Are you a nurse looking to stand out in your profession but finding it difficult to do so? Unfortunately, this isn’t uncommon for most professionals working in the healthcare sector. Since the healthcare industry is incredibly competitive, attaining a prominent position is challenging. Not to mention how climbing the ladder to senior and leadership roles will seem unrealistic if you lack the support, skills, and knowledge required to do so. Nonetheless, by improving your skillset and career profile, you can quickly achieve career success. So, while tons of strategies should help you achieve this goal, it won’t be easy. You’ll have to reevaluate your priorities, set aside time for personal development, and strive for career advancement. However, if you follow the right strategies, you will undoubtedly stand out in your field. So, with that in mind, let us look at a few ways you can be a standout in the nursing field.
Table of Contents
Acquire Further Education
Whether you’re working as a nurse or searching for more lucrative job opportunities, improving your academic credentials is a viable way to boost your career. Furthermore, improving your knowledge and skills will help you secure various nursing career opportunities and earn higher salaries. For instance, going back to school to earn a doctoral-level nursing degree will provide your nursing career with a dramatic change. Besides, advanced practice nursing jobs like nurse anesthetist, nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner usually require a doctoral-level nursing degree. That said, there are two types of doctoral-level education you can go for; a Ph.D. or a DNP. So, consider weighing the differences between a DNP vs PhD before choosing one.
Work In Different Nursing Units
While working in the nursing field, gathering as much experience as possible is wise. And one way to do so is by working in as many nursing units as possible. In addition, it will allow you to determine which areas you specialize in and which ones align with your capabilities. Moreover, it will also let you stand out more in the nursing job market. Nurses who gain experience from different nursing units add more skillsets and expertise to their profile. This exposure makes them a valuable asset to their organization as they can quickly fulfill changing patient needs and requirements. Furthermore, such a diverse experience enables them to become more suitable candidates for nursing management career opportunities. For instance, if you’re a senior nurse, consider talking to your nursing case manager and asking them to allow you to work in a cardiac care unit. After that, you can utilize the experience you gain in your geriatric care unit to older patients experiencing heart conditions.
Leverage Networking Opportunities
Undoubtedly, there are several benefits of signing up for a professional nursing association or organization. When you do so, you will end up joining the ranks of other passionate and determined nurses while having access to various networking opportunities. Furthermore, nurses who join such professional organizations, like the ANA, are eligible for discounts or invitations to healthcare or nursing conventions and CE (continuing education) opportunities. In addition, resources and employment support from such professional nursing organizations will help you find more lucrative nursing opportunities.
Work On Your Weaknesses
If you want to stand out and progress in the nursing field, it is vital to remain self-aware and determine your weaknesses. Perhaps you aren’t good with time management which explains why you’re constantly struggling to complete work and meet deadlines. Or you can’t cooperate or coordinate appropriately in a group setting. Once you identify your weak areas, work towards improving them. However, if you find it challenging to unearth your shortcomings, don’t be afraid to seek feedback from your coworkers and supervisors. Also, if you have regular patients, you can even elicit some input from them. Usually, these individuals know you best and can give you a better idea of your areas of improvement. Nonetheless, consider their feedback as constructive criticism.
Find A Nursing Mentor
A nursing job is full of complicated situations that individuals working desk jobs will never understand. Every day will bring new challenges, and help from an experienced mentor will prove monumental to tackle them. So, support from nursing professionals with more experience will equip you with the relevant skills. As a result, you’ll perform more efficiently and become a standout employee in the process. In today’s unpredictable healthcare sector, it is crucial to find a mentor that will be ever-present to guide you during challenging situations. So, have a seasoned nurse mentor by your side to rely on and learn from wherever concerns or questions arise. Eventually, it will help you shape a prominent career in the nursing field.
Hone Emotional Intelligence
In today’s time, honing emotional intelligence skills has become indispensable for healthcare workers, especially nurses. Each day, nurses have to work in emotionally challenging situations, whether assisting an ailing patient or a grieving relative. Likewise, managing gruelingly long hours and urgent work shifts also necessitates improving emotional resilience. The Covid-19 pandemic served as a bitter reminder of how crucial it is for healthcare workers to work on their emotional intelligence. Those who managed their emotions survived the onslaught, while others eventually gave in to stress and burnout. Therefore, it is critical for healthcare workers, especially nurses, to hone emotional intelligence. What’s more, nowadays, recruiters analyze a candidate’s emotional quotient (EQ) more than their intelligence quotient (IQ). And that’s all the more reason to know more about this skill. So, if you seek to become a standout in your nursing career, work on your EQ.
Conclusion
If the ways mentioned above look overwhelming to you, don’t fret. Career advancement usually takes time and can span your entire nursing career. Even taking advantage of a small career growth opportunity or learning a new skill is a step in the right direction. That said, constantly striving to provide optimal care and satisfactory services to your patient is what every nurse should do. So, if you have the determination and drive to stand out amongst the nursing crowd, follow the abovementioned methods. Eventually, you’ll set yourself up for success in the nursing field.
