Don’t
Compromise, Revitalize Your Nursing Career
by Donna Cardillo, RN, BS
Have
you ever wanted to go into law enforcement, heard that people
in the computer industry are making good money, or wondered
what it would be like to be part of the legal team in a
courtroom? If you answered “yes” to any of these
questions, there is no need to leave your current profession
to seek another. Rather, combine your nursing with your
other skills, interests, and loves, and discover a whole
new way to practice within the profession.
If
you think the nursing profession offers limited opportunities,
you have been misinformed. Nursing continues to hold rich
and diverse opportunities. In fact, there are more opportunities
in nursing today than ever before.
It
is important to look beyond what you think you know about
your chosen profession and get “in the know”
about what nurses are doing across the country. Learn about
the options within the field and plan a career that meshes
with your interests.
Nurses
Can Do Almost Anything
Today’s
nurse might be doing medical investigating for the FBI as
a forensic nurse, preparing courtroom exhibits for a medical
malpractice case as a legal nurse consultant, training nurses
on the use of patient charting software as a nursing informatics
specialist, or writing for a medical association newsletter
as a medical writer. Today’s nurse might also be working
as a parish nurse leading a bereavement support group for
a local religious congregation. He or she may be working
in the field of telehealth giving telephone advice and referrals
to members of a managed care plan, or teaching smoking cessation
classes in a corporate setting as an independent consultant.
If
any of this sounds intriguing, it’s only the tip of
the iceberg. Nurses have been forging new territory, professionally
speaking, for the last two decades We are moving in directions
in which we have never before explored. Just in the last
five years we have seen the emergence of several new specialties.
As nurses, we are versatile and multitalented. We have many
transferable skills that can be used in the healthcare arena.
There are many ways and places to have a positive impact
on healthcare and the world around us.
Go
for It
Are
all of these new specialties still considered nursing? You
better believe it. Being a nurse is about who you are, not
about where you work. For most of us, our identity is often
wrapped up in the physical environment where we work. We
tend to see ourselves in a very limited role. It’s
time to break out of the mold and expand our own views of
who we are and what we do, and to open our eyes to virtually
limitless opportunities out there if we just take a good
look.
As
the healthcare industry is changing, so too must the nursing
profession. It’s time to step out of the box and open
your eyes to what nurses are doing. Combine your interests
and loves with your nursing background and revitalize your
career. Even if you are happy where you are, it’s
important for every nurse to understand the scope of what
your colleagues are doing. You’ll be better able to
anticipate and understand the changes happening around you.
It’s time to celebrate the diversity of nursing.
Copyright
from Nursing Spectrum, NY and NJ Edition.
All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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