The Transition From Student To Nurse As Professional Career Planning and Development. Newly graduated nurses may face challenges such as a heavy workload, adapting to a new environment, and developing confidence.
What Are Transition From Student To Nurse As Professional Career Planning and Development
The transition from student to professional nurse is often described in stages: the honeymoon phase (excitement and enthusiasm), shock and rejection (challenges and adjustments), recovery (searching for solutions and coping mechanisms), and resolution (integration into the professional role).
Key Areas for Career Planning
- Self-Assessment: Identify your strengths (communication, time management, problem-solving), weaknesses, and career interests.
- Goal Setting: Set realistic and achievable career goals, both short-term (e.g., passing the NCLEX, gaining experience in a specific area) and long-term (e.g., specialization, leadership roles).
Professional Development:
- Continuous Learning: Commit to lifelong learning through critical thinking, self-reflection, and the pursuit of new knowledge.
- Skills Development: Focus on areas such as clinical judgment, decision-making, and technology proficiency.
- Seek Mentorship: Connect with experienced nurses for guidance and support.
- Networking: Develop professional relationships with colleagues, superiors, and mentors.
- Specialization: Consider obtaining certifications in specific areas of interest.
- Leadership Development: Prepare for potential leadership positions through training and experience.
Career Exploration
- Investigate Different Roles: Explore various nursing specialties and settings (hospitals, clinics, community health, etc.).
- Networking and Informational Interviews: Connect with nurses in different positions to learn about their experiences.
- Use Resources: Explore professional resources such as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) or professional networks.
Transitioning From Student To Professional Nurse
Today—and in the years to come—nurses have unique opportunities to influence health care in the United States and globally. The Institute of Medicine (2011) report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health suggested that the envisioned future of health care is one that makes quality care accessible to the diverse populations of the United States, intentionally promotes wellness and disease prevention, reliably improves health outcomes, and provides compassionate care across the life span (p. 2).
To meet this envisioned future will require raising educational levels and competencies of nurses and fostering intra-professional and inter-professional collaboration to improve patient safety and quality of care. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative has gained momentum and is being integrated into nursing textbooks, accreditation and certification standards, and licensure examinations (Armstrong, 2010). Entry-level nurses are educated using a core set of nursing competencies to promote patient safety and quality care.
However, retention of new nurse graduates is a major issue for the profession that has grave consequences for nurse safety, patient safety, and quality of nursing care. This post outlines how nurses can develop a career plan for the future. Strategies for professional growth are also covered, as is what it means to be a lifelong learner. Finally, self-care techniques to use when beginning a career in nursing are discussed. Knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to the following core competencies are included in this blog post: teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based care, and informatics.
Career Planning And Development
The current job market is promising for new nurse graduates. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA, 2014a), the percentage of job offers at the time of graduation for nurses with a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) is 59% compared with other college graduates (29.3%). A total of 1.13 million new registered nurses (RNs) will be needed by 2022 to fill new jobs and to replace retiring nurses (ANA, 2014a). Finding the right position at an organization where education is valued and advanced education is supported and promoted is essential to long-term success and job satisfaction as a nurse.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2015) identified hallmarks or characteristics of the practice setting that best support professional nursing practice. When present, these hall marks allow baccalaureate and higher-degree nurses to practice to their full potential. These eight hallmarks are included in the AACN (2016) brochure What Every Nursing Student Should Know When Seeking Employment to assist nursing students and new nurse graduates in making the best decision on where to seek employment following graduation.
Preparing a Strategic Career Plan
Besides considering where they want to work for their first nursing position, new nurse graduates should be preparing a strategic career plan before graduating from nursing school. A strategic career plan is the roadmap to a nurse’s success. The initial step in strategic career planning in nursing is developing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely, or SMART, goals. Using the SMART technique to outline a plan for the future can be valuable to new nurse graduates as they begin career planning and development.
Once goals are established, nurses should identify specific action steps necessary to meet each goal and set a timeline for completing each step. Before implementing the action steps, nurses need to take inventory of available resources and consider who and what will help implement each step. The last step is identifying the indicators of success.
This step requires nurses to determine the indicators that will help evaluate whether or not the goals were met (Donner & Wheeler, 2001). Career plans are dynamic and should be reviewed and revised as personal and professional circumstances change. Career planning is important for nurses at all levels because it can be useful to evaluate a nurse’s present work situation and shape his or her future in the nursing profession.
Developing a Resume
A resume is a record of a nurse’s education, employment history, accomplishments, and achievements. A well-designed and well-thought-out resume can help a new nurse graduate gain an advantage over others. As a new graduate, a nurse should develop a resume that includes any work experience in health care, volunteer experiences, and special accomplishments during education such as awards and honors received, scholarly assignments, memberships in student organizations, and any leadership positions held.
Keep in mind that every activity does not belong on the resume. In fact, most nurse leaders and managers spend approximately 30 seconds reviewing the typical resume (Hood, 2014). Therefore, a resume must present a concise picture of the nurse’s strengths, accomplishments, and experiences. Using headings guides the nurse leader and manager in finding specific information.
In addition to an effective resume, the new nurse graduate needs to develop a cover letter. A cover letter should always accompany the resume. The cover letter is how the nurse introduces himself or herself to the prospective employer. An effective cover letter is addressed to a specific person and includes the following:
- The reason the nurse is applying for a specific position
- A brief statement of the nurse’s qualifications for the position, including strengths and experiences related to the position
- A statement expressing appreciation to the prospective employer for consideration
Interviewing
The interview process can be stressful for all nurses. To lessen anxiety, nurses should prepare for the interview by learning about the organization ahead of time. Seeking out the following information can be very helpful in preparing for the interview and lessening anxiety:
- The organization’s mission, vision, and philosophy
- Accreditation status and Magnet status
- Length of orientation or residency program
- Nurse-to-patient ratio and professional practice model
- Whether the nursing service uses a shared governance model
If unable to determine this information beforehand, the nurse should plan to ask about it during the interview. Preparing a few questions to ask during the interview process is appropriate and shows forethought. In fact, asking thoughtful questions specific to the organization, unit, and position shows the prospective employer that the nurse has put forth effort to learn about the organization and is sincerely interested in the position. Additionally, the nurse should plan to arrive to the interview a few minutes early.
It is a good idea to ask for clear directions to the facility, specific building, and office where the interview will take place. If the interview is in an area the nurse is not familiar with, visiting the site a few days before, identifying the building, and checking out the parking can be helpful. Professional dress is a must, as is comfort. This is not the time to be tugging on a jacket that does not fit properly or limping because of blisters from new shoes.
member, the interview is a two-way process. The employer is determining whether the applicant is qualified to meet the needs of the unit, and the applicant is deciding whether the position meets his or her personal and professional needs. To prepare for possible questions that may be asked by the prospective employer during the interview.
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