How to Improve Your Career In Nursing

If health care is more like a calling for you than a career, it is important that you make the most out of your personal and professional development, so you can serve your patients better every day. While a promotion and pay rise is something you might be working toward, you will have to find a way to provide more value to your patients and employers to justify the higher cost and level of responsibilities. Below you will find a few ways you can improve your health care career.

Specialize

One of the best ways you can improve your career prospects and secure a long term job is specializing in a field that needs qualified experts. Next time your employer is looking for someone to take part in an exchange and learn new skills, be sure that you apply and have an open mind. You might even offer to be loaned to different departments, so you can obtain specialist knowledge and skills hat your colleagues do not have. Going the extra mile will take you closer to your dream career.

For instance, some Labor and Delivery nurses work in the general wards, while others choose to specialize in working with high-risk groups; emergency neonatal situations. Critical care nursing duties can vary based on practitioners’ educational and professional background. Obtaining an MSN(Master of Science in Nursing) is not necessary for nurses but it can help you achieve a competitive advantage in your career growth opportunities and other aspects of your job.

Get Additional Qualifications

It might also be time to look at your current skill set. If you graduated several years ago, chances are that you might need to go on an update course and learn about the latest developments in your field. You can also learn about the patient centered care approach and engage with others in your field to exchange experience and knowledge. The more you can showcase your skills and talent, and the more willing you are to learn, the better chance you will have for your supervisors to notice you.

Become a Trainer

Image via Air Force Medical Service

If your healthcare organization is dealing with an excessive turnover, or is working with loads of fresh graduates, you can become the go-to person to coach beginners and support them in the first few months. Sit down with your employer and find out whether you can help them make the most out of their fresh talent. Your efforts and enthusiasm will not go unnoticed, and you will be able to showcase your talent without having to pitch your manager for a promotion.

Work Experience Abroad

To add to your existing experience and stand out from the pool of applicants when a new leadership and managerial opportunity comes up, you might want to increase your cultural competency and spend a few months abroad. If you are able to communicate with patients from different cultures and even have the language skills others don’t possess, you can actually jump the queue for promotion. Your CV will need to stand out from the pile, and having a work experience abroad will certainly get you noticed.

Study New Methods

If you would like to compete with fresh graduates, you will have to bring your knowledge up to their level. You might want to go back to college and get an online master of science in nursing to learn about the latest leadership theories and healthcare approaches. After all,the industry is evolving every day, due to the increasing demand for services and the new illnesses and health conditions the aging population is dealing with.

Take Part In Research Programs

To prove yourself and become a better nurse, you will need to seek opportunities to get your name on groundbreaking publications. You can volunteer to take part in research programs and support the team of scientists test new interventions or medication. The more connected you are with your field of nursing, the more valuable you will be for health care departments, no matter if you are seeking employment in a hospital or a long term healthcare facility.

Learn Technology

The healthcare industry and medical device field improves every year. It is important that you are aware of the latest methods of treating different conditions and managing individuals’ health. You might do your own research, or become a liaison for your organization who does the evaluation of the latest medical devices and creates reports. You have to study computer technology, as well, and managing data safely. You need to help patients use stairlifts. You might also be the first person to try the latest lab equipment and learn about the regulation surrounding its use, so you can later pass on your knowledge to your colleagues.

Managerial Qualifications

If you would like to become a leader who transforms an organization, you will need to obtain the right qualifications and experience. There are several managerial skills you might want to learn, not only to improve your career prospects, but also to manage your own life better. From time management to project management and dealing with human resource issues, there are plenty of valuable skills that will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants when you are planning on advancing your career.

Add IT to Your Skill Set

Information technology and data intelligence are a huge part of healthcare today. No matter if you would like to identify patient groups using data analytics, or create health promotion campaigns using social media management campaigns, you will need the technical knowledge and skills to make sense of the online information. Whether you would like to create patient engagement through social media, or create surveys, you can provide cost effective solutions to your future employers.

Improve Your Interpersonal Skills

The healthcare industry is based on interpersonal relationships. Patients need to trust their providers and experts with their health, and – often  – with their lives, too. At the same time, your organization will need to embrace individual strengths and build on the diversity of the staff. Studying different approaches to engage with the workplace, motivate staff, and create meaningful shared goals and visions will take you one step closer to achieving your personal and career goals.

With a lot of competition, regulation, and challenges, in the ever changing healthcare industry you will need to be proactive when creating a plan to advance your career. Take your time to study the latest trends in healthcare and research and find a specialist area you would like to focus on long term.