Crafting Your Own Nursing Career

Every year, we all make earnest new year's resolutions -- a written or verbal expression of the things we intend to manifest in the future. However, any time of the year is a good time to willfully take a good look of your career, and clearly define your career goals. A good place to start with designing a career plan is too look at where you are now and where you hope to go. And the ability to truthfully assess your situation will help you to determine where you are and honestly where you would like to be. In nursing, the ideal position is one that offers you fulfillment and a solid path for growth and challenge in your career. We only get to go around once, so you should make a good assessment of where you want to be and what you want to do. And then, of course, you'll need to act on your plan.

Brought to you by blue sky scrubs™, here are some questions to consider to help you effectively plan your career.

What Skills Will You Need?

Make a list of your strengths, weaknesses and past accomplishments and this will guide you in discovering what you are already doing well and what you are not doing so well. An honest evaluation of weaknesses will help you discover where you might need additional education to reach your goals. It will also help you to overcome the obstacles that could hold you back from your ideal career path.

Do You Have Some Unique Ideas?

Do you have some unique ideas on how to solve particular problem in the nursing industry? Perhaps it's a solution to a challenge you face on the job, and you have a great idea for a better solution to the process or problem. Well, now is the time to act on your ideas. The main idea with respect to your career is to take an honest look @ where it's going, and this year may be the year to begin implementing your ideas. The key is to explore the real reasons that have been holding you back, keeping you from moving forward. Is it fear? Many times we have fear of failure and sometimes success. Remember, though, that fear in most cases is a false enactment of the body's "fight or flight" response, and in this case it is entirely misplaced. Face your fears head on and go for it. Make this the year that you move forward on your ideas.

Are Bad Habits or Old Attitudes Holding You Back

Old habits and attitudes have a way of holding us back in many cases. And if you don't get to the root of the issue, you will most likely have a difficult time in reaching your goals. Attitude is everything. There is a saying in psychology that says "the map is not the territory", which is another way of saying that the way we look at a problem is entirely up to us. We create our own maps and our own representational systems. If you not address it properly, you will hinder your career plans. If you are the kind of person who has a low tolerance for change, make the resolution this year.

Are There New Career Paths to Explore

The nursing profession provides a myriad of opportunities in many specialty areas of practice and yet, many nurses never take the initiative to explore the rewards that might come from exploring new possibilities. There are many nurses that only dream of the possibilities and never attempt to explore professional alternatives. So, the clear lesson here again is to act. If you are in a dead-end job, you have only yourself to blame. Take the initiative this year and get a career counselor if that is what it takes. Your goal is to get out of your dead-end situation and embark on a wide-open career path that is rewarding and provides many paths for growth. This year is THE year to move forward positively in your career and life. Remember the saying that "today is tomorrow's yesterday.", and so it is time to act.

The blue sky scrubs™ Article Series

This is part of an ongoing series of articles from blue sky scrubs™ on the latest career trends in the nursing industry. blue sky scrubs™ is the leading supplier of the industry’s most stylish medical scrubs, scrub accessories, and nursing uniforms to professionals in the nursing field. The company, based in Austin, TX and online at www.blueskyscrubs.com, is focused on high-performance and stylish scrub uniforms that give medical professionals fresh clothing options on the job.