It’s a tough time to be a nurse. They are overworked–that’s nothing new in its own right but the impacts are more pronounced. For years there has been a startling trend in the world of healthcare.
Old nurses retiring. New ones not coming up through the ranks to replace them. How can you have a happy, peaceful career in nursing?
While the path to workplace satisfaction will ultimately be very individualized, there are a few steps that anyone can at least take into consideration when optimizing their work environment. Read on to learn more.
Identify Your Pain Points
The first step to fixing something is to figure out what is broken. Often that requires more mindfulness than you might at first assume.
Do you hate going into work, or is it actually true that you hate going in to work at 7 AM?
Are you struggling with a policy because you haven’t had the time to acclimate to it or because it genuinely isn’t beneficial to the patients?
Is your stress acute–a combination of professional and personal factors that might be smoothed over with time–or chronic?
A state that will only be changed through clear and direct effort? Many of us experience work-related stress without understanding how deep the roots are.
Three mindfulness activities can help zero in on stress:
- Daily reflection journaling. Take five minutes after each shift to write down specific challenges. Look for patterns over time rather than focusing on one bad day.
- Body awareness check-ins. Pause during your workday to notice physical tension. Your body often signals stress before your mind acknowledges it.
- Stress sorting exercise. Create three lists: things you can control, things you can influence, and things beyond your control. This clarifies which problems actually need your attention.
Once you figure out what is bothering you a good portion of your work related stress may resolve itself immediately.
For many of us, it’s that feeling of uncertainty mingled with frustration that makes anxiety or discomfort so hard to deal with. Once you’ve named a problem, you can start doing things to fix it.
Advocate for Yourself
Communication is the next step. You know what is wrong. Tell someone about it. You can’t necessarily expect that your supervisor will trip over themselves trying to fix all of your problems–they very well might not be able to.
But at least when you put the information out there you initiate a process that could work toward solving it.
Communication, when it is done clearly and with mutual respect, never hurts. Remember that it helps to be the person who identifies not just problems but potential solutions.
This proactive approach demonstrates leadership and makes your concerns more likely to receive serious consideration.
Be Open to Changing Jobs
It’s possible that your current placement simply can’t facilitate the work environment that you are looking for.
That’s a bit of a bitter pill to swallow but in the long run it’s good. Some workplaces simply cannot provide what you need, regardless of how much you communicate or advocate.
You have the knowledge of what’s wrong. Now use that information to do something about it. Your self-awareness becomes valuable currency in the job market.
Figure out what you want in a job–maybe shorter shifts or more flexibility–and look for a career that can give you that.
Almost certainly you will find that there are options out there. The nursing shortage means qualified professionals have leverage.
Many facilities now offer creative scheduling, remote options, or specialized roles to attract and retain talent.
Specialize
One of the best ways to optimize your healthcare career is to specialize in the areas that interest you the most.
It is through specialization that you can dial into your passion and do only tasks that remind you of what you love about healthcare.
To get there, you will need to continue your education. This can be a daunting proposition at first, but depending on the path you take, it might not be so bad.
Specialization routes that only require advanced certification can usually be completed while you work in your new job. In fact, getting that firsthand experience is typically one of the certification requirements.
You might spend a year or two in your new role in a “probationary” position in which you still require supervision and possibly occasional classroom work. After that, you’ll take off the training wheels.
Graduate School
Obviously, more intensive than the certification route, graduate programs will typically put you in the Advanced Practice category.
This includes roles such as Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), and Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs).
Here you are again specializing, but you’re also elevating your position within the healthcare community. You’ll have more autonomy and the ability to focus on what you like most about the work.
You’ll also make more money—quite possibly a lot more money. NPs can make up to twice as much as RNs even as a starting salary.
Is it easy to get a master’s degree? No, but you are smart enough to do it. And the discomfort is only short-term. The gains will go with you throughout the rest of your career.
Finally – Consider Leadership
Maybe the key to your workplace satisfaction is to climb up the hospital organizational chart. That’s very valid.
You can get there through the graduate or certification programs described above. Many people get caught up in the weeds of healthcare.
They become stressed with their current position and forget that there are so many different ways to do this job. Don’t feel stuck in a rut. Find a way to love your healthcare career.