Nurses are healers with compassion and diligence that are core to one of the most ethical professions in the world. Apart from clinical knowledge, nurses need to develop skills to develop critical thinking, patience, effective communication, and endurance that can help them provide good care for their patients.
Nursing is also an in-demand job and with little perseverance, most qualified nurses can land well-paying jobs. Continuous education and professional development have never been so important as it is today. Nurses can follow the increasing trend to learn nursing online and take advantage of the AI-driven solutions that are available to them. If nurses fail to update themselves with all the changing developments in the healthcare industry, then the chances of career growth will be minimal.
Ace futuristic nursing
But considering the dynamics of the professions are changing at a rapid pace, nurses should prepare themselves to achieve more and advance their careers in the right direction. Added to the requirement of qualified nurses who can fit in the new roles that demand an understanding of the use of technology employed, the number of jobs for registered nurses is set to increase in the next decade.
To grow professionally nurses and nursing aspirants can follow these five tips that can prove to be very resourceful:-
Continuous Education
A nursing program can be structured as per the duration of the course and the difficulty level into the following:
- Licensed Practical Nurse – LPN: It is a diploma in practical nursing and can be a jumpstart for anyone who wants to enter the clinical side at the earliest.
- Registered Nurse – RN: A registered nursing program can be completed either as an associate program or a bachelor’s degree program.
- Nurse Practitioner – NP: A master’s program in nursing is the minimum requirement to become a nurse practitioner.
Anyone aspiring to take nursing can take any of the programs as per their then eligibility, purpose, and the time they can spend doing the course and clear the requisite NCLEX exam to start working as a nurse. However, a nurse should not limit their education to the base program they underwent in the past. They should look to seek more and advance their education either by enrolling in full programs or post graduate certificate in nursing.
Telehealth Trends
Telehealth is serving as one of the main operational pillars of the healthcare industry post-pandemic. Nurse practitioners and registered nurses have been able to diarise patient consultations, meet them online through video conferencing, and remotely monitor the health of patients without coming in contact in person.
Though telemedicine or telehealth was considered to be a boon in the heightened days of the pandemic, when social distancing protocols had to be maintained, it is here to stay and will be an essential part of the healthcare industry.
Learning basic computing skills that are required to provide efficient patient care through telehealth will be an added advantage to future nurses. They need to know how to use virtual meeting rooms, share patient-related information through screen-sharing and monitor their reports remotely using computers, the internet, and related digital tools.
Develop core skills
Apart from adeptness in handling a situation, nurses will be known for their core skills like critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, effective communication, time management, and compassion to name a few. While few of these skills are natural traits that can be honed further with the passage of time and experience enriched from various patient cases, nurses can do well to cultivate habits that can help develop their core skills.
Nurses are more than assistants to senior nurse practitioners and doctors. They are the first responders in a clinical setting and come across various patients’ case histories. They should be able to think on their feet and solve a problem deftly. To be a critical thinking nurse, one need not wait till they become a head nurse or senior nurse who is directly responsible for patient care. If they feel a certain procedure can work, they should speak up and voice their opinion.
Having the ability to speak a language is different from being able to effectively communicate the message to patients and their families. Nurses must develop this skill. With the help of personalized training from sites such as thought-leader.com, you can improve your communication skills.
Embrace change
Any career growth comes with its set of challenges and so does the nursing profession. If a nurse wants to grow professionally then they should understand what kind of challenges they are willing to take up. A nurse can grow up the ladder of hierarchy in an organization or aim for better-paying jobs. But for either or both to happen, one needs to step out of their comfort zone and upskill.
Nurses can pursue higher education like a master’s or a doctorate program in nursing and use these qualifications to become wellness consultants, clinical trial managers in a pharma company, nursing instructors, or even nursing program coordinators.
Nurses can embrace technology that can help them use nursing informatics and telehealth features to provide advanced patient care with efficiency. Those who are interested in traveling often and still hold a paying job can opt for travel nursing roles.
Increase networking
Nursing careers can be developed outside a clinical space only through networking. One of the easiest ways to network is by letting the hospital or clinical manager know your intent to represent and participate in medical conferences and nursing seminars.
Professional organizations like the American Nurses Association are resourceful and attending their workshops and seminars can add value to a nurse’s resume. Professional development and awareness about the current nursing trends are promoted through networking groups.
Conclusion:
There are abundant resources that can aid in providing outstanding job satisfaction for nurses where they can provide improved patient outcomes through continuous development of knowledge and skill. Be it enhanced education, advocacy through networking, technological adaptations, or traveling without borders, nurses can choose from a gamut of resources to upskill and re-skill through an online educational support system.