As a nurse, having defined career objectives is important. You must show a strong commitment to the development of your profession. The nursing field is highly competitive. Having just basic qualifications will not get you very far in your career. You have to keep on growing and developing your career. Other than just education, you have to do extra activities that adds to developing your nursing career. This article will help you explore options to grow in your career:
1. Invest in your Education
One of the surest way to advance your career is advancing your education. The more certificates you have as a nurse, the more career options you have. Investing in your education will boost your self-confidence and competence as you expand your skills in your nursing career. With more skills and competence, you will have more opportunities, and this way you will find a perfect place to fit in your career.
Advancing your nursing requires a lot of investment, both time and finances, but it quite rewarding in the long run. Additionally, you can take up the conflict management and leadership development classes to help you in the management and leadership roles. Other advanced nursing education you can take up are the Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSes).
2. Personal and Professional Development
Developing your career involves developing yourself as a person too. This involves developing skills such as communication skills, writing skills https://copymyresume.com/how-to-write/career-objectives-vs-qualification-summaries/, having clear career objectives, listening skills and problem solving or conflict resolution. This skills can take any employee to the next level in their careers. This helps you develop strong leadership skills.
3. Join Professional Organizations and Conferences
Another way of developing your nursing career is by joining either the general or specialized nursing organizations. This will be reflected on your resume. Through this, you are able to develop interpersonal skills, which are important for your nursing career. Being in organizations like these includes going out for seminars and workshops. It allows you to learn from the experts as you build a network and improve your skills. This is instrumental to building a strong nursing career.
4. Find Mentorship
If you are aspiring to grow your career, you need to join a mentorship program or have someone who is an expert become your mentor. Mentors offers career guidance and information for advancing your career. Find someone who is a professional and is experienced in this field. This should be someone you are comfortable with and not afraid to ask questions or learn from them. This will help you grow and advance your career.
5. Be a Professional
Select a specific area of practice in your nursing career to enable you become an expert in that particular field. Grow your career towards a path that you are more passionate about. Having a specialty comes with a more flexible schedule and higher pay. As a professional you need to develop very strong interpersonal skills. This means you have to be a professional nurse both on and off duty. Professionalism involves honesty, competence, upholding confidentiality with your patients and being respectful.
6. Get Involved in Voluntary Works
This is a great way of developing your leadership skills and subsequently growing your career. It enables you to meet new people with different skills and build up your experience in the field. It helps grow your network, which is important in growing your career in nursing.
As a nurse you need to have a plan of where you want your career to take you, let’s say in five years’ time. Developing and achieving your career goals will take some time, but it will be worthwhile in the end.
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
