Nursing is one of the career fields that will never go extinct. It is a rewarding career but at the same time demanding as well. It drains you physically and emotionally. The satisfaction you get at the end of the shift is worth the pain. A nurse caters to the needs of the patient. They also help the patient’s hospital days less gloomy.
A bachelor’s degree in nursing opens a vast range of career avenues. An opportunity best fitted for your friend may not be the optimum choice for you. One should consider several aspects before selecting the ideal career choice, such as your interest and skills.
New graduates often worry about their next step to a successful career. It is not different for the graduates of the nursing degree. If the next step in your career is unclear, we recommend you read the article. We will provide you with tips to excel in your nursing career.
ACQUIRE A MASTER’S DEGREE:
A Master’s degree helps the students have hands-on knowledge and polish their skills further. Students enroll to specialize in disciplines. Nursing students have a broad spectrum of opportunities for higher education. They can enroll themselves in clinical leadership, management programs, health care ethics, and health care policy. If you are a fresh graduate, master’s programs can help you to land higher-paid jobs. Whereas if you are someone with nursing experience, the chances of promotion raise many folds with a master’s degree.
One can acquire their degree on campus or online. Both modes have their pros and cons. The on-campus option offers a “student-life” experience, but it has a rigid schedule. It can be hard to follow if you are studying part-time. For the part-time students, the online masters degree in nursing helps to acquire the degree on your terms. It provides flexibility. It also improves the understanding of various software critical in the professional fields.
IMPROVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Nurses need to communicate with the patients or their loved ones about the treatment status or results. Hence, they tend to learn excellent verbal as well as non-verbal communication skills. The body postures and tones impact the conversations immensely. If your body posture is distant and cold, the patients will have difficulty communicating with you. On the other hand, if you approach the patients with a smile and friendly voice tone, it will be easier for patients and even your colleagues to communicate with you.
During verbal or written conversations, it is best to be concise. One must try to avoid medical jargon that will be hard for the patient to understand. It is important to listen attentively to the patient and clarify all their questions patiently.
ADOPT LIFELONG LEARNING:
Health care is a dynamic field. Every day something new happens; the fast-growing advancements in technologies mean faster developments. With these developments, many skills and techniques become obsolete every day. There are a lot of medical practices in the world that practitioners followed but are now discouraged.
Lifelong learning is a term widely used in the medical field. It states that you never stop learning. It is an ever-going process. A fresh nurse graduate should welcome learning. The textbook knowledge helps to understand the situations, but the practice makes one capable of handling the cases. For example, a nurse-midwife may have textbook knowledge about a complication during labor. Still, without training under supervision, one may not be able to master them.
Hospitals and employers encourage new graduates to learn from experienced nurses. They provide many opportunities to practice under their supervision. As a recent graduate, one must possess the motivation to learn from their experience. One must always remember that it is a beginning, and learning will take you to the top of your field.
LEARN TO EMPATHIZE:
Imagine going to the clinic with a back problem. The nurse at the counter takes your medical history and asks you to wait. On your turn, the practitioner prescribes you medicine, and you are on your way. Although nothing sounds wrong in that scenario, there was no empathy. It is most likely that you will feel unsatisfied with the visit.
Empathizing with the people around you is an important life skill. It becomes an essential skill when you are a health care provider. When we see similar situations every day, we are not bothered by them. However, that is not the case with patients and their loved ones. As a nurse, make sure to empathize with the patients. It is necessary to understand that this situation is unique to them. One should learn to help the patient in a difficult situation and not make them feel unheard.
ENDURANCE:
A nurse must have stamina. It is an underestimated skill. Although not all nursing jobs require physical exertion, we recommend you increase your physical endurance. It will help you to excel in your career. A nurse throughout their shift has to bend, lift, squat, and walk. According to studies, a nurse on an average 12-hour shift walks 4-5 miles and burns more than 1400 calories.
Physical endurance does not only help you. It also helps your patients. You can be a role model for your patients. You are likely to encounter patients having diseases related to their lifestyles. You will not be able to convince your patients to make lifestyle changes unless you have the experience. People tend to listen more to the person acting on their advice.
FINAL WORDS
Nursing is a rewarding career. A bachelor’s degree in nursing is the initial step. There is a long road ahead of you. A nursing career can be your opportunity to help humankind. It is scary stepping into the professional world. We hope that you will be ready to start your career and be an expert in your field with these skills.
