Nursing is a job like no other, and its many unique rewards, opportunities, and challenges entice many empathic and hard-working individuals to pursue careers in healthcare.
The role has received significant time in the spotlight over the last few years, and for good reason, the invaluable and irreplaceable work carried out by nurses everywhere has been intrinsic to the well-being of society as a whole.
If you happen to be looking for a new direction in which to take your own nursing career, then you have likely had to navigate around your fair share of extremely long workdays and difficult situations.
It is worth reminding yourself of the many opportunities that await you after getting hold of your nursing license – no matter what your working preferences are, there is probably a direction that will suit you perfectly.
How exactly do you go about changing direction, though? Here are some tips to help you move upwards and onwards before too long.
Return to Education
Education is a journey that invariably leads to new opportunities, so remember to commit to learning throughout your professional life, as it can not only point you in exciting new directions but it can enrich your working experience in general.
In this regard, it is worth taking a look at online learning, as its increased flexibility can provide a wonderful educational platform for the busiest among you. Some of the most distinguished institutions offer opportunities for those wishing to take their current educational background to a more advanced level and unlock some exceptionally important roles like an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.
Many advanced positions in the world of healthcare will no doubt require you to revisit education at some point in your career, so make sure you keep the possibility open in your mind’s eye.
Take Some Time to Grow
To ensure that you make yourself fully aware of the challenges you might need to face on an everyday basis, it is worth giving yourself some time to grow in your current role.
Experience is vital in healthcare, and it can take a great deal of time to fully immerse yourself in a specific set of responsibilities since, in many ways, no two days are ever the same.
By striving for personal growth, self-assessment, and development, nothing much can stand in your way, as you will always be learning and consciously taking on new information whenever you are faced with a challenge.
Since there are so many duties and roles available to a nurse, it can be difficult to settle on a singular direction in which to head toward. Allocating some time for growth in your current role can help you decide and hopefully unearth an opportunity or a pathway that best fits your preferred working style.
Focus on What You Love About Nursing
It can be difficult to consider the road ahead if you have not yet had time to stop and think about what you love doing most as a nurse.
There is a great deal to mull over, and you may find that you still want to carry out your nursing duties but no longer want to be involved in a hospital environment at all – this is totally possible too; it is simply a case of choosing what you enjoy best.
If working alongside patients and engaging your empathy and one-on-one interpersonal skills is your favorite part of the job, then a bedside role could be perfect, or if you needed a change of scenery, you could become a traveling nurse! The opportunities are there, provided you look for them.
Conversely, if you would rather not have to spend your time actively talking to patients anymore, you could always delve into the forensic side of nursing, or perhaps you could become a researcher.
Every role has its own unique pros and cons list, so why not think about writing up your own list and see if you can match a role accordingly? This could be a good way to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
Get Some Reliable Career Advice
Be it from a mentor, a friend, a family, or a random article on the internet, the best advice often arrives at the most random moments.
If you can manage to find someone to guide you, preferably someone with prior experience in the role you hope to transition into, you can rest assured that you will have some strong insight into how to approach the next stage of your career.
This could be especially helpful if you were thinking about how your new role could impact your personal life and other commitments. For example, nursing can definitely take its toll on one’s home life since the hours can be so erratic, long, and exhausting.
Before you make a commitment to any specific direction, it is worth finding out how your personal circumstances could be affected and whether or not you are willing to make the change.
Build a Network
Making connections is a prime component of many careers from industries all over the world, and it is not too different in healthcare either. In fact, building a reliable network of valuable connections can take you far in healthcare, especially if you wish to rise up to the next level and find a way to break into a new field of work.
If you have the contacts, you can try out anything, so do not think twice about reaching out to practicing professionals that may be able to show you a trick or two.
It is also just a truly great way to obtain insight and information about a specific role, company, facility, or work culture, which is helpful for anyone scouting out a potential new job.
Moreover, it can be difficult to go it alone, so sometimes, reaching out to form a connection is a matter of personal support and motivation.
There are what seems like an infinite number of possibilities out there for nurses, which you shouldn’t forget if you feel like your current role has got you feeling down about the profession.
