SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING PLAN

Kaplan University Graduate School of Nursing

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING PLAN

The Self-Directed Learning Plan (SDLP) is a process and document to chronicle your accomplishments and learning steps through the MSN program and beyond as they relate to your professional goals. 

The SDLP will help you to identify and target the array of competencies you need to reach your professional objectives and to help you organize your Kaplan MSN learning experience to suit your career objectives. 

The SDLP will be a section of your Program Portfolio, so take some quality introspective time to consider strengths and areas of development relevant to your career objectives. Knowing your strengths and areas to develop, you can begin a plan to find out what you need to do to achieve your career goals. We encourage you to continue to reflect on the identified areas throughout the MSN program. If you feel a strength or development area is no longer relevant, you may add another to take its place. At any time, you may also add additional areas.

Your Name: Date: 

Anticipated Nursing Role: 

Professional Goal (3-5 years) from now: 

Knowledge that prepares a graduate student for an advanced nursing role: 

Skills that prepare a graduate student for an advanced nursing role: 

Accomplishments that prepare a graduate student for an advanced nursing role: 

Strengths to Leverage

Step 1:  The most effective and satisfied people align their work with their natural strong points. Identify 3-5 of your key strengths (see Column 1 below); these could be a competency, skill, ability, knowledge area or personal characteristic. Think about how you can leverage those strengths to be effective in your work, achieve your professional goals, and become a leader in your profession. 

Step 2:  At the beginning of each course in your MSN program, answer the following question either using this template or a narrative format. What do you expect to learn in this course that will help you leverage your strengths? (See Column 2 below) Be as specific as you can, e.g., assume that a strength is your analytical ability.

Step 3: Answer the following questions either using this template or a narrative format. Did you learn what you expected to learn? (See Column 3 below) Was there information or insights that helped you that you didn’t expect to learn at the outset of the course? What changes or additions, if any, will you make to your SDLP based on learning in this course?

Step 1: Strengths to Leverage	Step 2: Course Learning Goals	Step 3: Course Outcomes & Assessment
Strength 1 –
Strength 2 –
Strength 3 –
Strength 4 –
Strength 5 –

Areas to Develop

Step 1:  We all have strengths, but we also have areas on which we need to improve. As related to your career goal, identify 3-5 areas to develop (see Column 1 below); these could be a competency, skill, ability, knowledge area or personal characteristic. Think about how you can improve in these areas so that you can achieve your professional goals and become a leader in your profession. 

Step 2:  What do you expect to learn in this course that will help you to develop in the identified area? (See Column 2 below)

Step 3:  Answer the following questions either using this template. Did you learn what you expected to learn? (See Column 3 below) Was there information or insights that helped you that you didn’t expect to learn at the outset of the course? What changes or additions, if any, will you make to your SDLP based on learning in this course?

Step 1: Areas to Develop	Step 2: Course Learning Goals	Step 3: Course Outcomes & Assessment
Area 1 –
Area 2 –
Area 3 –

Reflection

What do you expect to learn in this course that will help you achieve your academic and professional goals?