Common Career Mistakes for Nurses to Avoid
For the most part, nurses are awarded almost the same level of respect as others who work at the forefront of healthcare, directly helping patients. They have to work hard to earn their license and degrees, and they need to continue their hard work when they start their career and as a seasoned nurse as well.
A good nursing career is the result of good decisions and strong relationships with patients and co-workers. Even when you work in a bustling and busy city, the healthcare organization you work in is bound to have a well-knit community that strengthens everyone. A positive reputation will not only help those around you but also improve your own career. However, given below are some common mistakes you should avoid during your nursing career:
Leaving behind old colleagues and contacts
No matter how you feel about your supervisors, nurse leaders, and managers, the key to a good career is to be respectively of them. Through your career, there are bound to be supervisors and superiors who were great, mediocre, and bad. The biggest mistake you can think of doing, however, is burning bridges and telling them off on your last day of work in the organization. Worst yet is getting angry and quitting the job on the spot. In the long run, this kind of behavior only hurts your own career. Keep up old contacts or, at the very least, leave your old job amicably with your head held high. This can save you a lot of trouble later on.
Not working as a team
The whole notion of a team player may sound tired and contrived, but there is a reason for companies to keep throwing around the term 'teamwork' and its importance in almost every industry. Most jobs require you to work as a team player, and this is especially true in the nursing world. It does not matter if you are hard-working, efficient, or caring; these characteristics are fantastic and can get your career ahead, but only to an extent. For long-term success, you also need to be a team player. As a nurse, you are not expected to use terms like 'that patient is not mine' or 'it is not my job'. It is your job to be there for everyone and refusing peers and even colleagues can put a black mark on your career.
Not offering enough care
As a nurse, your most fundamental purpose is to take care of patients in your healthcare organization, and not fulfilling this purpose is the biggest mistake. Poor nursing or patient care can quickly bring down your reputation and put your career progression on hold, or even stop it completely. The job of a nurse is too crucial to afford for 'bad days' or times of minimal effort. You should be able to provide the best care to every patient every day, and anything less is not only unfair to them but also dangerous for your career.
Jumping jobs
Job jumpers are present in almost every field. They can be identified by long resumes filled with stints in various organizations, but all of them lasting only for a few months. This is never a good sign for companies because they want people who stay with them for years. This also raises doubts about your competency and reliability as a nurse. Should you have these problems, do your best to explain them. Check out similar resume examples online at sites like monster.com and Nursing-Resume.org to get ideas on how to portray this in the best light.
- -- Posted by KH Gal on Fri, Apr 19, 2013, at 9:27 AM
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register