Discussion Question

Advancing and

Managing Your

Professional

Nursing Career

Chapter 7

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