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How can you advance your nursing career and keep it moving forward? Short- and long-term goals can help you maintain a career that is fresh, challenging, and rewarding. Consider three keys for a successful career path.
1. Stay Current With Nursing Education
Ongoing education can help you stay current and knowledgeable about nursing practices. There are several ways to keep up with medical advances and help advance your nursing career.
Regularly enroll in traditional education, webinars, or other types of online courses.
Subscribe to nursing and medical journals.
Read nursing eBooks.
Consider pursuing one of the following advanced nursing degrees:
Nurse practitioner
Certified, registered nurse anesthetist
Certified nurse-midwife
Clinical nurse specialist
2. Maintain and Expand Your Network
Networking can help you learn about, and get recommended for, new opportunities. Nurse recruiters often search social networking sites to find potential candidates. Several ways to maintain and grow your professional network include:
Join nursing networking sites.
Follow professional networking organizations on social media to connect with online communities of nurses.
Build a professional profile that highlights your skills, experience, and certifications.
Maintain regular contact with colleagues in your network. Let them know you’re seeking new opportunities.
3. Find a Nurse Mentor
A nurse mentor can help you improve professionally and develop the qualities you need to excel. Your mentor can also be a valuable resource in introducing you to nursing professionals and leaders who can help open the door to new opportunities.
What should you look for in a mentor?
Look for a nurse mentor with the following qualities:
Exhibits strong interpersonal skills and is an effective listener
Is willing to establish a long-term professional relationship with you and offer constructive criticism and support
Is known for exceptional patient care
Is recognized for strong leadership skills
Advance Your Nursing Career With Travel Opportunities
Travel nursing provides many opportunities that can help advance your career, including:
Work at a variety of facilities throughout the country
Gain experience with a wide range of medical technology
Serve patient populations you might not otherwise have access to
The experience you gain can help you make decisions about your next career move and make you a more competitive candidate. Contact WSi today to learn how we can help you find opportunities to accelerate your nursing career.