How to Jump Start Your Nursing Career

If you’re aspiring to become a nurse, you must have a passion for helping others. This isn’t a job for everyone—being a good nurse is a gift that doesn’t come without its ups and downs. This is arguably one of the most demanding jobs in the medical field, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. If you’re ready to embark on your journey to become a nurse, here are the must-know basics to jump start your career.

Get Your Degree

Many nursing programs throw you right into the field to gain experience. Most nursing programs take longer than the typical four years to earn your degree—in fact you’re lucky to get it done in five at a public university. Some accelerated programs and small universities offer programs that allow you to graduate faster and start your career sooner. Start your search for accelerated nursing programs here to save money and earn your degree.

While you’re in nursing school, you’ll experience a combination of class lectures, laboratory work and clinical experience. Your courses will range from anatomy to microbiology. When you pursue a registered nurse program, you’ll receive more in-depth study than a licensed practical nurse program. After you’ve completed thousands of hours of coursework and clinical experience, it’s time to take on the NCLEX-RN exam to obtain your licensure. This is a notoriously difficult exam and it’s not uncommon for people to take it more than once to pass. Join group study sessions and use the right materials to your advantage.

Remember, completing nursing school, gaining substantial clinical experience, and passing the NCLEX-RN exam opens up a variety of career paths. You can work as a registered nurse in hospitals or clinics, specializing in fields such as critical care or pediatrics. You can also apply for caregivers jobs near you in Pennsylvania or other locations to work as a home health nurse. Besides this, you will be able to consider a position of public health nurse or school nurse. With additional education, you can advance to roles like nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Additionally, you can explore careers in research, occupational health, or healthcare management, offering a broad spectrum of opportunities.

Start Networking Early

As with any career, you need to network to get yourself noticed. Nurses are always in demand, but every year new registered nurses flood the market for job prospects. Networking isn’t just beneficial to new hires—it also helps professionals find new positions, meet mentors, and learn new and interesting trends within the medical field. When you begin, it’s important to network with your fellow nurses and colleagues, but over time you’ll want to expand your horizons and include professional nursing organizations to your repertoire. These organizations create networking events, promote seminars and provide workshops that give you the opportunity to learn and work with others.

If you don’t have the time to attend networking events, then take advantage of social media to meet your needs. LinkedIn is the perfect example of a place where you can join nursing groups to build relationships with others and discuss relevant topics.

Learn How to Cope with Emotional Stress

For many new nurses, the emotional stress that comes with the job can feel demoralizing at first. Like many professions in the medical field, nurses come face to face with illness, pain and tragedy every day. The emotional struggle many nurses face is a normal and healthy response. The best way to ease the pain and get used to the harsh realities of nursing is to join a support group. Older, experienced nurses can give you wisdom based on the tough issues they’ve experienced in their career. They will teach you that facing the reality of death is a part of life, not a sign of apathy.

On the other hand, you have the opportunity to make a tremendous difference in the lives of others. Your job is essential to keeping patients healthy and happy. You can’t save everyone but you will save many lives throughout your career. Keep this in mind as you begin your career.

Learn Professionalism in the Workplace

Nurses don’t work on their own—they are part of a team of nurses who work together. This means that you have to learn how to work with others on a daily basis. Like any work environment, you need to develop people skills and maintain healthy relationships to get work done. Start your career off on the right foot by building healthy relationships with your coworkers and your head nurse to contribute to a helpful environment. No job is totally fair, but do your best to connect with hardworking nurses like you to make the most out of your career.

Being a nurse is a challenging but rewarding career. Jump start your career as a nurse by following these strategies.