If your life's calling is to be a nurse, you already understand the commitment and effort required to be a good one. However, you might soon seek out more in your career, setting your sights on positions of management, for instance. How can you better your nursing skills and reach the next level in your nursing career?
Consider a Doctorate
If you'd like more administrative responsibilities in your job, you might want to consider a Doctor of Nursing degree, or a DNP. Getting a doctorate in nursing will not only give you more clinical skill, but it will also give you the skills needed to take on leadership roles. There are various specialties you can concentrate on while seeking a DNP, including technology, public policy, and education. The DNP is the highest level of education you can seek as a nurse, and it will give you an opportunity to move into any career field you like.
Attend Nursing Conferences
No matter which nursing organizations you've joined, they all have conferences and periodic gatherings. These events serve to not only educate you about new advancements in nursing, but they provide the opportunity to network with nurses and other high-level professionals in the healthcare field. You might learn about an emerging field that you're eager to be a part of, or you might meet nurse practitioners who can inspire you to continue your education. Being around like-minded professionals will give you a clearer idea of what's possible in your career.
Ask for Feedback
While your shift supervisor and Director of Nursing will give you periodic reviews, it still benefits you to get feedback from the people you see every day: your patients. Being able to understand how your techniques are coming across to those you're treating can make you a better nurse. While you might not be able to have patients fill out evaluation forms, you may be able to ask a few brief questions about your work before you discharge them or send them to another location. You might ask if you explained everything well, whether they felt you listened to their concerns, and if they needed something more from you. The information they give you can help you with other patients, which can make you a better nurse.
Your nursing career can truly take off when you get some patient feedback, attend conferences, and think about getting a Doctor of Nursing degree. Consider these possibilities and become the best nurse you can be.
Share19 November 2019
When you are a child, education is something you pursue because others compel you to do so. You go to school because your parents require it. You do your homework because your teacher asks you to. But as you grow into an adult, your perspective on education is likely to change. As an adult, you are not learning for someone else; you are learning for you. If you value learning and want to continue your education, then there are a wide range of resources available, from community college classes to online courses. We share insights into these and other opportunities on this website.
