and specifically Advanced Practice Nurses, in addressing the health care crisis. With the many changes currently transforming the health care system, NPs are uniquely positioned to take on a leadership role in influencing care and improving health access and outcomes.   In order to fully grasp this opportunity and assume this role, NPs must first have a vision and a well-developed plan that serves as a road map for achieving their goals. Strategic planning is a technique used by business and management experts to provide guidance in fulfilling a mission with maximal efficiency and results.  Individual Strategic Planning can be a powerful tool in the education of APNs by helping them understand their potential and redefine their roles to have the maximum impact.  This presentation focuses on the implementation of strategic planning in a role development course in a DNP/NP program.  Attendees will be able to: 1. provide curricular content and experiential programs that prepare DNP/NP students to examine, envision, and define their role as leaders and change agents through individual strategic planning; 2. and mentor DNP/NP students in the development of new practice models to address the health care crisis. The students first participate in a one day experiential workshop where they are introduced to the tenets of strategic planning and begin developing their individual strategic plan for transforming heath care.  Students work individually and in small work groups to advance their vision.  The strategic planning concepts are then explored over the course of a semester where the students continue to apply them in further role development didactics.  They each develop a formal Individual Strategic Plan utilizing AACN Essentials, NONPF Competencies, and IPEC Competencies to frame the objectives and strategies for achieving their goals. Additionally, group discussion board assignments provide a didactic format for discussing specific aspects of strategic planning and the students’ personal plans.  Upon completion of the course, students expressed a passion and vision for making a difference, and sense of empowerment in their leadership role to improve our nation’s health.  Examples of course content and strategic plans will be provided.