For any career path that a person decides to follow, there’s a level of success that is expected and wished for. However, to attain a good level of success in your career, it’s important to adequately prepare and know the right things to do, even before you jump into it.
A career in nursing requires much more than attaining a degree. It is, in fact, one of the highly rated career paths today that requires a lot of preparation and perseverance to attain success. In reality, a successful nursing career is much more than the tasks, administration of medications, or assessments. It becomes a calling that you may struggle at if you’re not truly prepared.
To reduce the level of dissatisfaction and work enmity that can come with this career, it’s important to prepare adequately and note ways to make nursing much easier to get into.
Are you currently considering a career in nursing? Or are you on the path and would like to have some guidelines through your learning and career process? Here are 10 tips that can help you on that journey.
Understand your reasons for choosing this career
This is the most important step. A nursing career isn’t one that you go into without knowing your reasons for choosing it. You must understand that a nursing career isn’t easy, and there’s no way that you can thrive if you don’t know why you’re doing it. The ‘why you’re doing it’ is what will take you through the difficult days, and help to streamline your responsibilities when you’re faced with several options.
Get the right education
Taking the right preparatory classes and courses may pose a bit of a challenge, especially when you consider that nursing relies heavily on science and mathematics skills. However, taking a number of advanced placement courses can help you meet the college requirements right from high school to gain an understanding of the field.
Research about degree types and entrance exams
Nursing has different degree types available at different levels, and it’s important to find the one that best suits your needs. Your in-depth research will show you that there is even a nursing degree for non-nurses. Also, different nursing schools have different requirements when it comes to entrance exams. While some will base theirs on basic healthcare knowledge, others may choose to include natural sciences, reading comprehension and critical thinking.
The entrance exam will be determined by the type of degree and program curriculum in question.
Learn about waiting lists
Understanding how waiting lists work is also important. Some schools may have waiting lists, and it may cut through learners who already have the requisite admission and competency requirements. Ensure that you ask the right questions about acceptance rates and enrolment periods from your prospective nursing schools.
Check out the pass rates
The NCLEX pass rate is the best place to start when you’re determining whether a specific nurse training program is equipped enough to help students get through the rigors of a nursing career. As much as possible, avoid schools that have low pass rates, as pass rates convert to skill acquisition and competency requirements.
Volunteer
Now is a good time to start putting yourself out there and learning about the ropes of a nursing career. Check out hospitals, facilities and other healthcare settings where you can volunteer your time to learn about the profession, particularly to see if it truly interests you.
Volunteering can also be a great option to strengthen your college applications.
Get practicing mentors and build relationships
Relationships always come through in this career. Ensure that you find practicing nurses who are already following the path you would like to follow, and ask questions that will guide you through this path.
Learn basic life support skills
Basic life support skills such as first aid skills come in handy for medical professionals, and learning them beforehand becomes an added advantage during college applications. Take weekend classes that can give first-hand exposure to these necessary skills.
Invest in personal development
To be successful in a career path, you should understand that you’re required to commit yourself to continuous self-development. Ensure that you keep learning, remaining inquisitive and upgrading yourself. In the next few years, the nursing career is going to look a little different. You want to ensure that you’re equipped enough to stand the test of time.
Always be up to date
Lastly, stay up to date. For instance, the American Journal of Nursing is a great tool that enables you to stay aware of what is happening within the nursing space and can always help to dictate the steps and decisions you take.
Nursing can be a great career. However, following these steps will make it even easier to succeed and thrive. Follow these steps and create a great career path for yourself today!
