Advancing and Managing Your Professional Nursing Career

Chapter 7 Advancing and Managing Your Professional Nursing Career Nursing: A Job or a Career? (1 of 2) • View of nursing as a job: – Obtains least amount of education needed for nursing licensure – Obtains the minimum continuing education units required for licensure and/or the job – Continues with job as long as it meets personal needs of nurse; expects reasonable work for reasonable pay; responsibility ends with shift Nursing: A Job or a Career? (2 of 2) • View of nursing as a career: – Obtains a BSN and often pursues an advanced nursing degree – Engages in formal and informal lifelong learning experiences across the career – Actively and joyfully engages in practicing the art and science of professional nursing as a member and possibly leader in professional nursing initiatives within the nurse’s healthcare agency and in professional nursing Trends to Consider in Nursing Career Decisions • Where health care is delivered • The type of practitioners needed • The nursing educational preparation required to provide this care Key Messages from The Future of Nursing • Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training • Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression • Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other healthcare professionals, in redesigning health care in the U.S. • Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information infrastructure Recommendations from The Future of Nursing • Remove scope-of-practice barriers • Expand opportunities for nurses to lead and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts • Implement nurse residency programs • Increase the percentage of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80% by 2020 • Double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020 • Ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning • Prepare and enable nurses to lead change to advance health • Build an infrastructure for the collection and analysis of interprofessional healthcare workforce data The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action Video https://youtu.be/V_PnaXjVn2c Questions to Ask Yourself (1 of 4) • What is the future of nursing for me? • Am I currently practicing to the fullest extent of my nursing education and training? • What changes need to occur in my current practice in order to actualize this personal vision of my career? • What are the projected employment trends and opportunities for nursing in my area? Questions to Ask Yourself (2 of 4) • Have I achieved the highest level of education and training to support my desired career goals? • What career path am I best equipped for and motivated to pursue to lead change and advance health and what specialization should I consider? • Have I sought out and had a dialogue with seasoned colleagues who have demonstrated success in advancing their nursing careers and elicited their input on trends in nursing practice and nursing education options? Questions to Ask Yourself (3 of 4) • Have I explored nursing education program options at accredited academic institutions that will support my career advancement interest? • Have I pursued ways to pay for advancing my nursing education through reimbursement at work, state and federal scholarship and traineeships, and/or public and private foundations? Questions to Ask Yourself (4 of 4) • How will I balance work-family-study demands and remain physically, psychologically, and financially healthy? • Lastly and perhaps, most importantly, am I ready to take action in advancing my professional nursing career? Showcasing Your Professional Self • Professional portfolio • Resume • The interview Characteristics of the Organization That You Should Assess (1 of 2) • Manifest a philosophy of clinical care emphasizing quality, safety, interdisciplinary collaboration, continuity of care, and professional accountability • Recognize the value of nurses’ expertise on clinical care quality and patient outcomes • Promote executive level nursing leadership • Empower nurses’ participation in clinical decision making and organization of clinical care systems Characteristics of the Organization That You Should Assess (2 of 2) • Demonstrate professional development support for nurses • Maintain clinical advancement programs based on education, certification, and advanced preparation • Create collaborative relationships among members of the healthcare team • Utilize technological advances in clinical care and information systems Mentoring: The Benefits • Increased self-confidence • Enhanced leadership skills • Accelerated acclimation to the culture of a unit/facility • Advancement opportunities • Enhanced communication skills • Reduced stress • Improved networking ability • Political savvy • Legal and ethical insight Education and Lifelong Learning • ANA’s standards of professional performance, standard number 8, indicates that it is the responsibility of every nurse to seek “knowledge and competence that reflects current nursing practice” • Every state board of nursing should require mandatory continuing education for all practicing RNs, but they do not Nursing Career Paths Supported by Graduate-Level Academic Programs • Expert clinician (APRN) • Clinical nurse leader (CNL) • Nurse executive • Nurse educator • Nurse researcher Professional Engagement • Engagement in your healthcare organization • Engagement in professional nursing organizations Expectations of Your Performance • Self-appraisal • Work performance evaluations conducted by nurse managers on behalf of healthcare organizations • Collegial evaluations Suggestions for the Evaluation of Your Professional Performance (1 of 2) • Conduct your own self-appraisal first in order to have a more informed dialogue with your nurse manager • Identify your areas of strength and areas in need of growth • Pursue continuing education to enhance both your strengths and narrow your limitations Suggestions for the Evaluation of Your Professional Performance (2 of 2) • Accept constructive feedback with respect, gratitude, and civility • If feedback does not make sense to you, clarify what is being said • Develop an ongoing plan of quality improvement for yourself Care of Self • Eating a balanced diet • Getting enough sleep • Avoiding addictive substances • Exercising on a regular basis • Paying attention to mental and spiritual health • Being vigilant in coping with stress triggers at work and at home Tips for Time Management (1 of 2) • Be organized • Make a list of the tasks you will need to do and post it in a place that you can easily see • Before making your rounds, make a checklist of the things you need to do for each patient • When doing rounds, always see your most critical patient first • Do not do other tasks when giving medications Tips for Time Management (2 of 2) • Pay attention to time • Learn how to write quickly • Always bring easy-to-eat snacks • Be keen on details • Learn how to communicate • Learn to multitask • Be realistic Managing Stress • Prevent burnout • Prevent compassion fatigue • Maintain a civil work environment • Sustain a resilient self …