Those reading this post are likely already qualified and registered nurses, so there is little point in describing the pros and cons of the job with an experienced professional! Instead, we are going to focus on how to improve your current position as a professional nurse, irrespective of whether you are currently satisfied with your job or not.
If things are going great at your clinic or hospital, it is likely that you could do even better if you know how to. On the flipside, it’s perfectly possible that for some reason or another, your professional life as a nurse is in need of a career boost. Either way, you will find the following tips for taking your nursing career to the next level quite helpful.
Take Your Education to the Next Level
What better way is there for your career to reach the next level than to, quite literally, attain the next level of your educational qualifications as a registered nurse (RN)? The step itself is as simple as it gets because the path is clear. If you are an undergrad nurse without a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), that’s what you should be aiming to complete first.
There is a high chance that you have already completed your BSN because that’s fast becoming the norm these days. In that case, you must consider completing your graduation with a Master of Science in Nursing degree in your preferred field of specialization. For most nurses, it’s the MSN degree which finally allows them to climb new heights and reach career goals which were elusive to them before. If you are an MSN nurse with significant experience, then that brings us to the most elite section of this discussion.
MSN nurses only have one more certification course to complete, before they can legally, practically, and professionally add a Dr. before their names with all the sense of self-fulfillment that brings. We are of course, discussing the Doctor of Science in Nursing Practices (DNP) certification here because a DNP is, by all means, a terminal degree for nurses. There is no higher form of education available in any one chosen field of specialization that one can possibly pursue as a nurse.
Go from MSN to DNP, Not MSN to PhD
A PhD in Nursing Sciences is also a terminal degree and, technically, it holds the same prestige as a DNP certificate. In practice, however, healthcare employers will prefer to appoint nurses in leadership roles if they see that the applicant had decided to pursue an MSN to DNP program, rather than taking the PhD route. This is not to say that a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program is any less prestigious than a Doctor of Nursing Practices course, but the difference between them is in their respective areas of importance.
A PhD course is designed to help MSN nurses assume a teaching role, which is why someone holding a PhD will be preferred if the role in question is that of a professor or academic. A DNP program, on the other hand, is always going to be designed to provide education and training which will help experienced nurses further hone their skills and specialize in roles that are directly connected to the healthcare industry.
If for example, you join this CCNE-Accredited MSN to DNP online course at Marymount, it will provide you with the necessary training and specialized skills which even the most experienced nurses will need for gaining and holding leadership positions in healthcare someday. The fact that nurses can complete their MSN to DNP course online means that it will successfully eliminate work disruptions, letting them gain experience simultaneously, while completing the coursework at their own pace.
Therefore, if you value the practical skillsets needed to climb the ladder and administer better care to your patients, go with an MSN to DNP online program, instead of an online PhD. A PhD might be better suited than a DNP for veteran nurses who have worked for a long time in the medical field but are now looking to retire from active healthcare and join the education sector. After working for so long in direct healthcare, a PhD program will enable them to get ready for the academic sector with greater knowledge and a proper understanding of how to take up the new role of an educator.
The only reason a PhD does not come recommended for nurses looking to boost their careers is because it may not exactly count as an upgrade. Not only are your career opportunities going to be much wider if you hold a Doctor of Science in Nursing Practices degree, but the specializations there also pay better. According to payscale.com, PhD Nurses earn roughly US$99,000 per year on an average, while DNP nurses average over US$107,000 annually. Considering the wider career opportunities and the potential growth that DNP programs offer over PhD courses, it is difficult to recommend the latter over the former.
Take Up Corporate Communications
A crash course in corporate communication can be extremely helpful for ambitious nurses because of the very fact that they are medical workers. Being medical workers, nurses must consistently and continuously focus on patient care more than anything else. Even higher education in fields of nursing focus primarily on educating them regarding the facets of becoming even better and more skilled professionals. That is how it should be because doctors and nurses are always on the forefront of medical care. Numerous lives depend on their ability to perform their respective duties skillfully, thus medicine and patientcare has to be the focus of their education and work. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is just that; it’s an industry or business and unless you know how to communicate skillfully, you may find it difficult to rise through the ranks within this corporate structure.
Those that already have the experience they need to do their job without always panicking about something inside like new nurses and doctors tend to, should consider investing a few weeks or months of their spare time in learning about corporate communications. These are precise, short courses that focus on preparing medical professionals with knowledge about how to effectively communicate in different corporate settings. Consider it a small but immensely helpful augmentation program which can help you in completing your skillset as a healthcare professional. It should be mentioned that nurses who are already pursuing courses related to corporate leadership in healthcare need not bother with crash courses. Corporate communication will be part of your education and training by default.
Introduce Changes to Your Career
Admittedly, a career and introducing a change in your nursing career sounds like the same thing, but there is a difference in meaning here. You are going to introduce a planned change which will bring about the desire outcome, which in this instance is, of course, a career boost. Take a minute and think if it’s true that your career as a nurse is not going anywhere for a long time, despite having the necessary qualifications and experience to take it further. Next, consider if you feel dissatisfied with your present job because of this lack of progress and not just the nature of the job itself. Nursing is a taxing career that can take a toll on people after all. In case it’s not the job but your job role/pay that disappoints you, that is the ideal time to leave your present job and join a clinic or hospital. It’s not always as easy as that because contracts can be binding, and we cannot always find a new job at the drop of a hat.
Nevertheless, the fact is that nurses are constantly and almost perennially in-demand across all 50 states, as well as outside the US. What you really need to think about is preparation. You will not be mentally ready to leave the present job and find a new one on the very day your contract ends, so preparation is key here. Use your communication skills, professional networking, and other connections to prepare a better landing pad for yourself, well before making that final leap.
Consider moving to another part of the United States if you can and the career boost you will receive from it can justify making that move. For example, the national average salary for nurse practitioners (NP) in the United States is roughly US$100,000/year, while the average pay for NPs in the state of New York is US$115,000/year approximately. So, if you are working as a NP in Arkansas, where the average nurse practitioner earns less than US$95,000/year, finding an opportunity to work in Manhasset, New York could boost your salary by anything between 14-24%.
These four tips can each help you reach the next level as a nursing professional individually, but they will produce the best results if you apply them all in due time. An experienced nurse with superb communication skills and a doctorate degree will find it a lot easier to land the highest paying jobs with the best opportunities in any location.
