- Are you unhappy with the profession or are you unhappy where you are working, this is something you really need to explore. I have met many nurses over my 20 years in healthcare and I would say about 90% of the ones that I met stayed at their facilities because of retirement or seniority reasons. I worked in public, private and government facilities and I saw it no matter where I went. The nurses who were fresh out of school were “just trying to get some experience” while the more senior nurses were riding it out until retirement. I have worked with nurses who only worked for one facility for their entire careers. That is wonderful if you are happy with your workplace but if you are miserable, you are not doing yourself, your coworkers, or your patients any favors.
So, tip number 1, if you are in the miserable category, go explore other facilities. You can do this while keeping your current job! Find a per diem job at a place where you are curious about and see if you may want to change paths. Get a job teaching at a local nursing college, you may be more fulfilled giving back to your profession. Get involved with your Shared Governance Committee or any other practice committee at your facility. Getting involved is a great way to effect changes in culture as well as practice where you work.
- Are you unhappy with the profession or are you unhappy about the lack of promotion? Some people are happy in one position for their entire career. They are happy, they are comfortable, and they are very good at what they do so they stay. But in this blog we are addressing those who are unhappy with their lack of advancement.
I worked with nurses who were mad at me for advancing, as if I had received some special treatment or something. I will never understand people who try to tear down others but that is a topic for another day. When I have tried to help those who expressed interest, they were quick to say things like “I don’t have time for that” or “I shouldn’t have to do that to get a promotion”. I am sorry but no one is entitled to a promotion because they are showing up to work every day and doing their job. You must stand out, go above and beyond, and be qualified.
If you work at a facility that has a career ladder of some sort, you usually have, in writing, what is expected of those who wish to advance to the next “rung” on the ladder.
So, tip number 2, if you are unhappy about lack of advancement, the first place you should start is your manager. Ask them what is expected of a person in the position you are looking to advance into. If you need a higher degree for the level you desire to obtain, see if your facility does any kind of tuition reimbursement. Not only will this offset your cost out of pocket, but the facility is also now more inclined to advance you simply because they have invested in you. Next, ask the person in the position you are looking to advance into any tips on how to obtain that specific position or advancement. Take ownership, you will not necessarily advance if you are performing at the top of your level. If you are looking to advance you will need to perform at the level that you wish to obtain so your leadership sees your capable.
- Are you unhappy with your profession or are you bored with your area of expertise? This is on the same page as being unhappy at a certain facility. If you work at a hospital or a larger clinic with multiple areas this is an easy fix! Be the first person to raise your hand when census is low and they are looking for people to float to other areas. Make friends with nurses in other areas while on break or possibly when you transport patients to other areas, it is good to always be networking. Pay attention, are those nurses from a certain area always in a bad mood or are they always skipping around happy as can be? Let’s say that you work at one clinic but might have interest in another clinic in your network, first reach out to your manager (always follow chain of command) and see if they can put you in touch with the other manager for overtime opportunities at that other clinic or even the ability to float there if census is low. This is also a great idea for places that routinely cut staff to ensure you do not use up all your pto. (I have a whole other blog on how to break into different nursing areas if you want more on this topic.)
So, tip number 3, go explore other areas of nursing that sound interesting to you or look like they have a positive environment to work in. Not sure where you may have interest but are bored with your current area? Abandon your fulltime position for a fulltime or per diem float position! Some days it is hard to be a float but most days I found it to be fun and exciting! I realize that could be a drastic step for some, but it has worked for me and lead to opportunities that I would not have otherwise had.
- Are you unhappy with your profession or are you just….unhappy? Ooof! That is a tough one, right? Let me be that best friend who you go to because you know he/she will be brutally honest, like it or not. I have worked with some miserable negative people in my career and unsurprisingly, nothing good ever happened for them. They always got the worst patients, never got promoted, no one wanted to even speak to them, and they always blamed everything and everyone else for their negativity. I have worked in some pretty toxic places and while I do understand how brutal that is, we all have choices in how we respond to other people.
So, tip number 4, before you leave the profession that you worked so hard to get into, look inward and see if you can correct some negative behaviors of your own. I love a good personal or professional development book. (Look into You are a Badass by Jen Sincero or the Compound Effect by Darren Hardy) Journaling is also great to do a negativity dump and end your entry for that day with 3 things you are grateful for. No matter where you land on the religious spectrum, I think we can all agree that what you speak will come to be. If you are constantly negative, negatives things will surely follow, so dump out the negative and follow it up with something positive. Do something that you love again. Nursing is a busy profession. I cannot remember very many paychecks that did not have overtime on it. You forget to take care of yourself. You no longer have time to paint or crochet, or whatever it is you like to do. Go pick up your hobbies again, you need something for yourself. Lastly, move your body! Exercise is a known mood booster! Youtube is an amazing place for FREE exercise videos for Yoga (Yoga with Adriene), walking (Rick Bhullar Fitness), workout routines (Chloe Ting) and dance fun (The Fitness Marshall) just to name a few. You can just get out an take a walk around your neighborhood or local park as well.
I hope that I have provided you with some tips that you may be able to use! Feel free to send me an email and let me know if you have tried any of these and if they have been helpful to you!