Targeted goal setting: helping nurses manage a turbulent work environment

Area of Science:

• Nursing Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Effective goal setting is crucial for optimizing nursing performance.
• Workplace locus of control (WLOC) influences employee behavior and goal orientation.
• Understanding the interplay between WLOC, goal preference, and goal setting is vital for leadership.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationships among WLOC, preference for proximal and distal goals, and goal setting behavior in hospital nurses.
• To explore differences in WLOC and goal setting between supervisory and non-supervisory nursing staff.
• To provide recommendations for nursing supervisors to enhance staff performance through optimized goal setting.

Main Methods:

• A correlational study surveying nurses in a mid-sized Midwestern US hospital.
• Data collection focused on workplace locus of control, goal preference (proximal vs. distal), and goal setting behaviors.
• Statistical analyses were used to examine interrelationships and group differences.

Main Results:

• Nurses with an internal WLOC demonstrated significantly higher engagement in long-term, short-term, and overall goal setting behaviors compared to those with an external WLOC.
• Internal WLOC nurses reported a stronger preference for distal goals and perceived greater control over goal setting.
• Supervisors did not differ from non-supervisors in WLOC orientation or goal setting frequency, but supervisors perceived greater control over goal setting.

Conclusions:

• An internal WLOC is associated with enhanced goal setting behaviors and a preference for distal goals among nurses.
• Supervisors' perception of control over goal setting is higher, irrespective of their WLOC or goal setting frequency.
• Findings suggest that tailoring goal-setting strategies based on individual WLOC orientation can optimize nursing staff performance.