The best RN careers take some planning and effort; here are five things you can do.
By Jennifer Larson, contributor
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
– Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher and poet
March 9, 2015 – Whether you’re just starting your nursing career or you’re mid-career and looking for a boost, the most important thing you can do to advance your career is to do something. You don’t have to study all RN careers or know exactly where you will end up, but you do need to start the journey.
One way to get started is to determine what you like most about your nursing career.
Maryjoan Ladden, PhD, RN, said that nurses should discover what they are passionate about to determine next steps in their nursing career.
“I think the most important thing is to know your passion,” said Maryjoan Ladden, PhD, RN, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Perhaps you love spending time with patients at the bedside, or acquiring new clinical expertise, or mentoring new graduate nurses, or educating patients and their families about managing chronic illnesses. Once you assess what you like about RN careers, it can give you a clearer vision of what you want to do in the future–and then you can figure out how to get there.
That’s what Diane Carbo, RN, did. While working in the home care industry, she was concerned by all the tasks and knowledge that family caregivers are expected to master, even without support or specific education in this arena. She mulled over ways that she could help them.
“So I started a website to educate and consult, to help those that want support helping a family member remain at home,” she said.
Today, Carbo operates the website Caregiver Relief, and she’s very pleased with where her nursing career has taken her.
As Ladden noted, “There is no one path for everybody.” But there are a few strategies that can help you be all that you can be.
Try these five tips to take your nursing career to the next level:
1. Seek additional education. This might entail going back to school for a baccalaureate degree so you can be competitive for jobs with employers that increasingly expect their nurses to have a BSN. Or it might mean pursuing a graduate degree if you want to become a nurse practitioner, a nurse anesthetist, a nurse midwife or a nurse faculty member. There may be some challenges to returning to school for another degree, but don’t rule it out. Some employers offer tuition reimbursement, and you might be able to take some courses online, too. “More education opens you up to more possibilities, not just for your career but also for your mind,” said Ladden.
2. Get certified. According to Jim Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, director of credentialing and education for the Competency & Credentialing Institute, getting a specialty certification can enhance your knowledge base and your ability to provide high-quality care to your patients–and possibly even improve your employment prospects. You’re showing your employer or prospective employer that you are dedicated to your profession and willing to take the initiative. “It’s a nice marker, I think, that separates you from others,” he said.
3. Find a mentor. Research shows that mentorship can enhance a new nurse’s confidence and professionalism. Find someone who can listen to you and guide you as you consider your options for RN careers. Look around: is there someone at work you admire? Or do you know someone from your schooling or any associations you belong to who could help? Do any of your professional organizations have mentorship programs to which you could apply? If you can’t easily identify a potential mentor by yourself, ask for assistance at work; research shows that mentorship can improve a health care organization’s retention rates, giving your employer a major incentive to help if they don’t already have a mentoring program.
4. Join a professional organization. There are numerous reasons to affiliate with a nursing organization, from continuing education opportunities to mentorship and networking possibilities. Depending on your interests, you could join a national organization, a state affiliate or a specialty organization. You don’t have to limit yourself to nursing-specific associations, either. You might be able to learn a great deal from an interdisciplinary organization. “If you’re interested in public health, then joining the American Public Health Association and getting a mentor there is a great idea,” suggested Ladden.
5. Think outside the box. Maybe you’ve got an entrepreneurial bent. Depending on what you want to do, Carbo suggests taking a business or marketing class, or maybe a leadership workshop. For example, she took some online marketing courses so she could learn how to build a website. “I am presently working on learning to create videos and edit them and make them under a minute long for YouTube,” she said. “There is always a challenge and lots to learn.” Other ideas might include a stint in travel nursing, which can provide some opportunities to work in different facilities, learn new skills and expand your professional network.
Most importantly, you have to take the first step forward.
“If you don’t like something and it’s not fulfilling you, you don’t have to stay,” said Ladden. “Look for another way to use your skills and try something else.”
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