You’ve worked hard to become a registered nurse (RN). You’ve gained a lot of clinical experience, and you might have even earned a degree in nursing. But now what? How can you keep advancing your career so that you don’t get stuck feeling like your career has hit a dead end?
In any profession, getting stuck is never ideal. But for nurses, it’s especially important not to feel like you can only move up the ladder by switching roles instead of continuing on with the same job. Fortunately, there are many ways that an RN can advance their career without switching careers entirely.
Go Back to School to Earn an Advanced Degree
If you want to advance your nursing career, you’ll want to advance your degree. One of the best ways to do this is to go back to school to earn an advanced degree. Many nurses find that, once they earn a Master’s in Nursing (MSN) or Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP), their career possibilities expand as a result. This article from nurse.org has all the information you need about master’s in nursing.
An advanced degree shows that you have the experience needed to succeed with such a demanding degree. Advanced degrees also bring specific specializations with them that can open up new career opportunities for nurses. For example, if you earn a nursing degree focused on oncology, you might find that there are suddenly more job opportunities available to you.
After advancing your degree, you need to think about your resume. By sending the best Registered Nurse resume to a future employer, you will showcase your nursing skills and key accomplishments. For the perfect resume, it is better to contact a resume writing service, such as ResumesBot.
Join a Professional Organization and Attend Conferences
Besides simply advancing your nursing career, membership in a professional organization can help you to develop new skills, learn more about your industry, and expand your network of contacts. Professional organizations are a great way to keep up with the latest trends in nursing and to make connections with people who have a similar career path as yours.
By expanding your network and keeping up with the latest trends in your field, you can feel more prepared to take on new challenges at work and advance your career. Another way that membership in a professional organization can help you to advance your nursing career is by making it easier for you to find opportunities for advancement.
Find a Mentor
Finding a mentor can help you to find opportunities for advancement at your current job. A mentor can be a great resource for you when it comes to finding advancement opportunities. Second, a mentor can help you to navigate your career path. A mentor who knows your career well and has been in your industry for a long time can be a great help to you when it comes to figuring out where your career should go next.
A mentor is an excellent source of support and encouragement as you navigate your career path. Having someone who has been in your shoes and walked a path that you’re currently on can help you to stay focused on your career objectives and on advancing your nursing career.
Find an Opportunity for Advancement at your Current Job
After being in a position for a while and showing your capabilities as a nurse, explain to your manager and other people in a position of authority that you are capable of advancing your nursing career. Let them know that you are interested in growing and that you would like to have more to do. Doing so can help you to advance your nursing career in a multitude of ways.
It can give you more experience at work and more responsibilities, which can help to make you more valuable to your company. It can also give you more opportunities to show your skills and talents. This can help you to advance your nursing career by showing your superiors that you are ready for more responsibility.
Move to Another Department in your Organization
If you have worked at your organization for a while and have had a lot of experience in your current department, it can be a good option to move to another department where you can gain more experience and get promoted more quickly.
If you move to a different department in your company, you can use the skills that you’ve already acquired and apply them in a new capacity. You can also use your current experience to help others in your new department and boost your reputation within the organization.
Take on an Additional Role at Work
An additional role at work can help you to advance your nursing career in a few ways. First, it can give you more experience in a variety of areas. This can help you to become more well-rounded, which many employers look for in a candidate, and can help you to advance your nursing career.
An additional role at work can also help you to earn more responsibility and get promoted faster. If you take on a new role, such as helping out in another department, your manager might notice that you are capable of taking on more. They might promote you to another position, which can help you to advance your nursing career.
If you are interested in advancing your nursing career, it can be a good idea to look for ways to become more involved at work. Taking on new responsibilities and helping out in different departments can help you to expand your skills and experience. It can also help you to get promoted and advance your nursing career faster.
Conclusion
Nurses who have been around for a while might think that they have hit a dead end and have nowhere to go from there. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There are many ways that experienced nurses can advance their careers and continue to feel fulfilled in their work.
There are many ways that an RN can advance their career without switching careers entirely. Whether you want to go back to school for an advanced degree, network with other nurses, find a mentor, or simply take on an additional role at work, there are many ways that you can advance your nursing career.
