If you are a nurse, you\u2019ll want to help people as much as possible. You\u2019ll always know there is more you can do, and you\u2019ll strive to do it. In other words, you\u2019ll want to be the best so you can do your best. A good nurse will understand that there is always more to know, and they won\u2019t just sit back and be content with their current knowledge base; they\u2019ll keep pushing forward.<\/p>\n
One way to ensure you move forward and don\u2019t end up staying still in your career as a nurse is to look for good ways to enhance it. Making your career your priority is not something that everyone is comfortable with, but it really doesn\u2019t mean you have to sacrifice everything else in your life \u2013 there are many ways to do it that will keep it important, but that will allow the ideal work-life balance (or at least a good one). With that in mind, here are some of the ways you can boost your nursing career that might surprise you because, for the most part, the knowledge and expertise are already in you.<\/p>\n
If you want to boost your career as a nurse, you must always have the best intentions<\/a> when it comes to everything you do. This might seem as though it would be easy. After all, you became a nurse and remain a nurse so that you can help your patients and make a real difference in people\u2019s lives. If you don\u2019t have that drive behind you, is nursing really the right option for you in terms of your career?<\/p>\n The fact is that although nurses will always go into the profession with the best of intentions, over time, these can wear away to a point where they don\u2019t remember why they chose nursing in the first place. This is a bad place to be; not only is it bad for the patient, but it could also potentially lead to burnout, which is terrible for nurses, particularly their mental health.<\/p>\n This is why having the best intentions is a good way to boost your career. It shows you that you\u2019re still interested, for one thing, which will show potential employers (or your current employer if you\u2019re going for a promotion) that you care. It will also offer better patient interactions, and it will mean that burnout is far less likely<\/a>. Having the best intentions means going into each shift in a positive frame of mind and being as cheerful and helpful as possible.<\/p>\n As a nurse, it\u2019s highly likely you already know that trusting your gut<\/a> is a crucial part of the job. It might not be something you can easily put into words, and it might not be something you discuss with your colleagues \u2013 or anyone else \u2013 but you\u2019ll probably admit that it\u2019s true. Instinct plays a huge part in how a good nurse works.<\/p>\n Not only is this instinct important when it comes to treating your patients and understanding exactly what they need (and providing it quickly and efficiently), but it\u2019s also about how you work with your colleagues. The more you can trust your gut about any given situation, the more smoothly your work will go, as the teamwork will be excellent, you\u2019ll always know just what\u2019s needed, as will everyone else in the team, and everyone will play their parts expertly.<\/p>\n Trusting your instinct means listening to your own body, too. When you are a nurse, you\u2019ll be doing a lot of physical work, you\u2019ll be working shifts, you\u2019ll be working long hours, and some of the things you have to deal with can put a strain on your mental health as well. Add all this up, and you might find that you feel overwhelmed and, as previously mentioned, at risk of burnout. Trusting what your body is telling<\/a> you means you can step back when necessary and allow yourself any time you need for yourself.<\/p>\n What has this got to do with advancing your nursing career? It\u2019s because the more you can trust your instincts, the more confident you\u2019ll be in your abilities. You\u2019ll also know which areas you are lacking, enabling you to learn more and gain more experience. In the end, trusting your gut means your career can move forward quickly.<\/p>\n Although the majority of the items in this article will talk about less tangible things, as you\u2019ve already seen, there are some things you\u2019ll need to do to boost your career that is a little different. They don\u2019t rely on things you already know and your innate skills. In fact, they are all about the things you don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n What we mean by this is that if you want to boost your nursing career, you\u2019ll need to advance your knowledge. You can\u2019t expect to get a better job in a specific department or even become a nurse manager or leader if you don\u2019t have the knowledge that will ensure you can do your job well. This is why it can be absolutely vital to go back to school and learn more.<\/p>\n Ideally, you\u2019ll obtain an additional degree (or more than one) in an area that will help you get further ahead. For example, if you already have a good number of qualifications and a lot of experience, the next step could be a doctor of nursing practice AGPCNP<\/a>. For some positions, a qualification like this is vital, and you won\u2019t be able to<\/p>\n move forward without one.<\/p>\n For other nursing jobs, you need to show your experience and knowledge, but you might not necessarily need a specific qualification. In this case, you can read blogs and journals, ask questions, and potentially even find a mentor who can help you gain the skills you need to take the next step.<\/p>\n No matter what direction you opt to go in, advancing your knowledge is a key component of advancing your career.<\/p>\n No one is perfect, and if you never own up to any mistakes<\/a> and never ask any questions to gain more knowledge because you know you don\u2019t know something, you won\u2019t be able to get very far ahead. To begin with, mistakes, although upsetting, are an ideal learning tool. When you make a mistake, you can look at it as objectively as possible and determine what went wrong and how you would do things differently in the future. In this situation, you have immediately learned new skills<\/a> and new ways of working that will reduce the likelihood of mistakes in the future.<\/p>\n Next, being honest about what you don\u2019t know \u2013 to yourself and to others \u2013 means you can then set about learning that missing information. If you always tell yourself that you already know everything, not only are you far more likely to make mistakes, but you\u2019re also never going to get any further in your nursing career; you have to keep learning, as we mentioned above.<\/p>\nGo With Your Gut <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Advance Your Knowledge <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Be Honest <\/strong><\/h3>\n