Ways to Jumpstart Your Nursing Career

So you finished nursing school and passed the nursing board exams with flying colors. You certainly want to land a nursing job that's financially-rewarding as it is fulfilling. But you don't know where to begin.

True enough, having a rewarding nursing career doesn't automatically happen after obtaining a nursing degree and passing the boards. There are those who have worked as a nurse for years and still don't find their chosen career the least bit fulfilling.

The nursing profession may be one of the most stressful careers but it can be rewarding and fulfilling if you are able to make wise career choices. As an entry-level nurse, you have to jumpstart your nursing career, learn in-demand skill sets, get noticed, and make things happen for you so that you can grab the most rewarding nursing career opportunities. Here then are some tips on how you can jumpstart your nursing career.

• Research. Read on different nursing specialties so you will have an idea what specific area you want to practice eventually. Do you think you'll make it good as an OR nurse someday? Have you heard that travel nursing is fun and financially rewarding? Then research and ask around about these areas so you'll have a general feel if you've found a potential niche in the nursing profession.

• Learn, learn, and learn. If you want to be on top of the nursing career ladder someday, then you must get ahead by learning more by obtaining nursing certifications. You can also attend workshops or obtain an advanced nursing degree.

• Accept challenges. Whether you want an in-demand nursing job, or a raise or a promotion later in your career, remember that those who advance in any career are the ones who possess leadership skills and initiative. So if you want better career opportunities, accept challenges by volunteering for tasks or projects even if it may mean extra work for you.

• Build relationships. As nurses, we always collaborate with our colleagues and other medical professionals. Maintain a good relationship with your superiors and peers. It is also wise to choose a mentor within your nursing unit and learn from that colleague. 

• Use technology to your best advantage. If you want to be a globally competitive nurse, then you should be tech-savvy. Remember that technology has dramatically altered the ways in which we manage nursing problems and issues. In fact, technology has provided the solutions that enable us to enhance the practice of nursing. There's a wealth of information available on how you can become tech-savvy and you can start by learning or two about podcasts and mobile applications specifically made for nurses and other medical professionals.

Having that nursing career of your dreams will not happen overnight but if you're able to jumpstart your nursing career early and obtain the necessary skills set and have the right attitude, the climb up the nursing career ladder will be easier. And who knows, you might just be recognized as one of the trailblazers in the nursing profession someday.

Effective Strategies in Reducing Stress in the Workplace

Occupational stress is a major concern in the workplace due to its impact on the workers and the organization. Studies have been conducted on the effects of occupational stress and results indicate that there is a relationship between stress, employee health, and overall work performance.

In the workplace, nurses may be subjected to negative stressors like excessive overtime, increased workload, poor work supervision, uncomfortable work environment, and poor relationship with co-workers. For example, a clinical supervisor may be asked to handle an extra class for a colleague on indefinite leave. Consequently, this necessitates a transition period as she adjusts to her new students. The extra workload also means that she will have extended work hours because her scope of responsibility increased.

Whether the source of stress is physical or social, it has a high impact on nurses' health and work performance. And on the personal level, nurses need to take care of themselves by instituting measures to reduce work-related stress. Here's how:

• Identify the source of stress. Is it the excessive overtime? Do you have a poor relationship with the other nurses in the unit? Is it the high demands of your new job as a clinical instructor? First, you need to identify what stresses you in the workplace before you can effectively deal with it.

• Improve your diet. Eat small meals of healthy amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats evenly spaced out during the day so that you will be able to maintain your energy levels at work. Also, remember to consume lots of fluids to keep you fresh and nourished through the grueling hours spent at work.

• Exercise. Exercise is one of the most effective mood-lifting strategies out there. Stretch each limb for 15 seconds to improve circulation and relax yourself when you feel stressed out. Getting up from the nursing station or taking a short power walk during breaks will also help you recharge and disconnect yourself briefly from a stressful work environment.

• Be assertive. If you have a hard time dealing with your workload because you can't cope with the excessive overtime, it is time to communicate with your supervisor regarding your concerns. In doing so, be assertive but stay positive and focus on the specifics. If your problem is the excessive overtime, perhaps you can suggest one or two ways on how to reduce overtime use.

• Build working relationships. If you have a poor relationship with your fellow nurses, try making that extra effort to socialize with them. You can make use of a lunch hour or breaks to give and receive feedbacks on different matters and possibly enhance working relationships. Remember, communicating with others effectively is a surefire way to vent out your feelings and reduce occupational stress.

• Develop coping strategies. When your job as a nurse makes you feel like the world is closing in on you, learn to develop personal coping strategies. Coping strategies may include calling a friend during breaks, organizing your tasks, maintaining a work journal, or even praising yourself for a job well done. Simple as they are, these effective coping strategies are extremely useful in reducing stress and anxiety at work.

High levels of occupational stress greatly affects nurses' overall health and productivity at work. In order to reduce work-related stress, sustained commitment is required not only from the organization but from the individual workers as well.

Nurses' Guide to Increasing Job Satisfaction

Are you suffering from work-related stress lately? Do you always find yourself wishing for a day off when it is just the first day of your workweek? Or are you thinking of a career shift so early in your nursing career?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are, you are starting to lose job satisfaction. You find it hard to cope with your workload either in the station, in the academe, or even in the community setting. Here then are some ways to help you improve job satisfaction in the workplace and reduce work-related stress:

• Improve your nursing skills. You can improve your nursing skills by attending workshops and seminars, obtaining an advanced nursing degree, or by doing further reading on your own. It will also help you greatly if you'll have a mentor in your workplace as the person can help you greatly in areas you need to improve on.

• Accept new challenges. If you do the same things 40 hours per week and suffer from boredom, then consider breaking the monotony by accepting new challenges. Talk to your nursing superior if there are opportunities in the organization available for you. If volunteers are needed in a different nursing unit or department in the nursing institution you are working for, go for it to combat the boredom. Plus, new learnings will always come handy in the future.

• Put things in the proper perspective. No matter what path you have taken, always think that in the workplace, there are peak hours, peak days, and peak months. Supposing you work as a nursing educator, it is expected that the week before exams is stressful as lessons need to be wrapped up and test questions to be formulated. Develop a healthy perspective at work by thinking that a week spent at work is relatively fruitful despite the heavier than usual workload.

• Learn from mistakes. For nurses who lose job satisfaction because they are always reprimanded by superiors due to errors committed at work, the best thing to do is to learn from those mistakes. Remember, committing mistakes doesn't mean that you are a failure. Committing mistakes at work simply means that there are areas you need to improve on so you just have to try harder next time.

The nursing profession may be very stressful and developing positive attitudes and behaviors towards your job doesn't happen overnight. However, taking simple and concrete steps like the ones mentioned above will help you restore meaning and find fulfillment in your job.