Nursing is one of the most highly demanded jobs anywhere in the world. This is because there will always be people in need of medical care and nurses are often one of the professionals in the best position to give it to them. If you happen to be a nurse, then you should be all too familiar with what the role entails. If not, this article will give your insight into what it takes to become a nurse and the journey you’ll be embarking on in the near future. To ensure you continue growing and reach the heights of your career as a nurse, consider the following tips below.
Have a Genuine Interest
Being a nurse can be a demanding job, so one of the first ways to set yourself up for success is being sure it’s something you’re passionate about. With that being said, before starting your career in this field, see if you can meet up with people who have been nurses for some time so that you can hear their experiences. Aside from this, spend time in the hospital and pay attention to what the nurses do as well as how they interact with patients. This should give you an idea regarding whether it’s truly a role that you can dedicate your life to.
Get the Right Education
When it comes to careers in the nursing field, education is key. With that being said, think about what direction you want your career to go in and what education best supports your vision. In many cases, you’ll need to start with an undergraduate degree in nursing or a medical related field. Once you’ve gained an adequate amount of experience, you could then proceed to do an online master of science in nursing so that you can further your career prospects. With this degree, you could likely go on to earn more as a nurse as well as take on more responsibility which could be an exciting time in your career.
Keep Growing
Despite how it may seem on the outside, being a nurse isn’t a standstill job, and there is so much room for growth. In light of this, be sure to look for ways that you can move onto higher levels as opposed to staying in one spot. Here are some different roles that you could take on as a nurse.
- Registered Nurse: One of the most common types of nurses that you’ll come across is a registered nurse. What they typically do is help physicians carry out various tasks which range from administering treatment to patients to monitoring recovery processes and educating patients on managing their health. For the most part, you’ll need a range of interpersonal skills as the role is people-centered.
- Nurse Practitioner: Another type of nurse that you could be is a nurse practitioner. They differ from registered nurses as they have a lot more autonomy and tend to take on some of the roles of a physician. This is a good job to try if you want to advance from being a registered nurse and take on more responsibility.
- OR Nurse: An operating room nurse also known as a perioperative nurse looks after patients before, during and after surgery. You’d typically find them working alongside surgical teams and being the middle man between that team, the patient and the family. Seeing as one of the advantages of being a nurse is that you get to save lives, becoming an OR nurse would enable you to get up close and personal to see how lives are saved on a daily basis.
Build Good Relationships
The relationships you build throughout your career could mean the difference between staying in the same spot and moving forward. It’s imperative that you try and build positive work relationships so this can help open doors of opportunity for you. Here are a few ways to build effective work relationships.
- Improve Non-Verbal Communication: You probably have heard the saying before that it’s more about how you say things than what you say. Try and focus on having positive body language when communicating with your colleagues to avoid miscommunication. This means open body language, smiling and refraining from sarcastic and rude comments.
- Keep to Commitments: Aside from the mentioned, keep to commitments if you want to build and sustain positive relations at work. Remember that an organization is interconnected so when you don’t meet your deadlines, you affect everyone else. If, for any reason, you can’t keep to your commitments then be sure to let the appropriate people know in good time and prevent it from happening again if you can.
- Help Others: The workplace works far better when you think beyond your own personal interests. See how you can help others achieve their greatness and give help to those around you who need it. As mentioned above, remember that the more help you offer, the better off the whole organization is. This applies not only to your coworkers but also to all of the patients you care for. At times, all they need from time to time would be a gift of love. As a nurse, you could provide some flowers like those delivered by FloralHub in Belmont Private.
Have Clear Goals
Having career goals is another ideal way that you can excel as a nurse in 2019. Although there will be times that you simply go with the flow, knowing where you’re going and how you’re going to get there goes a long way. To set career goals, make them as realistic as you can and be sure to be specific. Try creating a mood board as that’s a visual way of going about it and can help keep you both focused and excited.
It’s also advisable that you create a roadmap as well as a timeline, so you know how long you’re giving yourself to reach your set targets. Accountability partners also tend to do wonders as well.
Excelling as a nurse is something that you work at achieving every day. However, in the process to attaining your goals, don’t forget to appreciate the process you make and celebrate all of the little victories. Remember that a career is something that is developed over time and every step you take towards it counts for the long-haul.
