Growing Your Nursing Career in the New Year

As the New Year dawns with the turn of a calendar page, are you envisioning how you'd like to turn a new leaf and grow your nursing career in novel and exciting ways? Although the New Year can seem contrived, there's nothing artificial about wanting to move your career forward. In fact, desiring change is natural.

Nurse Keith's LinkedIn Roundup!

Most readers of Digital Doorway know that I provide holistic career coaching for savvy 21st-century nurses and healthcare professionals. And some of you may know that I'm the only LinkedIn expert on the Internet (that I can find, anyway) who is also a nurse and nurse entrepreneur. Some readers have requested a one stop shop for the podcasts, articles, and posts that I've published this year on the subject of the savvy use of LinkedIn; so, here's a little end-of-2015 LinkedIn roundup just for you!

Direct The Film of Your Nursing Career!

There's something to say about being in control, isn't there? And when you think about your nursing career, do you feel like you're in control, or are you allowing yourself to be a bit actor when you should actually be the star? It's up to you to seize the Director's chair and begin directing the film of your career. Are you ready?

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

I extend deep gratitude to both Carol Gino and The Nursing Site Blog for nominating Digital Doorway for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award. This is an award given by bloggers to fellow bloggers who inspire them and who are motivated to maintain the blogosphere as a beautiful place.

Nurses, Mentors, and Leaders, Oh My!

Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of attending and participating in the Nurse Mentoring Institute's third annual conference. It was altogether inspiring and uplifting to be among so many nurses who embrace the notion of mentoring as an important aspect of our profession, especially when the practices used are evidence-based and supported by rigorous research.

Nurse Keith on Nurse.com!

The latest news in the nurse blogging world is that I have officially replaced Donna Cardillo as the expert nurse career blogger at Nurse.com! This is a humbling honor, and although it's no small task to fill the shoes of the world's consummate nursing career guru, I'm now posting over at Nurse.com twice per week, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive! 

The Nurse As Defiant Optimist

Let's face it, folks; there's a lot of negativity out there, whether it's inside of nursing and healthcare, or out in the big old scary world. From the backlash against Joy Behar and "The View" to the bad news on your television screen, there's apparently no end to the violence and vitriol. Having said that, are you prepared to be a nurse who lives his or her life as a defiant optimist?

"Savvy Networking For Nurses" Is Here!

I'm thrilled to announce that my first book, "Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century," is now available on Amazon for your reading pleasure and professional development. Networking could not be more important for 21st-century nurses and healthcare professionals. This useful and concise volume will give you much food for thought, as well as savvy and forward-thinking actions to take in service to your career and the development of a powerful professional network of like-minded professionals.

“The View” and Joy Behar Expose Ubiquitous Myths About Nursing

The month of September, 2015 may very well go down in nursing history as the time when nurses banded together in a massive collective effort to counteract negative media coverage that cast the profession in a less than optimal light.

In a moment of sincerity and admirable authenticity, a contestant in the Miss America Pageant decided to eschew the usual dancing and singing, choosing instead to perform a monologue about her deep emotional experience of being a nurse.

Kelley Johnson spoke eloquently and emotionally about her connection with a patient living with Alzheimer’s disease. While her contribution to the talent portion of the pageant was seen as considerably outside the norm, Johnson nonetheless ended up as the second runner up to the contest’s winner.

Nurses Embracing Change

For those of you who've been wondering where Nurse Keith has been since mid-August, I have been in a state of change and flux. As John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans," and we nurses know all too well that our profession can frequently prepare us for being ready for anything that the Universe throws at us.

From a previously stable patient who begins to go south and code, to a fickle workplace manager who schedules us for a double on Christmas Day, nurses have to go with the flow or perish.

Have you been facing change in your life?

Kissing Nursing Job Frogs

Does searching for a nursing job sometimes feel like dating? Is it like kissing far too many frogs in order to find your prince or princess? Is wasting your time on all of those frogs getting you down?

Nurse on Overdrive

Have you ever felt like you're a nurse on overdrive? Whether it's your professional life, your personal life, or a combination of the two, a nurse's life can sometimes feel out of control. 

Are You Ready to Pivot in Your Nursing Career?

The notion of "pivoting" appears to be a buzzword in some business and entrepreneurial circles these days. Even though I tend to shy away from such ubiquitous viral terms and phrases, this one can indeed fit the bill for nurses and healthcare professionals who want to remain relevant in a constantly shifting marketplace and industry. We're not just in it for the money, but earning a living is important, and knowing how to stay in the game is a crucial aspect of being a 21st-century professional.

"The Nurse Keith Show" is Growing!

If you've been tuned into "The Nurse Keith Show" over the last five months, you'll know that there are now 19 episodes in the can, and many more to come. Podcasting is one of my greatest joys, and I'm honored that many of you are already devoted listeners!

Book Review: "Your Next Shift", by Elizabeth Scala

As I begin this book review of "Your Next Shift: How to Kick Your Nursing Career Into High Gear" by Elizabeth Scala, I must begin with a very clear disclaimer. Elizabeth Scala is one of my nursing heroes, and my review of her book is colored by the fact that I know her to be an amazing nurse, a brilliant nurse entrepreneur, and an outstanding human being. If you can indulge my already high opinion of this fascinating 21st-century nurse, read on!

Nurses Week is Here---Own It!

It's that time of year again, folks, and I want to take this moment to rhapsodize about how amazing I think nurses are.

Of Crabs and Nurses

Have you ever heard the poem by Charles Bukowski called, "The Great Escape"? Well, I heard it this morning on the radio, and the metaphor of crabs crawling over one another to escape from a bucket reminded me of some of the worst aspects of nursing. Do you know why?

Don't Close the Tech Door on Your Nursing Career

In my work as a career coach for nurses,  many people tell me that they simply don't have the savvy to use social media, apps, and other new and emerging technologies for the benefit of their career, and I respond by saying, "Don't close the tech door on your career!"

Wealth and Wellness for Nurses!

From April 17th to 19th, 2015, I will be in beautiful Atlanta, Georgia for what promises to be an amazing event for nurses and nurse entrepreneurs, and I encourage you to join me there!

Your Nursing Career Toolbox

Carpenters have toolboxes. So do plumbers and contractors. And while home health nurses need nursing bags that they bring into patients' homes in order to provide skilled care, isn't it also true that professional nurses need a career toolbox at their disposal?

Nursing Careers and Times of Change

Nursing and healthcare are dynamic engines of change, and the thoughtful 21st-century nurse must read the writing on the wall, keep his or her ear to the rails, and listen for the rumblings of change in the profession of nursing, and within the larger healthcare ecosystem.

Common Sense Nursing Resumes

Are you perplexed by resumes? Are you a nurse who wants to sharpen your resume and have it ready for when you need it most? This episode of The Nurse Keith Show will get you started!

Is Your Nursing Job Killing You?

Does your job weigh on you like a rock around your neck, or a heavy shackle around your ankle? Has your work taken over your life to the point at which you no longer have energy for anything else? If this is the case, isn't it high time to move on?

Consciously Creating Your Nursing Career

Would you like to create your nursing career with conscious intention and the greatest possible clarity? In Episode 4 of the Nurse Keith Show, I discuss various ways to go about consciously creating a career to be proud of. 

The Collective Genius of Your Network

I was talking to a nurse career coaching client the other day, and we were discussing the importance of networking. During the course of the conversation, I mentioned the notion that the power of your professional and personal network is the collective genius that can be tapped when you need it most. What I took away most from that conversation is the idea of collective genius, and how I'd like to share it with you.

Are You A Powerful Networker?

Are you a powerful networker? Many nurses and healthcare professionals aren't aware of the crucial importance of networking for the development of their careers. After all, do they even talk about networking in nursing school? In my latest podcast (The Nurse Keith Show, Episode 3), I lay the groundwork for how networking is one of the keys that can unlock the door that opens onto a landscape of vibrant professional success.

The Nurse Keith Show, Episode #2

In episode #2 of "The Nurse Keith Show", I challenge my listeners to consider what they love about their careers, what lights them up, and what they want more of. Conversely, I also ask my listeners to consider the aspects of their nursing or healthcare careers that aren't working for them anymore, and what they'd like to change.

Digital Doorway is Ten Today!

I almost forgot, folks! Today marks the 10th anniversary of Digital Doorway. I can't believe that this blog, which started from quite humble and ignorant beginnings, has become one of the most popular nursing blogs on the Internet! (Have we really reached "double digits"?) And it's all thanks to you (and a little help from Google)!

The Nurse's Magic Wand

Since the beginning of this new year, I've been asking some of my colleagues and clients about what's next for them in 2015, and beyond. I ask them in the context of my contention that, if the profession of nursing and the healthcare industry is your professional oyster, how will you find your pearls?

Nurse Keith's magic wand

"The Nurse Keith Show" Has Launched!

Well folks, it's 2015, and my new podcast, "The Nurse Keith Show", has launched its inaugural episode. Nurses and healthcare professionals, this show is for you.