Career options

One of the things I enjoy about nursing is the vast amount of career opportunities that exist. If you love kids, there's a job for you...if you enjoy the adrenaline rush of trauma, there's a job for you...or if you would rather stay out patient care altogether, yes, there's even a job for you. The point is, no matter what motivates you and brings you satisfaction and fulfillment, there is a nursing job out there for you, you just have to look.

However, the career path you are on may eventually lead you to new opportunities and challenges that you had never expected. Perhaps what you had planned in nursing is not what nursing had planned for you. Now some of us will spend their entire career in one area, and I think that is wonderful. Others may explore several areas before settling into a career path. And, after all, if you don't see a job you like, create one you do!

"What do nurses do?" It has grown increasingly more and more difficult to offer a concise answer. Some care directly for patients, some serve as leaders, some review medical records, some conduct research, and some teach the next generation of nurses. They can do all of these things because nursing prepares them for these positions. Nursing is so diverse that you can pretty much do anything you want just about anywhere you want.

I have enjoyed my nursing career so far. I have worked in several different capacities, and have learned a lot about nursing, and myself. Nursing has as much to offer you as you have to offer it. Think about that. Are you a member of a nursing organization, such as your state nurses association? Have you ever considered becoming involved in something that has a direct impact on your current, and future, practice? Being active in organizations such as the ANA allow nurses to have their voices heard when policymakers threaten to limit your professional practice, and thus, your career options. Anyway, something to think about.

So, in a nutshell, nursing = opportunity. Don't worry if you don't know what you want to do or where you want to work. Don't worry about not being happy in one particular area. Nursing provides a vast sea of opportunity. All you have to do is set sail and see where the winds of chance lead you.

Thank you.

Steve