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Nurses aren’t just caregivers; they’re medical jacks-of-all-trades. As such, you’ve probably found that caring for patients requires you to always be on your toes and always be open to learning new things.
Professional development is a must since nurses are lifelong learners. But just what type of extra training should you pursue? Here are four ways to boost your nursing career through professional development.
Find a Nurse Mentor
The typical 9-to-5 worker won’t understand your issues as a nurse. A more experienced nurse, however, will get it. Identify a mentor in your profession from whom you can bounce ideas and gain support.
A mentor can provide you with guidance on avoiding burnout and how to progress your formal education. They can also help you network with others to open up more career opportunities.
Join a Professional Nursing Organization
Expand your opportunities by joining a professional nursing organization. There are over 100 nursing organizations to join.
Nurses who participate in these organizations might receive special discounts on attending nursing conferences or might receive invitations to attend them. You can make new contacts this way and possibly find ways to expand your nursing career.
Get A Specialization Certification
Nursing allows you to select from different specializations that can help shape the course of your career. Honing your focus helps increase your expertise and will enable you to make your work even more high-quality.
Going through a reputable organization to get your certification can make you an even stronger candidate. In contrast, job hunting and seeking out advanced certifications can deepen your area of expertise in a chosen area.
You can look into different types of clinical specializations, ranging from gastroenterology to progressive care and from dialysis to pediatric care. The American Organization for Nurse Leadership (AONL) and the American College of Healthcare Executives Nurses offer certifications geared toward nursing administrators, managers, and executives.
Attend Graduate School
Attending graduate school for a master’s degree in nursing can boost your career by opening doorways to higher-paying career roles. It is also an opportunity for you to expand and apply your knowledge.
You can go for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), divided into different study tracks, such as an MSN Education track, a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track, or an MSN Administration track.
Doctoral programs are also for nurses looking to go into grad school. You can find programs with individualized tracks like Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) and Executive Leadership, which would have you focusing more on the financial aspect of nursing.
The highest degree you can achieve is a doctorate in nursing. This is even more science- and research-based than other programs geared toward those with a vested interest in medical research and development.
Advancing your career in nursing indeed involves enhancing your knowledge of medicine. Find that core area that you can specialize in and allow yourself to become a leader in it.
With a strong, capable mentor guiding you through the process and membership in nursing organizations to help you build connections, your extra training can take your work as a nurse to the next level.
