S.M.A.R.T.
Goals & Objectives
In your academic career at OHSU as well as in your professional career as a nurse, you are asked to set goals
and monitor your progress as you work towards them. These S.M.A.R.T. Goals & Objectives apply to multiple
nursing situations, such as setting goals for your professional development and self-care, as well as helping
patients set measurable and attainable health goals. Writing clear and strong statements using the S.M.A.R.T.
format takes practice, but when you are able to clarify and outline your goals, you will ultimately better serve
your organization, team, and patients.
What are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?
Letter Description
Objectives should be well-defined and clear to other team members and to stakeholders
S
who also understand the program or plan, the “who” and the “what.”
Prompts: What exactly will you do? Who will execute the action? What is the action? What do you
SPECIFIC intend to impact? Who is responsible for carrying out the action? What are you intending to impact?
Who is your target population?
Measures show success, improvement, or impact over time.
M Prompts: How much and in what direction will the change occur? What data will be used to prove the
target is met? Where will this data come from? Is there another measure that would be more
MEASURABLE appropriate to use instead?
Objectives should be within reach for your team or program, considering available
A resources, knowledge, and time.
Prompts: How can this objective be accomplished? Given the current timeframe or environment, can
ACHIEVABLE this objective be achieved? Should we scale it up or down? What limitations stand in our way?
Consider if and how successfully completing an objective will be relevant to achieving the
R goal. Why is this relevant?
Prompts: Will this objective lead to achieving your/this organization's goals? Is it meaningful to
RELEVANT stakeholders? Who cares if you do or do not work towards this objective?
T
Objectives should be achievable within a specific timeframe that isn't so soon as to prevent
success, or so far away as to encourage procrastination.
TIME-BOUND Prompts: When will this objective be achieved? Is this time-frame realistic? Should it be closer or
further in the future?
Adapted December, 2020 from Minnesota Department of Health. (2016). Good Goals and Smart Objectives; Center for Disease Control (n.d.)
Writing Smart Objectives; Minnesota Department of Health (n.d.) Smart Objectives
Example Sentence Structures
• [Who] will do [what] resulting in [measure] by [when].
• By [when], [who] will do [what] resulting in [measure].
• By [when], [measure - includes who and what].
• [Measure – includes who and what] by [when].
Examples of actual S.M.A.R.T Objectives
Not S.M.A.R.T. objectives Better S.M.A.R.T. objectives
Formal 90% of youth participants will participate in Formal: By the end of the school year, district
lessons on assertive communication skills. school-based nurses will have delivered lessons on
assertive communication skills to 90% of youth
This objective is not SMART because it is not participants in the middle school HIV- prevention
specific or time-phased. It can be made SMART by curriculum.
specifically indicating who will do the activity, by
when, and who will participate in lessons on
assertive communication skills.
Personal Goal/Reflection: I will try to exercise Personal Goal/Reflection: I will work out 4 times
regularly at a new time, because I think I will feel in the evening for 1 week and keep a log of my
less stressed and pressured by my obligations. progress; each day I will reflect on my session and
general mood before and after my workout.
This objective is not SMART because it is not
specific, measurable, or time-based. It can be made
SMART by adding a specific time period, who is
responsible, and how the goal will be measured.
For more tips, tricks, and ideas for building SMART goals and objectives, request a consultation with the writing
coaches at the SON Office of Learning & Writing Support ([Link]/school-of-nursing/learning-writing-
support/request-consultation).
Adapted December, 2020 from Minnesota Department of Health. (2016). Good Goals and Smart Objectives; Center for Disease Control (n.d.)
Writing Smart Objectives; Minnesota Department of Health (n.d.) Smart Objectives
