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Learning Plan
Build a Learning Plan That Reflects Your Practice
This page is here to help you create a personalized learning plan that meets the College’s criteria—and supports your growth as a nurse. With easy-to-follow guidance and practical tools, you’ll be able to:
- Set meaningful, achievable goals
- Reflect on your current practice
- Strengthen your skills with purpose
Related pages
Whether you’re just starting out or fine-tuning your goals, this page is designed to support you—every step of the way.
Before you begin, it’s important to understand what’s expected in your learning plan.
Refer to Page 11 of the CCP Workbook for a detailed scoring rubric. This rubric outlines how to determine whether your goal, learning activities, and impact on practice meet the College’s required criteria. Reviewing the rubric can help you create a focused, effective plan that aligns with professional standards.
Goal Criteria
Establishing a clear and meaningful goal is the first step toward building a learning plan that truly works. When you understand what makes a goal effective, you’re better equipped to stay focused, motivated, and on track.
Here are a few key things to keep in mind when selecting your goal:
Why Specific Goals Matter
Creating a specific goal rather than a vague one in a learning plan is essential for making your professional development focused, measurable, and achievable. Here’s why:
1. Clarity and Focus
Specific goals clearly define what you want to achieve and how you’ll get there.
This helps you stay focused and avoid distractions or unrelated activities. Additionally, it helps the reader clearly understand what you want to learn and see if you have achieved that learning. For example:
- Vague goal: “Improve communication skills”
- Specific goal: “I want to enhance my knowledge on therapeutic communication techniques to enhance patient understanding and participation in their care and improve overall patient outcomes. I will take a Therapeutic Communication workshop by October 1st and read 2 articles by September 1st.”
2. Measurable Progress
Specific goals allow you to track your progress and know when you’ve achieved them.
This makes it easier to reflect on your learning and demonstrate impact on your practice.
3. Motivation and Accountability
When goals are clear and actionable, you’re more likely to stay motivated and follow through.
You can also hold yourself accountable by setting timelines and expected outcomes.
4. Alignment with CCP Criteria
The College requires learning plans to be goal-oriented and relevant to your practice.
Specific goals help ensure your plan meets the required standards and supports your continuing competency.
What Are Self-Directed Goals?
Self-directed goals are learning objectives that you choose based on your own practice, interests, and areas for growth. They’re not assigned—they’re created by you, making them more relevant and meaningful to your professional journey. They are not already required of you by your role, employer, or practice expectations.
Why They Matter
- Personalized to Your Practice
These goals reflect your unique role, setting, and learning needs—making your plan more focused and effective.
- Encourages Reflection
Self-directed goals are grounded in self-assessment, helping you identify strengths and areas for improvement.
- Supports Lifelong Learning
They help you stay current, adaptable, and prepared for changes in healthcare.
- Empowers Your Growth
You’re in control—choosing what to learn, how to learn it, and how it applies to your practice.
Why It’s Important for a Learning Plan to Align with Your Current Practice
Creating a learning plan that’s directly connected to your current role or responsibilities is essential for meaningful professional development. Here’s why:
Relevance and Impact
- When learning is tied to your day-to-day work, it becomes immediately useful. You can apply new knowledge or skills right away, making your efforts more impactful
Boosts Performance
- Targeted learning helps you address real challenges in your current role, leading to improved outcomes and greater confidence in your abilities.
Efficient Use of Time
- Focusing on relevant learning ensures your time and energy are spent on what truly matters—skills and knowledge that support your current goals.
Encourages Reflective Practice
- Linking learning to your current practice promotes self-awareness and continuous improvement, helping you stay agile and effective.
Completed within a specified time frame
Learning plans are a mandatory annual requirement, and each plan must reflect goals and activities that are relevant to the current year.
Key Dates & Deadlines
- Registration Renewal Deadline: December 1
- Start Date for New Learning Plans: December 2 (following renewal)
- Completion Deadline: Before your next registration renewal (October 1 – December 1)
Example Timeline
- Registration Renewal Closes: December 1, 2054
- Start Your 2055 Learning Plan: As early as December 2, 2054
(Most professionals begin in January)
- Complete Your 2055 Learning Plan: Before renewing registration in Fall 2055
Creating a specific goal rather than a vague one in a learning plan is essential for making your professional development focused, measurable, and achievable. Here’s why:
1. Clarity and Focus
Specific goals clearly define what you want to achieve and how you’ll get there.
This helps you stay focused and avoid distractions or unrelated activities. Additionally, it helps the reader clearly understand what you want to learn and see if you have achieved that learning. For example:
- Vague goal: “Improve communication skills”
- Specific goal: “I want to enhance my knowledge on therapeutic communication techniques to enhance patient understanding and participation in their care and improve overall patient outcomes. I will take a Therapeutic Communication workshop by October 1st and read 2 articles by September 1st.”
2. Measurable Progress
Specific goals allow you to track your progress and know when you’ve achieved them.
This makes it easier to reflect on your learning and demonstrate impact on your practice.
3. Motivation and Accountability
When goals are clear and actionable, you’re more likely to stay motivated and follow through.
You can also hold yourself accountable by setting timelines and expected outcomes.
4. Alignment with CCP Criteria
The College requires learning plans to be goal-oriented and relevant to your practice.
Specific goals help ensure your plan meets the required standards and supports your continuing competency.
Self-directed goals are learning objectives that you choose based on your own practice, interests, and areas for growth. They’re not assigned—they’re created by you, making them more relevant and meaningful to your professional journey. They are not already required of you by your role, employer, or practice expectations.
Why They Matter
- Personalized to Your Practice
These goals reflect your unique role, setting, and learning needs—making your plan more focused and effective.
- Encourages Reflection
Self-directed goals are grounded in self-assessment, helping you identify strengths and areas for improvement.
- Supports Lifelong Learning
They help you stay current, adaptable, and prepared for changes in healthcare.
- Empowers Your Growth
You’re in control—choosing what to learn, how to learn it, and how it applies to your practice.
Creating a learning plan that’s directly connected to your current role or responsibilities is essential for meaningful professional development. Here’s why:
Relevance and Impact
- When learning is tied to your day-to-day work, it becomes immediately useful. You can apply new knowledge or skills right away, making your efforts more impactful
Boosts Performance
- Targeted learning helps you address real challenges in your current role, leading to improved outcomes and greater confidence in your abilities.
Efficient Use of Time
- Focusing on relevant learning ensures your time and energy are spent on what truly matters—skills and knowledge that support your current goals.
Encourages Reflective Practice
- Linking learning to your current practice promotes self-awareness and continuous improvement, helping you stay agile and effective.
Learning plans are a mandatory annual requirement, and each plan must reflect goals and activities that are relevant to the current year.
Key Dates & Deadlines
- Registration Renewal Deadline: December 1
- Start Date for New Learning Plans: December 2 (following renewal)
- Completion Deadline: Before your next registration renewal (October 1 – December 1)
Example Timeline
- Registration Renewal Closes: December 1, 2054
- Start Your 2055 Learning Plan: As early as December 2, 2054
(Most professionals begin in January)
- Complete Your 2055 Learning Plan: Before renewing registration in Fall 2055
Selecting a Goal
Setting a goal can feel overwhelming. Sometimes we aim too high or choose something that’s hard to apply in real life. But your learning plan isn’t about perfection – it’s about progress.
Take a moment to reflect on your current practice:
- Is there something you’re curious about or want to improve?
- Did your self-assessment highlight an area for growth?
Start with what matters to you. The best goals are realistic, relevant, and rooted in your everyday work.
Consider the following
1. What skills would you like to strengthen to enhance your current practice?
Mentoring Skills
- Are you looking to become a more effective mentor? Explore the core components of mentoring—such as active listening, goal setting, and providing constructive feedback—and choose one or two to focus on.
Leading Through Change
- If your team is navigating change, consider learning more about how to empower others and support transitions. You might start by practicing techniques like offering positive reinforcement or inviting team input.
Conflict Management
- Do workplace conflicts feel challenging? Research conflict resolution strategies and select a couple to practice, such as de-escalation techniques or assertive communication.
Communication Techniques
- Strong communication is essential in any role. Whether it’s improving your active listening or understanding non-verbal cues, pick one or two techniques to refine.
Adult Learning Principles
- If you support client or peer learning, understanding how adults learn can be transformative. Look into adult learning theories and identify strategies—like experiential learning or self-directed learning—that you can apply.
2. Are you noticing trends in your practice environment?
Have you observed an increase in specific conditions or diagnoses among your clients or patients? Deepening your knowledge in these areas can help you provide more informed, effective care.
3. What did your self-assessment reveal?
Did your annual self-assessment highlight areas where you’re still developing?
For example, if collaborative care is a growth area, learning how interdisciplinary teamwork improves outcomes could be a valuable focus.
When you’re feeling stuck, take a step back and explore the activities available to you. Could any of them be leveraged to strengthen a specific area of your practice? If so, you’ve just discovered a new, purposeful goal.
Where To Look for Activities to Help Identify a Goal
Conferences
Interested in expanding your knowledge and network? Consider attending a conference. If you’re unsure what’s available, try searching “upcoming nursing conferences in Manitoba” or “nursing events in Winnipeg” to discover opportunities right in your province. You might find the perfect event to support your professional growth.
Workshops and Webinars
Looking to grow your skills locally? Try searching “nursing workshops in Winnipeg”—you might be surprised by what’s available. Organizations like MNU, Shared Health, ARNM, and CNA regularly offer valuable educational opportunities in workshop formats.
If you’re part of the WRHA, you already have access to a wide range of free workshops and resources. Simply visit the WRHA intranet and navigate to Staff Development to explore current workshop offerings.
Looking for reading to support your professional development? Head over to the WRHA intranet, select the Education Portal, and then click on “theHub.” There, you’ll find a wide range of insightful articles/websites relevant across all practice settings, including:
- Leading Your Team
- Communication Skills
- Learning Strategies
- Coaching Techniques
- Time Management
- Building Resilience
These resources are designed to support your professional development and enhance your everyday practice.
Online Resources
There are countless free online resources available to nurses—just search “free nursing webinars” and you’ll find a wide range of options to support your growth.
However, when enrolling in online courses or webinars, it’s important to verify the credibility of the source. Make sure the content is accurate, up-to-date, and provided by a reputable organization to ensure you’re getting the best information for your practice.
Turning an Activity into a Meaningful Goal
After completing a professional development activity, take a moment to reflect on your experience. Ask yourself:
- What did I learn?
- Was anything new or surprising?
- How can this knowledge enhance my current practice?
This reflection is key to transforming your learning into actionable goals. Consider how you can apply what you’ve learned in your day-to-day work and what outcomes you hope to achieve. From this, you can craft a goal that clearly defines:
- What you want to learn or improve
- Why it matters to your professional practice
Example in Practice
A nurse attends a workshop on delivering constructive feedback. After the session, they reflect on the key takeaways and how these can be integrated into their team interactions.
They might then set a goal like:
- “I want to enhance my skills in providing constructive feedback to improve communication within my team, foster a supportive work environment, and ultimately contribute to better patient care.”
Why This Goal Works
This goal is effective because it meets key criteria for meaningful professional development:
- Specific: It focuses on a clearly defined skill—providing constructive feedback.
- Self-Directed: The goal reflects the nurse’s personal motivation to enhance their knowledge, improve team dynamics, and contribute to better patient outcomes.
- Relevant to Current Practice: The skills gained from the workshop are directly applicable to the nurse’s role and can be integrated into everyday clinical interactions.
Do these Goals Meet Criteria?
Reminder:
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-
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- Is the goal specific?
- Is the goal self-directed?
- Is the goal relevant to current practice?
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I will become a mentor.
Why this does not meet criteria:
- Not specific: The goal lacks clarity. Mentorship involves multiple competencies—such as empathy, active listening, giving constructive feedback, and motivating others. Which skill is being developed?
- Not self-directed: Mentoring is a standard expectation for nurses, not a personal learning initiative.
- No rationale provided: The purpose or motivation behind this goal is unclear.
I will keep up to date on new policies and procedures
Why this does not meet criteria:
- Not specific: The goal lacks clarity. Mentorship involves multiple competencies—such as empathy, active listening, giving constructive feedback, and motivating others. Which skill is being developed?
- Not self-directed: Mentoring is a standard expectation for nurses, not a personal learning initiative.
- No rationale provided: The purpose or motivation behind this goal is unclear.
I will enhance knowledge on providing constructive feedback to improve my mentoring skills.
Why this meets criteria:
- Specific: Focuses on a defined skill—constructive feedback.
- Self-directed: Although mentoring is expected, improving a particular aspect of it is a personal initiative.
- Relevant: Directly supports professional practice and development.
I will enhance my knowledge on holistic symptom management to improve the care I provide to my clients receiving end of life care.
Why this meets criteria:
- Self-directed: Clearly initiated by the individual.
- Specific and purposeful: The goal identifies what will be learned and why, linking it to improved client care.
Why this does not meet criteria:
- Not specific: The goal lacks clarity. Mentorship involves multiple competencies—such as empathy, active listening, giving constructive feedback, and motivating others. Which skill is being developed?
- Not self-directed: Mentoring is a standard expectation for nurses, not a personal learning initiative.
- No rationale provided: The purpose or motivation behind this goal is unclear.
Why this does not meet criteria:
- Not specific: The goal lacks clarity. Mentorship involves multiple competencies—such as empathy, active listening, giving constructive feedback, and motivating others. Which skill is being developed?
- Not self-directed: Mentoring is a standard expectation for nurses, not a personal learning initiative.
- No rationale provided: The purpose or motivation behind this goal is unclear.
Why this meets criteria:
- Specific: Focuses on a defined skill—constructive feedback.
- Self-directed: Although mentoring is expected, improving a particular aspect of it is a personal initiative.
- Relevant: Directly supports professional practice and development.
Why this meets criteria:
- Self-directed: Clearly initiated by the individual.
- Specific and purposeful: The goal identifies what will be learned and why, linking it to improved client care.
ACTIVITIES: Guidelines for Your Learning Plan
To ensure your learning plan is meaningful and criteria, all activities must be:
- Specific
- Self-directed
- Related to your goal
- Completed within the required time frame (January to registration renewal: Oct 1 – Dec 1)
Be Specific
Clearly identify each activity. Vague entries like “read an article” or “attended a webinar” are not sufficient. Use the following format:
For Books/Articles:
- Include the title
- Name of the journal or publication
- Author(s)
For Workshops, Webinars, Conferences:
- Provide the full title of the session
- Mention the organizer or presenter, if applicable
For Videos or Online Resources:
- Include the title
- Provide the URL (web link)
Be Self-Directed
Activities must go above and beyond your job requirements. The following do not qualify as self-directed:
- Reviewing mandatory policies or procedures
- Completing required Learning Management System (LMS) modules
- Taking courses required by your employer or role
Instead, choose activities that reflect your own initiative and commitment to professional growth.
Stay Goal-Focused
Only include activities that are directly related to your learning goal. If an activity doesn’t support your goal, it should not be part of your plan—no matter how interesting or informative it may be.
Respect the Time Frame
All goals and activities must be:
- Chosen and completed between January and your registration renewal period (October 1 – December 1)
Planning ahead ensures your learning is intentional, relevant, and achievable.
Impact on Practice Statement
An Impact on Practice statement is not a summary of completed activities. Instead, it highlights key insights gained through learning and how these insights have been or will be integrated into your professional practice to enhance client care.
If the learning has already been applied, describe how it was implemented and the outcomes observed. If it has not yet been applied, outline your plan for integrating this learning into your practice and the anticipated benefits for clients.
Putting it all together
Pause and Reflect: Before finalizing your learning journey, take a moment to review your learning plan. Consider whether the insights you’ve gained and the impact you’ve outlined in your practice statement truly align with your original goal.
It’s not uncommon for learning activities to lead us in unexpected directions. That’s why this step is essential—ensuring that your goal, learning experiences, and impact on practice are all connected and cohesive. A well-aligned plan not only strengthens your professional growth but also ensures that your efforts are purposeful and impactful.
Now is the time to make sure everything flows together seamlessly.
Learning goals and activities
The Impact on Practice
Exemplary LPs
What makes a learning plan a great one?
Your self-directed learning is documented every year in a learning plan which is a key requirement that needs to be completed as part of the annual CCP requirements.
To see how the College scores your completed LP, please review the scoring rubric outlined in the CCP Workbook.
Read the following LPs to see how RNs exceed the criteria and create exemplary learning plans by:
- Identifying a unique and innovative self-directed goal that relates to one’s current practice
- Doing self-directed activities that relate to the learning plan
- Identifying unique and innovative activities
- Sharing an impact statement that demonstrates learning, and evidence that client care has been improved
- Having a learning plan that flows and connects the goal, activity and impact on practice
Please reach out to ccp@crnm.mb.ca if you require assistance with your learning plans.
Here are the learning plans from 2024 that were identified as EXEMPLARY.
Examples of LPs
Example #1: Fostering open, constructive communication
Example #2: Empowering clients and their diabetes medication management
Example #3: Identifying early stages of depression in the geriatric population
Example #4: Enhancing pressure injury assessment
Example #5: Understanding Methamphetamine induced psychosis
Example #6: Enhancing knowledge of opioid addiction and treatment using Suboxone or Sublocade
Example #7: Understanding end stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and advanced heart failure as it relates to palliative patients
Example #8: Lowering stress and fear using non-pharmacological interventions
Example #9: Enhancing knowledge of thermoregulation of pre-term neonates
Example #10: Supporting family care givers in the ICU setting
If you would like to read more examples of LP plans, please visit here.
As a Quality Practice team, we are excited to guide you through your CCP journey. If you have any questions, our team can be contacted at the information below.
Learning Plan Related Resources: