It is always intimidated to start a new career. Whether you are just getting started in your first job or you have made the decision to change professions in order to follow your true calling in life, preparing yourself for all that is to come can be an overwhelming process that leaves you wondering just how you should proceed.
A career in nursing is no exception. Even though there is a great deal of job security and an overall positive job outlook for a career in nursing (especially in regard to certain specialties), you will still want to take definitive steps in order to set yourself up for the best chances of success in the future.
Those who are new to nursing or are otherwise unfamiliar with the field, in general, might not know where the best place to begin really is. Thankfully, there are an abundance of resources available for new nurses who are looking to think ahead and set themselves up for future success.
It is important to remember that finding success as a nurse is a process. You will need to be comfortable asking for help when you need it and be humble enough to know when you are out of your depth. Taking on too much too soon is not an ideal strategy for any sort of career in healthcare, particularly with nursing.
With that in mind, here are a few tips that can help you to set yourself up for future success in your new career as a nurse.
Consider Advanced Education
When you first decided upon a career in nursing, you likely enrolled in an excellent undergraduate degree program geared towards preparing you for the state licensing exam as well as the many demands of the job. Some nurses opt to pursue a two-year associate’s degree while others earn a four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree.
While both degrees will qualify you to become a registered nurse (RN), those who are looking to set themselves up for future success should strongly consider the latter option of a BSN. This is because the only way to pursue advanced degrees in nursing is to start off with a BSN.
There are many reasons why you might wish to earn an advanced degree at some point or other in your nursing career. For starters, if you wish to specialize in a certain area of medicine such as nurse-midwifery or paediatrics, you will most likely need to earn an advanced degree specifically in those areas.
Furthermore, any nurse looking to qualify for higher positions in the field of healthcare, like those in administration for example, should certainly look into earning at least a master’s degree. Such degrees equip you with the knowledge, skills and information that you will need to do the job.
The precise degree or degrees that you choose to earn will depend entirely upon what you have in mind for your future career. Your path to success is going to be entirely unique to you and might require different steps to those of your peers.
For instance, if you wish to one day excel as a family nurse practitioner, you might need to factor a post masters online family nurse practitioner program into your future plans. Such a degree will certainly allow you to set yourself up for future success as an FNP.
Therefore, take the time early on in your career to consider what success really means to you. If it involves specializing in a particular area of medicine or climbing the ladder of the healthcare hierarchy at your place of work, an advanced degree should definitely be a part of your plans.
Revisit Your Resume
It is relatively common knowledge that the field of nursing is one that has an incredibly positive job outlook. Not only is the sector expected to see a significant amount of growth, but things like job security and projected average salaries for nurses are also looking good.
This means that any and every new nurse should always be prepared for new opportunities for advancement by having their resume updated and at the ready at all times. Even if you spent a significant amount of time working on your resume when you first graduated nursing school, you should still look to update it every so often.
Throughout the course of your career, you will find yourself completing additional certifications and acquiring new skills based on where you would like to take your career. You should be sure to take the time to add such things to your resume as and when they are applicable.
The significance of having a strong resume at the ready for whenever a new opportunity arises should not be understated. Even with all of the growth that is expected in the field of nursing, you can rest assured that there will still be a great deal of competition for the top jobs.
By having your own resume ready to go when an opportunity to apply for such a job presents itself, you can benefit from being among the first to put your name forward for such a position. Moreover, by revisiting your resume every so often, you can ensure that you have all of the information contained therein fresh in your mind so that you can discuss them any time you might think that doing so would be advantageous to your chances for career progression. It also ensures that nothing gets missed off or forgotten about – all too easy in a busy profession.
Get Connected
When a person is looking to set themselves up for future success in a new career, regardless of what the nature of that career is, one of the best things that they can do is take the time to grow and develop their professional network. The same is particularly true when it comes to careers in healthcare. Such a network can come in handy as you look to further your career for a variety of reasons.
For starters, staying well connected will allow you to become aware of career advancement opportunities as and when they become available. By having a strong professional network filled with properly cultivated professional relationships, you can find yourself in the know when it comes to such opportunities throughout your career.
There are also educational benefits to having a strong professional network. The field of healthcare is one of those unique fields where the sharing of personal experiences and industry knowledge is what drives the development of the field forward. This is and has always been accomplished through the use of strong professional relationships.
Growing your professional network as a nurse is something that will take some time. You should start looking to do this right at the start of your career by connecting with other new nurses who have also just graduated. There are also a number of great professional networks that you can become a part of in order to further develop your professional network.
Professional organizations for nurses are excellent tools for advancing and developing your career. Some are designed to allow nurses of all specialties and levels to connect with one another. Others are specific to particular areas of medicine such as pediatrics or psychology.
If you have specific aspirations for your career like becoming a family nurse practitioner or a nurse-midwife, you should look to join a professional network of other nurses who have chosen these areas as their professional concentration. The networking and educational opportunities that you can enjoy when you do so will certainly help you to set yourself up for future success in your career.
Practice Self Care
It should come as no surprise that often the demands of nursing can be difficult to cope with. The hours are long and there is certainly an emotional element to doing the job well. This is why it is important that you get into the habit of practicing self-care early on in your career.
Professional burnout is a very real possibility for nurses. The challenges of the job in conjunction with the long hours can be enough to cause anyone to feel the pressure. Avoiding this, though, is certainly possible when you take the time to look after yourself both physically and mentally.
In order to handle the demands of the job, things like a good diet and making sure that you get enough quality sleep at night are essential. If you work night shifts, you should ensure that you are able to give yourself the chance to get enough sleep the following day.
Other aspects of practicing self-care involve taking routine breaks. Even when you are bogged down with work and have a pile of paperwork to get through, you should never skip your scheduled breaks. Such breaks are designed to allow you to step away from the chaos for a little while in order to let your brain recharge a bit and refocus.
You should also ensure that you take the time to do some of the things that you enjoy. Whether you are earning a degree while holding down your full-time nursing job or if you have your eye on a promotion and are hoping to distinguish yourself through the amount of hard work that you do, you should still ensure that you carve out some time to do things that you like.
If you enjoy getting a good workout in a few times a week, for instance, you should make a point out of not skipping those gym sessions. During those weeks when your schedule is too chaotic to really make it to the gym, take the time to at least go on a short jog or brisk walk. By taking this time for yourself, you can reduce your chances of suffering from professional burnout.
Develop Your Professional Skills
When you are looking to set yourself up for future success in the field of nursing, it is important to remember that you will need to work on other skills that are not necessarily specific to medicine. While your skills as a nurse should be your top priority, successful nurses are also well-versed in other professional skills.
For instance, you should never underestimate the significance of having strong communication skills as a nurse. Not only are you going to need to be able to communicate with your superiors and coworkers when you are on the job, but there is also an educational aspect to nursing in regard to your patients.
The individuals who come to you for treatment will most likely have very little or no medical background knowledge themselves. This means that you will need to be able to educate them about the treatments and procedures they are going to receive in order to regain their health. You will also need to be able to clearly and thoroughly educate them on any post-treatment care that they will need to either seek out or handle on their own.
Furthermore, if all goes according to plan, you will find yourself at the head of your own team one day. Becoming a manager or administrator in the field of nursing will require you to be able to communicate clearly and effectively with your team.
Bear in mind that communication is a two-way street. Even though you will need to be able to communicate certain things to others throughout the course of your career, you will also need to have strong listening skills that allow you to hear the questions, comments, and concerns of others. Whether you are communicating with your patients or with members of your team, the ability to listen is something that will certainly help you to find success throughout the course of your career.
Everyone’s path to success is unique to their own personal journey. This is especially true when you are pursuing a career in nursing. With the right preparation, a solid educational background and a strong professional network, you can set yourself up for future success and find yourself ready for any career advancement opportunity that comes your way.
