While it’s possible for someone to become an RN with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing and then stop there, the reality is that other people on the nursing staff will keep passing nurses that don’t move up themselves. Eventually, peers will move into management and may even end up become their direct reports, which can be a little frustrating, to say the least. This outcome may spur some action on a stalled career.
Alternatively, if you are already career-focused and see nursing as a great way to move up in their working life rather than risking remaining stagnant, it’s good to know how being proactive can be beneficial. In this article, we provide some tips for nurses who wish to move to the next level and beyond.
Get Mentorship
The subject of mentorship is one that comes up in the business world but not always with nursing. However, nurses should embrace the concept and find someone within the nursing profession who is willing to informally act as their mentor.
The Mentor-Mentee relationship is rewarding for both parties involved. Certainly, the nurse who finds a suitable mentor is likely to benefit from advice that is borne out of hard-won experience on the hospital wards and many years within the healthcare profession. Yet, it’s also something that the mentor often enjoys because they get to share what they’ve learned and feel a sense of pride when their protégée finds continued success in part thanks to them.
Take Further Education Seriously
There are many ways to get advanced education as a nurse. Education doesn’t end once they’ve graduated with a bachelor’s in Nursing. Obviously, learning on the job goes beyond what is understood initially, because real-world experience counts enormously. However, a nurse needs to go beyond that to pursue nursing academically to truly reach their potential.
For a nurse that believes they can devote significant time to studying the more advanced aspects of nursing, then there are accelerated nursing programs to satisfy this need. They’re not for everyone, but for the nurses who are willing to invest the time and energy to get ahead sooner, an accelerated course can give their nursing career a huge boost.
Keep Up with Industry News
Reading industry news within the healthcare profession is extremely useful to broaden the understanding of what is going on within the profession. That can be not only at the local government level but also at the state or federal level too.
A few of the most notable sites are:
Reading nursing blogs is a useful approach to learn about areas of nursing that you haven’t directly experienced yet. But it also provides insight and a sense of context as to why things work the way they do. Nurses are often told what to do but not necessarily why this is the right way or what proceeded it. Getting context and seeing growth within the nursing profession is useful to understand where a nurse fits into the healthcare world.
Also, by following new cutting-edge techniques, technologies, and medicines that have just been approved, a nurse can proactively increase his or her knowledge. The subsequent introduction of new medical equipment, a change in medical procedures and other modifications to their working life won’t be as jarring. Instead, they’ll make sense based on their growing understanding of new advancements and how it will ultimately impact nursing too.
Embrace Networking
While there is a demand for nursing at all levels with the growth in the baby boomer generation who are at or nearing retirement age, that doesn’t mean there isn’t competition for the best nursing positions.
Who They Know Broadens Your Industry Knowledge
Who they know can make the difference between hearing about an interesting nursing position and not finding out about it at all. When networking with other professionals in the industry, it provides greater familiarization with happenings outside of the healthcare organization as well.
More Contacts, Better Opportunities
It may even be the case that other parts of the country have a greater need for nurses in management. In which case, having heard about this through contacts, there’s the opportunity to take advantage of that higher demand and possibly secure better salary prospects that might go with it.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a proactive way to provide a useful service to others that need it. It doesn’t necessarily need to be within the same organization and often isn’t.
When volunteering, it’s something that provides feel-good emotions just from being of service. Many volunteers feel like they got more out of doing it than the other people or organizations did from receiving it their time and assistance.
Also, not only does the giving of time look good on a resume, but it shows the kind of compassion and caring for others that is a hallmark of what being a nurse is all about.
Get the Basics Right
Our final point is an obvious one, but we’d be remiss if we failed to mention it.
Getting the basics right matters because it changes how people in more senior positions feel about a nurse looking to move up. Gain a reputation for a general tardiness with timekeeping, being sick too often, or failing to demonstrate enough attention to detail on the job are all aspects that will drag down a nurse’s performance review.
While the hours are long, and it’s genuinely difficult to stay on top of work responsibilities, failing to maintain the level expected is not going to lead to advancement opportunities later. Instead, it will create an additional hurdle to overcome even after fixing the mistakes because staff will still remember that they were an issue at a point in the past.
It’s necessary to take a whole career approach when wanting advancement. Dropping the ball with punctuality and the like won’t cut it. Similarly, failing to get a mentor may lead to career missteps that could have been avoided. As such, smart nurses use a focused approach to reach each new level in their careers.
