There comes a point in your nursing career when you are just ready for a change. You are ready to shake things up a bit, and you are ready to pushy yourself forwards. You know that you are ready to make a change, even if maybe you are not yet sure which path to go down yet. So, to make a change happen, where do you need to start, and what should you be tackling first. First, you need to start looking at why you are desperate to make a change. When you have established your motives, you will then be able to establish what role or position you want to undertake and why. Taking your nursing career to the next level is achievable; all you must do is decide what direction you want to go in and why.
Why You Are Ready for a Change
You love nursing, you love caring, and you love the team you work with, but you want more. It is only natural to want to take your career to the next level, especially if you have been within the same role for several years. Progression and change are natural, and they should be welcomed with open arms. If you are not sure why you are ready for a change, but you know you want to make one, you must get to the bottom of your thoughts and feelings first. Before you can push yourself forwards, you have to get to grips with why you are ready for a change. Once you have accepted just why you are ready for a change, you can then start focusing on your mindset.
Getting Your Mindset Ready for Change
It sounds silly, for change can be very difficult to process and deal with, even if you bring it about. As humans, we are not programmed to readily welcome change, and as such, it can make accepting it a little bit difficult, even if you know it is what you want to do and need to do. To get your mindset ready for change, you need to start small, make small changes first and then move onto the bigger things as and when you are ready. Start making those small career and study goals, and then when you are ready, move on to focus on the bigger goals and targets. Breaking up what you want to change and why will allow you to get focused and ready for change. When you are focused and ready for change, then your mindset will be strong and ready to adapt.
Deciding What You Want to Do – Looking at New Roles
After looking at setting career goals, deciding a change is right, and getting your mindset ready for change, it is now time to break down roles a little more. Not all roles will be right for you, and you will not be right for all roles, so the sooner that you narrow down your search, the better you will be and the more focused you can be. So, for example, have you looked at becoming a family nurse practitioner? The diverse role of a family nurse practitioner can allow you to care for patients and families as well as focusing on their overall health and wellbeing. As an FNP, you can still utilize your skills as a nurse but in a position that is like that of a doctor. Another role you may want to look at is becoming a leader. Healthcare leadership is changing and evolving, and within this diverse position, you could see yourself as a leader of a private healthcare center, team leader, or department leader. If taking care of seniors or the mentally challenged is something that you enjoy, look for caregiverjobs NYC or wherever you’re based.
To help you get the right role, you need to look at what your skills and attributes are, as well as your motivations. For example, if you enjoy caring for people, then going for the role of an FNP will be highly suited to you as you get to care for families and their lifestyles, and you get to grow and change with them too. To get a position that is suitable for you, then you really need to analyze and dissect what you enjoy doing now. Taking snippets that you enjoy doing from your current role will allow you to see what roles will be suitable for you moving forwards.
Hitting the Books and Focusing on Your Education
No matter what role you decide to go for, your education will still be of paramount importance. Most roles and promotions will require you to enhance your education, which means hitting the books once again. Getting a masters can open new doors and opportunities for you, and it can help put you in a strong position when you are up against any competition. As your education is of paramount importance, you must focus on where and how you want to study and why. Traditional site-based campuses might be your normal route, but before you enroll at your local university or college, take a moment to think about flexibility. A physical campus may have suited you a few years ago when you did not have a job and family to look after, but how would that work now – is it still realistic. Studying online and studying from your home can give you the best of both worlds. You can get the education you need and deserve, and you can fit study into your life as seamlessly and easily as possible.
Balancing Family and Study Life
Studying in any shape or form will take its toll on you and your family life, and it is important that you realize and accept this. Of course, the toll is only temporary, and it can be made a lot easier the more prepared and organized you are. Having dedicated timeslots to study and having a dedicated study space within your home to work from will allow you to study distraction-free. Creating physical divisions and boundaries will also help other family members see and appreciate what you are doing. When family can see what you are doing, they will most likely give you the time and space you need (unless, of course, they are little people). When you can strike that balance, and you can ensure that you dedicate enough time to your studies and to your family life, then you will be winning, and the whole experience will be so much more enjoyable.
Preening and Perfecting Your Resume
As you approach the end of your studies, it is time to take things up a gear; it is time to start looking for new jobs and roles. Of course, your resume is the first thing that any employer will see, and because it is the first thing, it must be clear and concise, and most importantly, it must make an impact. Your resume must clearly be set out so it can be read (even briefly). Your education, contact information, and previous roles need to be visible and easy to read. If a resume is difficult to read or lengthy, then it will affect your chances of landing an interview.
Getting an Interview
When you have got an interview, it is time to brush up on those interviewing skills. Get family, friends, and work colleagues to test your interviewing skills and answers and take feedback on board when it is given. It may have been a while since you last had an interview, and so practice really does make perfect. Building your confidence and even having pre-prepared answers to standard questions can help you get through even the most nail-biting of interviews.
Nailing that New Job
Persistence is key when it comes to interviews. You will succeed at an interview even if it is not the first one you get invited to, and once you nail that interview, it is time to nail your new job. It can be easy to enter a new role full of energy and enthusiasm only to end up burned out and washed out a few weeks later, so to stop this from happening; you must pace yourself as much as possible. Enter your new job calmly and be in control of your work and workload. You cannot be everything to everybody all the time, so do not even try. Instead, focus on doing the core elements of your role well, and once you have these under control, you can start looking at taking on more (should you wish to).
Taking Time to Reflect
Leaving an old role, studying, and then starting a new job can leave you feeling exhausted, so before you tire yourself out and grind yourself down, it is important to take time out to reflect. Reflect on what you have achieved, be grateful, and be appreciative. You have put in a lot of work to get to where you are, and sometimes it is beneficial to your mental health and wellbeing if you take time out to reflect before moving forwards.
