Changing career direction
With the right approach nurses can use a change to significantly enhance their career prospects. There is a world of possibilities available to nurses who wish to change careers but remain within nursing. Read our steps below if you are considering a change.
Steps to change:
1. The starting point is to decide what sort of
nursing suits you best. Your past experience will help you with
this. A lot of people change direction in their career because of
negative aspects of their current role or organisation. Identifying
what you do not like is easy, but you will not know where to direct
your career unless you look at what you like. What do you like
doing when you are at work? What excites you and energises you?
Work life balance is an important consideration. Apart from the
nature of the work you are contemplating, you need to consider the
likely hours and the effect on your family.
2. Next, do your research. Chat with your network
and if you are a member, the RCN Nurseline is a careers service
that can help nurses who feel they are at a crossroads in their
career.
3. Also consider if the change you would like
to make will require additional training or any new
qualifications.
4. Why not try and gain some experience in a
new area you are considering? Agency work, if available, in the
area you are considering moving into can be a great stepping
stone.
Realise that there are endless possibilities in today's health
service for nurses to change career direction and go for it! If you
are interested in reading one Geneva Nurse's experience of changing
career direction click here.
Source: Nursing Times,
http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice-clinical-research/how-to-change-your-career-direction/201170.article