Nursing Employment Transitions: Knowing What's Next

At any time throughout your nursing career, you may find yourself in a period of transition. What do you do at those times of flux?

When a position is cut, your facility downsizes, you decide it's time to move on, or any other reason for which your employment may shift, how do you choose to move things forward? How do you know what's next?

For some of us, it's a matter of scanning our personal horizon for a glimpse of what our subsequent  move should be. Do we know someone in a position to hire you? Are we connected with anyone who may be of assistance in our search for a new position? Are we heading in an entirely new direction that necessitates a different strategy?

At certain junctures in our career trajectory, it's a matter of picking up the phone, looking online at employment listings, or maybe even perusing the paper if you live in a large metropolitan area where some jobs may even be posted in the paper (a significantly dying source of employment opportunities these days, if you haven't noticed).

However, there come points in our nursing career when we truly need to step back, take stock of where we've been, and consider the alternatives open to us at this particular time. Are we interested in a major change? Do we want to go back to school? Is it time to pursue a new specialty area,
and the certifications or special trainings that that pursuit may entail? Do we want to be self-employed, or at least partially self-employed?

If we were previously working full-time, is there a way to transition to part-time? If we've been working per diem for years, are we now interested in a more regular schedule?

On the personal side, are your kids now away at college and your need to be home decreased? Have your family obligations changed? Are you newly divorced and have extra time on your hands? Did you sell your house, decreasing your financial overhead and allowing you to work less?

These moments of transition are important to pay attention to, especially if you're not exactly sure what the next step should be.

At these life junctures, breathe deeply, and see how your intuition may guide you in the direction that will manifest the most benefit for you, personally and professionally. It's not necessarily the road of least resistance, but it may well be the road less traveled, if not by others, at least by you.