Tips to Develop Your Nursing Career
Are you a recent nurse graduate or a full-time nurse with a semi happy comfort zone in search of a new adventure to grow within your field? Then this blog is full of tips for you.
Healthcare and the world are changing as such as the innovative technologies, illnesses, new regulations, and nursing opportunities. Therefore, it is necessary to be a career-resilient nurse. This means that you must be able to adapt to latest changes in the external environment to grow and develop.
As a nurse with dreams, goals, and ideas for the future, it is necessary to make a career plan so that you can work towards your vision. Thus, we have laid out for you the following tips to help you keep growing in your nursing career.
Know Your Options
If you have a dream job position, study similar job vacancies, and investigate the skills needed to get that position and work on that. One of our tips for you is to take the time to research more about the job market and opportunities that are available on the private and public side but also nationally and internationally. If you are planning to work abroad, research the language requirements and the possibilities to develop your career there.
Take Initiative
If you find yourself stuck in a routine, craving change, or feeling under challenged, it is important to take responsibility and ownership of your career. Avoid the temptation to hope things might just change by themselves and equally, do not wait for opportunities to fall into your lap; instead, create your own. Go and look at how senior staff members fulfill their jobs and learn through observation.
Take the initiative. Set a one-one meeting with your supervisor and talk about your ambitions with him or her. Explain that you are interested in a promotion and share with them your goals. You can also ask to be placed on committees within the organization to get to know nurses from different departments. This will help you learn about other roles that might be interesting.
Networking
Networking within the healthcare field can be crucial, but do not overlook the opportunity to gain information from the industry by networking outside of it. You can build a network and make friends by attending workshops, medical conferences, participating in webinars, connecting via LinkedIn or Facebook groups. As you increase your network, news will arrive faster and will give you the opportunity to act.
Further education
The key to taking your career to the next step is to narrow your focus. The nursing profession offers many specializations and ways to capitalize on the aspects of your job that you like best. Becoming certified in an area of specialization will help you advance in your career and so it can also be reflected on your paycheck.
For instance, in the Netherlands it is common for institutions and hospitals to pay attention to personal growth and professional development. This means that you are helped with taking further steps in your nursing career. In addition to the compulsory courses, you have the option to choose additional courses. This is stimulated from the hospital and investments are made in you. But you also learn by sharing knowledge with each other in the workplace and in daily practice. To learn more about nurse specializations in the Netherlands, you can read this blog.
Stay Up to Date
Do as the Italian phrase go “Ancora Imparo” which translates to “I’m still learning.” This is one of the best ways to continue expanding your knowledge and help boost your career.
It is important to keep up with the latest developments and trends in your field. This can range from following the news to joining relevant groups on social media and subscribing to newsletters to nursing blogs or tuning in to podcasts. However, if you have the possibility to join a course, this is highly recommended as you are in direct contact with experts in the field and the interaction can lead to in-depth discussions and exchange of ideas.
To Summarize
Discover what your nursing goals and aspirations are. Focus on your goal and use the tools available to achieve it. Progressing in your career means that it is necessary to have the ambition and motivation to keep developing yourself. This means that it is expected that you adopt a proactive approach and actively participate in the learning moments in the department. It is also important that you are open to colleagues who share knowledge with you and that you are also prepared to share your knowledge in the interest of the team and the client. You have a lot of opportunities and career paths within your reach. Now it is up to you to decide how far you want to go and then put all your efforts towards your goal. What path do you think suits you best?
Are you looking to advance your nursing career abroad?
EMTG can help you with fulfilling your goals. Having someone who can pass on their wisdom to you as you start your nursing career can prove to be immensely helpful. EMTG provides professional guidance for those that decide to join our program. Have a look at our jobs page to find out more about nurse vacancies in the Netherlands. For more tips follow us on Instagram.