Nursing is a famously rewarding job. There are hundreds of thousands of nurses across the US that have reported that they get a feeling of fulfillment by helping others and having a direct effect on the lives of those in their communities. As such, careers in nursing are popular, highly-regarded, and crucial for the support of ordinary people across the country. But what of career progression in nursing: how can you get ahead as a nurse, rising the ranks to more senior positions as you do so? This article offers six tips to help you do just that.
1. Retrain and Qualify
Nursing is one of those vocations for which you need to have a qualification. All nurses, of course, know this, as they’ve trained in order to get that all-important piece of paper that shows they’re safe to work with patients in US hospitals. But, even if you’ve been removed from university life for some years, and you’re used to working on the ward, there’s always further education awaiting those who wish to specialize and work towards nursing promotions.
Many of these courses are available online, aimed at working nurses who are looking to continue ward work while studying on the side. You’ll find many of the most exciting graduate study opportunities at Carson-Newman Online, where you can deepen your understanding of nursing and nurse procedures, and take those new skills back into your job as a more valuable employee. With additional training, you’ll be far more likely to secure a promotion in the future.
2. Nurture and Teach
Whether you’re selected to help train new nurses, or you simply take newly-qualified individuals under your wing to show them the ropes on your ward, another way to get noticed as an ‘above-and-beyond’ kind of nurse is to help new recruits. Not only will this display your leadership credentials, working alongside students and nervous first-timers who might need guidance and care, but it’ll also show you’re completely dedicated to the efficient running of your ward.
You will also learn, from your time with junior nurses, about how you can best teach and support new professionals, while also allowing them to make their own mistakes, and learn by doing. You will sometimes take a ‘step-back’ approach to their support, but you’ll make yourself available to help them, should they become flustered while working on the ward. All of these skills are crucial for those nurses who would like to transition into education in the latter years of their lives.
3. More Responsibility
As with other professions, a great way to show that you’re ready for additional responsibilities is simply to take it upon yourself to assume them. If there’s extra paperwork that needs doing, you should feel free to fill it in yourself – accurately and effectively, of course. If there are nurses off sick and you’re struggling on your ward, this is a wonderful time to prove yourself and the fact that you have more gas in the tank to offer patients around your hospital. And in crisis moments, if it’s you there managing the chaos, you’ll get noticed and appreciated by the powers that be in your hospital.
As such, you should be careful to find the responsibilities that you know you can handle when you’re trying to channel your ambition and love of the job into meaningful extra work. Remember that you should avoid burnout at all times – that this is a ticket to poor work, mistakes, and even a demotion. Balance your work with your wellbeing to avoid these scenarios.
4. Relationship Building
Another aspect to all jobs is socializing. If you want to get ahead in any field, you need to talk with and get along with your bosses. In nursing, this rule applies just as much as in other professions; indeed, it’s possibly more important, seeing as you’re often too busy to forge relationships with those outside your ward. You can deepen important relationships by:
- Networking across the entirety of your hospital
- Making yourself available for work drinks, dinners, and social events
- Organizing meet-ups with your team and your superiors
- Staying on in the staff room and canteen to chat with other staff in your hospital
All of these strategies can contribute to you being known and appreciated – both as a professional nurse and as an individual character – in your place of work.
5. Extra Hours
If you can take on some extra overtime hours to make a nursing manager’s life a little easier, they’re going to thank you for it. If you’re able to cover for a nurse who has a wedding to attend, or a party for their child to be at, you’ll make yourself popular amongst your colleagues. And, when the going gets particularly tough, if you’re there to pick up the pieces, you’ll get known as reliable and trustworthy.
The same rule applies here, as was mentioned earlier: avoid burnout. But, as nurses know full-well, there are times in the calendar where you cannot avoid long shifts, back-to-back slogs, and a pile of paperwork to plow through after a long day on the ward. Put in those extra hours to show how much your job means to you.
6. Direct Request
If all of the above fails to get you promoted, it may be time to take matters into your own hands. Organize a meeting with the hospital professional that you know has the power to offer promotions, and be sure to prepare what you’ll say to them in your bid to get promoted. Cite all the times you’ve put in extra hours, helped colleagues, learned new things, and supported your ward.
If you put in the right kind of pitch, in the right tone and with the right justification, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll secure yourself a more senior position on the nursing team, and a rise in salary as a result. It’s this kind of direct action, after waiting for months for a promotion, that can sometimes bring all your hard work to the attention of your superiors in a kind yet forceful way.
These six tips should help all nurses to find that extra bit of energy to progress their career and climb the ladder within their fulfilling profession.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.