tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102469672024-03-16T14:52:45.526-04:00Nurse Keith's Digital DoorwayCareer advice -- and commentary on current healthcare news and trends for savvy 21st-century nurses and healthcare providers -- from holistic nurse career coach Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC. Since 2005. Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.comBlogger1187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-36866749614814983842024-02-05T10:54:00.004-05:002024-02-05T10:54:54.160-05:00The Growing Intersection of Nursing, Healthcare, and Artificial Intelligence<p>On <a href="https://nursekeith.com/the-growing-intersection-of-nursing-healthcare-and-artificial-intelligence/" target="_blank">episode 459 of The Nurse Keith Show</a> nursing and healthcare career podcast, Keith welcomes back Dr. Bonnie Clipper, DNP, MBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, FAAN, a well-known nurse futurist, healthcare influencer, virtual nursing expert, innovator, and best-selling author.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31jWAq0QOghmGjv1qzR97Apuc3EXVbT0W9It_R-h5NDxKWEU0LTIcE6SUrQkfYV9WPazBUkSp2O-sw3IkJBYiwzsCMIqUvbs0ehR2bawwT_2WsEaGOdqFMs79wOwvtWlBJWuhVULWwoDjtqUr76OSMXFqnf8YBMW2mNmJrAlqwk9f1wPSmltQ/s1000/Dr.%20Bonnie%20Clipper,%20DNP,%20MBA,%20RN.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31jWAq0QOghmGjv1qzR97Apuc3EXVbT0W9It_R-h5NDxKWEU0LTIcE6SUrQkfYV9WPazBUkSp2O-sw3IkJBYiwzsCMIqUvbs0ehR2bawwT_2WsEaGOdqFMs79wOwvtWlBJWuhVULWwoDjtqUr76OSMXFqnf8YBMW2mNmJrAlqwk9f1wPSmltQ/s320/Dr.%20Bonnie%20Clipper,%20DNP,%20MBA,%20RN.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>In the course of their conversation, Keith and Dr. Clipper discuss the growing intersection of artificial intelligence, nursing, and healthcare. Important aspects of this crucial topic include how nurses can position themselves for a seat at the table of this burgeoning technology that's no longer the future of healthcare, but a present-day reality.<br /><br /></p><p>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=DHT5769641145" width="100%"></iframe> </p><p> Dr. Clipper founded Innovation Advantage after more than 20 years as a Chief Nurse Executive when she had the opportunity to commit to innovation during her RWJF Executive Nurse Fellowship and then jumped at the chance to become an ASU/AONL Executive Fellow in Innovative Health Leadership. Her one-of-a-kind skill-set brings decades of operational experience, bundled with her expertise in nursing innovation and experience in academics. </p><p>A trailblazer as the first Vice President of Innovation at the American Nurses Association, Bonnie created an innovation strategy to bring over 4 million nurses into the innovation space. She enjoys pushing the limits and relentlessly questions paradigms, which is often on full display in her work as a top healthcare influencer.</p><p>As an internationally recognized nurse futurist, she was a co-author on the seminal work, The Innovation Roadmap: A Nurse Leader’s Guide and was the lead author of the International Best-Selling book, The Nurse’s Guide to Innovation. She publishes and blogs regularly on technologies impacting nursing. Dr. Clipper is the sole nurse member of the HIMSS Innovation Board of Advisors and is a start-up coach for MATTER international health tech accelerator. Her unique understanding of operations, strategy, workforce, and technology make her the perfect bridge-builder to create new workflows and processes to ensure that technology improves care and experiences for everyone.</p><p><strong>Connect with Dr. Bonnie Clipper: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnieclipper/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Innovation Advantage</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnieclipper/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/InnovationAdvantage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rninnov8/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/BonnieClipper" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li></ul><p>-----------</p><p>Nurse Keith is a holistic career coach for nurses, professional podcaster, published author, award-winning blogger, inspiring keynote speaker, and successful nurse entrepreneur. Connect with Nurse Keith at <a href="http://nursekeith.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NurseKeith.com</a>, and on <a href="http://twitter.com/nursekeith" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,<a href="https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/6f5f92a2-7984-11e8-bcfc-b715c2319eab/podcasts/f0d40dbe-e2ac-11ec-92a7-47a7d9d203e1/episodes/f7cf9dbc-11d3-11ed-a528-43e583dac209/%20http://Facebook.com/nursekeithcoaching" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Facebook</a>, <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/keithallancarlson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="http://instagram.com/nursekeithcoaching" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p><p>Nurse Keith lives in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely fiancée, Shada McKenzie, a highly gifted traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot. You can find Shada at <a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Circle and the Dot</a>.</p><p><span data-react-cache-id="shared/components/HtmlEditor-0" data-react-class="shared/components/HtmlEditor" data-react-props="{"sanitizedValue":"\u003cp\u003eOn episode 459 of The Nurse Keith Show nursing and healthcare career podcast, Keith welcomes back Dr. Bonnie Clipper, DNP, MBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, FAAN, a well-known nurse futurist, healthcare influencer, virtual nursing expert, innovator, and best-selling author.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the course of their conversation, Keith and Dr. Clipper discuss the growing intersection of artificial intelligence, nursing, and healthcare. Important aspects of this crucial topic include how nurses can position themselves for a seat at the table of this burgeoning technology that's no longer the future of healthcare, but a present-day reality.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr. Clipper founded Innovation Advantage after more than 20 years as a Chief Nurse Executive when she had the opportunity to commit to innovation during her RWJF Executive Nurse Fellowship and then jumped at the chance to become an ASU/AONL Executive Fellow in Innovative Health Leadership. Her one-of-a-kind skill-set brings decades of operational experience, bundled with her expertise in nursing innovation and experience in academics. \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA trailblazer as the first Vice President of Innovation at the American Nurses Association, Bonnie created an innovation strategy to bring over 4 million nurses into the innovation space. She enjoys pushing the limits and relentlessly questions paradigms, which is often on full display in her work as a top healthcare influencer.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs an internationally recognized nurse futurist, she was a co-author on the seminal work, The Innovation Roadmap: A Nurse Leader’s Guide and was the lead author of the International Best-Selling book, The Nurse’s Guide to Innovation. She publishes and blogs regularly on technologies impacting nursing. Dr. Clipper is the sole nurse member of the HIMSS Innovation Board of Advisors and is a start-up coach for MATTER international health tech accelerator. Her unique understanding of operations, strategy, workforce, and technology make her the perfect bridge-builder to create new workflows and processes to ensure that technology improves care and experiences for everyone.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnect with Dr. Bonnie Clipper: \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnieclipper/\"\u003eInnovation Advantage\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnieclipper/\"\u003eLinkedIn\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/InnovationAdvantage/\"\u003eFacebook\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rninnov8/\"\u003eInstagram\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/c/BonnieClipper\"\u003eYouTube\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-----------\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurse Keith is a holistic career coach for nurses, professional podcaster, published author, award-winning blogger, inspiring keynote speaker, and successful nurse entrepreneur. Connect with Nurse Keith at \u003ca href=\"http://nursekeith.com/\"\u003eNurseKeith.com\u003c/a\u003e, and on \u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/nursekeith\"\u003eTwitter\u003c/a\u003e,\u003ca href=\"https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/6f5f92a2-7984-11e8-bcfc-b715c2319eab/podcasts/f0d40dbe-e2ac-11ec-92a7-47a7d9d203e1/episodes/f7cf9dbc-11d3-11ed-a528-43e583dac209/%20http://Facebook.com/nursekeithcoaching\"\u003e Facebook\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://linkedin.com/in/keithallancarlson\"\u003eLinkedIn\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/nursekeithcoaching\"\u003eInstagram\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurse Keith lives in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely fiancée, Shada McKenzie, a highly gifted traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot. You can find Shada at \u003ca href=\"http://thecircleandthedot.com\"\u003eThe Circle and the Dot\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Nurse Keith Show is a proud member of \u003ca href=\"https://healthpodcastnetwork.com/\"\u003eThe Health Podcast Network\u003c/a\u003e, one of the largest and fastest-growing collections of authoritative, high-quality podcasts taking on the tough topics in health and care with empathy, expertise, and a commitment to excellence. The podcast is adroitly produced by Rob Johnston of 520R Podcasting, and Mark Capispisan is our stalwart social media ringmaster and newsletter wrangler.\u003c/p\u003e","inputName":"episode[summary]","disabled":false}"><span data-testid="episode[summary]"></span></span></p><p>The Nurse Keith Show is a proud member of <a href="https://healthpodcastnetwork.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Health Podcast Network</a>, one of the largest and fastest-growing collections of authoritative, high-quality podcasts taking on the tough topics in health and care with empathy, expertise, and a commitment to excellence. The podcast is adroitly produced by Rob Johnston of 520R Podcasting, and Mark Capispisan is our stalwart social media ringmaster and newsletter wrangler.</p>Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-6448861259366791882023-12-20T11:06:00.006-05:002023-12-20T11:11:03.229-05:00Building a Culture of Safety in Perinatal Nursing: Insights from The Nurse Keith Show with Guest Jeanette Zocco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitju-UOJdoElwIaMP87SSyr4cw9186gvaoONnFqIMFpE6xjKf2DSIntuviufup9PVR4xoV4OxOYiqcR9MZg059ATISRWQ-gCI2UcLUEqGlf9D_sAA_Eev-rHyGzz_uo5v_B8ZVHMcTDSzE-JQaunkvMHgBZnp7vS68DtDTHmndQQz_InGORCdr/s1000/Jeanette%20Zocco,%20MSN,%20RNC-OB,%20C-EFM,%20C-ONQS.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jeanette Zocco Perinatal SAfety Specialist" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitju-UOJdoElwIaMP87SSyr4cw9186gvaoONnFqIMFpE6xjKf2DSIntuviufup9PVR4xoV4OxOYiqcR9MZg059ATISRWQ-gCI2UcLUEqGlf9D_sAA_Eev-rHyGzz_uo5v_B8ZVHMcTDSzE-JQaunkvMHgBZnp7vS68DtDTHmndQQz_InGORCdr/w320-h320/Jeanette%20Zocco,%20MSN,%20RNC-OB,%20C-EFM,%20C-ONQS.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br />This special episode of The Nurse Keith Show titled "Perinatal Safety
Nursing, Evidence-Based Practice, and Fostering a Culture of Safety," features guest Jeanette Zocco, a perinatal
quality and safety specialist. Zocco's experience and passion for
perinatal nursing shine through as she discusses the critical importance
of safety in nursing.<br /><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=DHT1491735870" width="100%"></iframe></p><p><br />Jeanette Zocco delves into the significance of safety protocols in
perinatal nursing. She addresses the necessity of ingraining safety
measures into everyday operations and embracing programs such as team
steps and crew resource management. The dedication to fostering a safety
culture within nursing environments is pivotal in ensuring the
well-being of patients and staff alike.</p><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><b>Overcoming Obstacles to Safety Implementation</b></p><p><br />A major hindrance in establishing safety initiatives is the presence of
competing priorities. Zocco highlights the crucial balance required
between various programs and the thoughtful consideration of
sustainability in safety practices.
<br /><br /><b>Career Development and Transition</b>
<br /><br />Zocco shares her journey, commencing as a labor and delivery nurse,
transitioning to nursing education and simulation, and eventually
assuming the role of a perinatal safety nurse. Her decision to write a
self-published book led to consulting opportunities, reflecting that
career paths in nursing can evolve organically with an openness to seek
possibilities.
<br /><br /><b>Education Versus Experience</b>
<br /><br />A intriguing segment of the conversation included Zocco and Carlson
discussing the potential impact of advanced education on nursing
careers. While a doctorate's role is acknowledged, practical constraints
make such pursuits challenging. Zocco considers alternative educational
pathways, such as a postmaster's certificate, focusing on the topic of
human factors in quality and safety.
<br /><br /><b>Understanding Human Factors
</b><br /><br />Zocco emphasizes the analysis of human interaction with tools and the
work environment, focusing on aspects such as equipment design and
workplace stress. She points out that the lack of resources in some
organizations can impede the focus on quality and safety.
<br /><br /><b>The Corporate Influence
<br /></b><br />They recognized the negative impacts of the corporatization in
healthcare, advocating for a return to prioritizing safety and quality
over profit, with the frontlines feeling supported and valued. This
cultural shift can lead to better staff satisfaction and retention.
<br /><br /><b>The Role of Simulation</b>
<br /><br />Zocco detailed her influential work in simulation, which paved her way
to the role of a perinatal patient safety program developer. Utilizing
data analysis and strategic planning fostered significant improvements
in obstetric outcomes.
<br /><br /><b>Facing Uncertainty</b>
<br /><br />The discussion ventured into the realm of handling discomfort and the
unknown, with Zocco citing her book writing experience and her ability
to ultimately establish a successful niche website.
The episode concluded with Carlson and Zocco discussing what defines
success. Zocco believes it lies in making a difference—a sentiment that
resonates personally and professionally.
<br /><br /></p><p>Indeed, this episode of The Nurse Keith Show illuminates not just the
complexities and challenges of nursing, especially in the perinatal
field, but also the courage, determination, and heart that are intrinsic
to the profession. Sharing these insights offers invaluable guidance
and inspiration to anyone interested in nurturing a culture of safety in
healthcare.</p><p><strong>Connect with Jeanette Zocco</strong></p><p><span data-react-cache-id="shared/components/HtmlEditor-0" data-react-class="shared/components/HtmlEditor" data-react-props="{"sanitizedValue":"\u003cp\u003eOn episode 452 of The Nurse Keith Show nursing and healthcare career podcast, Keith interviews Jeanette Zocco, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, C-ONQS, a Perinatal Safety Nurse who is a champion of evidence-based practice and the fostering of cultures of safety in nursing and healthcare. In the course of their conversation, Keith and Jeanette discuss the role of the Perinatal Safety Nurse, the importance of quality and safety in improving patient outcomes and efficiency/workflow for frontline staff, and the recent publication of Jeanette's book, \u003cem\u003eObstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (C-ONQS) Study Guide: A Practical Resource for Perinatal Nurses\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJeanette Zocco is a leader in perinatal quality and safety, with 25 years of experience in obstetrics in the hospital setting. She has worked as a bedside nurse, a charge nurse, a clinical nurse leader, a perinatal safety nurse, and a quality improvement performance specialist. She is known for developing innovative perinatal quality and safety programs in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Her programs have demonstrated improved maternal and neonatal safety outcomes. \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer areas of expertise include: data analysis, quality improvement, patient safety, nursing education, clinical research, medical record chronology preparation, project management, multidisciplinary simulation, labor and delivery, team training, and fetal heart monitoring education. Some examples of quality improvement initiatives include the following programs: safe reduction in primary cesarean delivery, obstetric hemorrhage safety bundle, shoulder dystocia team response program, prevention of retained surgical items, multidisciplinary placenta accreta program, and a standardized approach to obstetric triage. Her experience includes both intrahospital and system level perinatal quality and safety work in a large multi-institutional health care delivery system. \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost recently, in alignment with her goal to help elevate nursing practice and educate on quality and safety, Jeanette authored a study guide for the Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (C-ONQS) certification exam offered through the National Certification Corporation (NCC).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJeanette holds NCC certifications in inpatient obstetrics, fetal heart monitoring, and obstetric and neonatal quality and safety. In addition, she is certified in simulation through Drexel University. \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnect with Jeanette Zocco\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://obneonatalstudyguide.com/%20\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eObstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (C-ONQS) Study Guide: A Practical Resource for Perinatal Nurses \u003c/em\u003eon Amazon\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-zocco-msn-rnc-ob-c-efm-c-onqs-31577552\"\u003eJeanette on LinkedIn\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-----------\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDid you know that you can now earn CEUs from listening to podcasts? That’s right — over at \u003ca href=\"http://RNegade.pro\"\u003eRNegade.pro\u003c/a\u003e, they’re building a library of nursing podcasts offering continuing education credits, including episodes of The Nurse Keith Show! So just head over to \u003ca href=\"http://RNegade.pro\"\u003eRNegade.pro\u003c/a\u003e, log into the portal, select Nurse Keith (or any other Content Creator) from the Content Creator dropdown, and get CEs for any content on the platform!\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurse Keith is a holistic career coach for nurses, professional podcaster, published author, award-winning blogger, inspiring keynote speaker, and successful nurse entrepreneur. Connect with Nurse Keith at \u003ca href=\"http://nursekeith.com/\"\u003eNurseKeith.com\u003c/a\u003e, and on \u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/nursekeith\"\u003eTwitter\u003c/a\u003e,\u003ca href=\"https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/6f5f92a2-7984-11e8-bcfc-b715c2319eab/podcasts/f0d40dbe-e2ac-11ec-92a7-47a7d9d203e1/episodes/f7cf9dbc-11d3-11ed-a528-43e583dac209/%20http://Facebook.com/nursekeithcoaching\"\u003e Facebook\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://linkedin.com/in/keithallancarlson\"\u003eLinkedIn\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/nursekeithcoaching\"\u003eInstagram\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurse Keith lives in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely fiancée, Shada McKenzie, a highly gifted traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot. You can find Shada at \u003ca href=\"http://thecircleandthedot.com\"\u003eThe Circle and the Dot\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Nurse Keith Show is a proud member of \u003ca href=\"https://healthpodcastnetwork.com/\"\u003eThe Health Podcast Network\u003c/a\u003e, one of the largest and fastest-growing collections of authoritative, high-quality podcasts taking on the tough topics in health and care with empathy, expertise, and a commitment to excellence. The podcast is adroitly produced by Rob Johnston of 520R Podcasting, and Mark Capispisan is our stalwart social media ringmaster and newsletter wrangler.\u003c/p\u003e","inputName":"episode[summary]","disabled":false}"><span data-testid="episode[summary]"></span></span></p><ul><li><a href="https://obneonatalstudyguide.com/%20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (C-ONQS) Study Guide: A Practical Resource for Perinatal Nurses </em>on Amazon</a></li><li><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-zocco-msn-rnc-ob-c-efm-c-onqs-31577552" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeanette on LinkedIn</a></li></ul><div><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, Springer Publishing, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div>Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-69809325839878390402023-05-08T06:00:00.002-04:002023-12-20T11:08:41.047-05:00Nursing the Nation and the World<p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Nurses are everywhere. They are legion. The ubiquitous nurse is present in the care of children, the elderly, the disabled, and the dying. Nurses don't shy away from responsibility — they embrace it. Nurses run towards the metaphorical fire. Just as firefighters rush into burning buildings and police officers run towards the active shooter, nurses don their gloves and deal with the sputum, the blood, the pus, the emesis, the feces, and the urine — body fluids be damned, there's work to do and nurses do it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WsCm0qnnJMOpv6hQTfWWLVfHEHiMxyC5Lu0I53xU-T4ybQo0cFMOs9ZOFo_pbvBR-uQn598ChHx2S0boBCoZSVjGUPEMYYBL6CnBlCBVJrOcoZ_VlAnYvcCBUB0W7lTN8PCi236fNxNi7jDiToNUeqhtu-v2H9AybgopIItFYLHI_7X4dg/s6000/greg-rosenke-1TjORT2dLOw-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WsCm0qnnJMOpv6hQTfWWLVfHEHiMxyC5Lu0I53xU-T4ybQo0cFMOs9ZOFo_pbvBR-uQn598ChHx2S0boBCoZSVjGUPEMYYBL6CnBlCBVJrOcoZ_VlAnYvcCBUB0W7lTN8PCi236fNxNi7jDiToNUeqhtu-v2H9AybgopIItFYLHI_7X4dg/w421-h280/greg-rosenke-1TjORT2dLOw-unsplash.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><br /></b></div>The Ubiquitous Nurse</b><p></p><p>Where would the country be without nurses? Without nurses, the healthcare system would essentially grind to a halt. We call nurses the lifeblood of healthcare, and they're also the connective tissue and the veritable mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses of the delivery of patient care. </p><p>But nurses are more than that. Ask most members of the public, the media, and even legislative bodies, and they'll tell you that nurses take care of sick people in hospitals. However, if only 55 percent of nurses work in acute care facilities, there's a whole lot more that they do. Hospitals are crucial, of course, but there's more to nursing than units like the ED, the ICU, med-surg, and telemetry. </p><p>Nurses nurse the nation in schools, dialysis centers, assisted living, nursing homes, home health, hospice, and public health. Nurses case manage patients with tuberculosis, fulfill critical roles in patient transportation and life flight, and they provide cancer navigation and care coordination. Nurses are coaches and case managers. They take part in research, and they can be employed in the pharmaceutical industry and biotech. We need nurses on cruise ships, at Disney World, and in adult day care facilities and occupational health centers.</p><p>We may not identify that nurse entrepreneurs are essential to the nursing of the nation, but legal nurse consultants, coaches, podcasters, bloggers, medical writers, medical product creators, and nurse owners of private duty home health agencies perform services that touch the lives of millions. </p><p>The fact is, nurses fulfill so many roles and perform such a plethora of tasks that it's not easy to enumerate them all. The ubiquitous nature of the nurse is incontrovertible. </p><p><b>Nursing the World</b></p><p>Our vision of the nurse is not, of course, limited to any one country. Nurses hold up the sky in Ghana, the Netherlands, Japan, and the islands of Micronesia. Australian and Chinese nurses are the brethren of those in Argentina, and although some of our practices, responsibilities, and approaches may differ, the basic tenets of nursing are the same. While nurse practitioners may be gaining increased autonomy here in the United States, APRNs in other countries may not be so blessed with such freedoms. </p><p>Nurses volunteer for organizations like Doctors Without Borders, and we must not forget the nurses whose lives are on the line every day in war zones like Ukraine. Armies, navies, and other military bodies employ the services of highly trained nurses, and their ministrations are essential. </p><p>Yes, nursing and healthcare have their incessant and seemingly intractable problems. Nurses are uncivil to one another, and nurse bullying is prevalent enough that there are books, articles, blog posts, and research dedicated to its eradication. Nurses are leaving — or threatening to leave — the profession in droves, and we are wringing our hands as nurse attrition mounts and schools lack the spaces for enough new nurses to fill the gaps. The profession is reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, and burnout and compassion fatigue are commonly shared conditions. <br /><br />Healthcare is itself dysfunctional, and monied interests have eroded the public's trust, not to mention caused major disruptions in the delivery of appropriate care, especially when insurance companies choose to charge patients more and more but allow less and less, pandering to shareholders and leaving patients holding the bag. </p><p>The good and the bad notwithstanding, nursing the world is a tall order, and nurses are up to the job. Responsibility, compassion, critical thinking, manual dexterity, and communication must all come naturally to the nurse. </p><p>Legislators, the public, and the media ignore nurses' many challenges at their peril. Perhaps if enough nurses leave the profession and patients are wondering where the nurses went, a wake-up call will be sounded and we will recognize the crisis at our doorstep. Still, there are nurses who will slog it out every day in the muck and mire, fight the good fight, and push their way through all resistance. <br /><br />Yes, nurses are legion. Nurses are ubiquitous. Nurses are essential. Nurses are powerful. Nurses nurse the world. </p><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, Springer Publishing, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div>Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-6951983579380869012023-05-01T11:22:00.000-04:002023-05-01T11:22:18.056-04:00Nurse Be Nimble, Nurse Be QuickThe notion of <a href="http://digitaldoorway.blogspot.com/2015/06/are-your-ready-to-pivot-in-your-nursing.html">pivoting in your nursing career</a> isn't a new one, and that readiness to pivot can emerge from a nimbleness of mind and a willingness to read the tea leaves of your career. Nurse, are you nimble?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OtitzWmkZpMpV2X5qjOgvhOhkdQiF5jQxCOOuU3TX-43D5CF_gFRQV_J_sBz8sYQMeJ86Vy7UF7b1QN3WWln2y3ef0z2PKGzM2V5v-mBNw0jPYyUvgHugdRwl_eFLf5BIznk/s1600/Untitled+design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nurse Be Nimble, Nurse Be Quick" border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OtitzWmkZpMpV2X5qjOgvhOhkdQiF5jQxCOOuU3TX-43D5CF_gFRQV_J_sBz8sYQMeJ86Vy7UF7b1QN3WWln2y3ef0z2PKGzM2V5v-mBNw0jPYyUvgHugdRwl_eFLf5BIznk/s400/Untitled+design.png" title="Nurse Be Nimble, Nurse Be Quick" width="400" /></a></div>
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Being nimble in terms of your career means that you're willing to think beyond what's right in front of you. It also means doing the work of preparing and paving the groundwork for something that you want -- and if you don't know what you want, you're at least asking the right questions.<br />
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Many nurses appear to settle into an area of nursing, rest on their laurels, and think less of the future than perhaps they should. These nurses don't necessarily think a great deal about what they may want in five or ten years; thus, when they're suddenly feeling unhappy and itchy for change, there's much more work to be done due to the years they've spent avoiding any forward movement or thought for the future. <br />
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In <a href="http://digitaldoorway.blogspot.com/2015/06/are-your-ready-to-pivot-in-your-nursing.html">a post</a> from 2015, I wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Listen to the voices that you hear. Pay attention to the ever-evolving zeitgeist of
your industry. Know what other people are thinking, and if you work in
an evidence-based profession, follow the evidence when it pertains to
you and your area of expertise. </i></blockquote>
<b>The Consequences of Non-Action</b><br />
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In Buddhism, the concept of non-action is an important one. You know the old adage, "<i>Don't just sit there, do something</i>"? Well, in certain circumstances, it's sometimes better to turn that around, and say, ""<i>Don't just do something, sit there</i>." However, when it comes to your career and its ongoing trajectory, I prefer action, even if that action is listening, thinking, and asking salient questions.<br />
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Let's say you're a nurse like me who worked in home health for the first decade of your career. You've never worked in the hospital, and while you love home health, you've actually been feeling called to finally take the plunge and enter the world of acute care. This may be a tough row to hoe since you've been in outpatient nursing for your entire career, but there's no saying it's not possible.<br />
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During these past ten years when you've been focusing exclusively on home health, you haven't done any networking, your resume is a mess, and you have few contacts beyond your small universe of home care colleagues. All along, you've never considered that any of the hospital staff whom you've met could be helpful to your career in any way, so you haven't connected with anyone on LinkedIn, built relationships, or otherwise laid the groundwork for the future.<br />
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In your mind, you'd like to jump right into the ICU, but common sense says that without any hospital experience since nursing school, you're going to have to pay some dues, prove your mettle, and begin with a position in med-surg, step-down, or a sub-acute floor. Sure, you'd love to land an ICU position, but you simply don't have the nursing skills or the connections to get you there. Your road will be challenging, but it's not impossible -- it'll just take time, and diligent action on your part. <br />
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<b>Reading the Inner Landscape</b><br />
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Being nimble of mind means being open to possibility. It also means that, in terms of your career, you're steeped in curiosity and expansiveness, rather than wearing blinders.<br />
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As a nurse who is nimble of mind and quick to grasp opportunity, you not only read your immediate surroundings and the healthcare landscape around you; you also read the landscape within your heart and mind. <br />
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If there's an inkling in your head or heart that what you're doing now won't hold water for you in a few years, now is the time to take inspired action in a new direction. That inspired action can simply be chatting with a nurse or manager who you know and trust, reaching out to a career coach for inspiration or ideas, or seeking informational interviews with professionals who are holders of information that may be helpful to you.<br />
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If you maintain awareness of how you're feeling about your career and work life, you're more likely to take preemptive action that will foment change, rather than being reactive when the going gets tough.<br />
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<b>Remain Awake and Aware</b><br />
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We can all get sleepy and lazy at certain points in our lives. We feel comfortable, we settle into the status quo, and we conveniently forget or ignore the fact that we may want something more down the road.<br />
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You must remain awake and aware to possibility, understanding that every colleague who you meet could be a source of brilliant information that will wake you up to something new. If you're feeling complacent in your career, there's no time like the present to do something about it and take a forward step.<br />
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As professionals, there's always the micro and the macro. The micro is the minutiae of the day to day, the details of our lives and work. Meanwhile, the macro is the bigger picture, the bird's eye view, and this is where we need to keep at least a little attention. It's easy to get caught up in the web of details, but those details can blind you to the wider career horizon.<br />
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Being nimble and quick doesn't necessarily mean turning on a dime or being blown in some new direction with every wind that comes your way. Being nimble and quick means that you're listening, that you're willing to change, and that you are quick to perceive that change may be in the air.<br />
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Is your workplace unstable? Are you becoming unhappy in your role? Do you feel limited or stuck? Is there something you've always wanted to do as a nurse? Is your current specialty area drying up and being supplanted by new technologies or skills?<br />
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I'm glad if these questions make you uncomfortable, because a little discomfort will galvanize you towards change, if change is what is called for.<br />
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Nurse be nimble, nurse be quick. Nurse, consider your future, and keep your eyes wide open.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: times;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-49738520291450254682023-04-24T12:51:00.000-04:002023-04-24T12:51:39.547-04:00A Strategic and Thoughtful Approach to Transitions in Life and Career<p>Life is filled with moments of transition: marriage and divorce, birth and death, graduation, dropping out, health crises, comings and goings, and everything in between. How we approach transitions can be influenced by myriad factors, including, but not limited to, our social supports; our emotional, spiritual, and psychological health; and the nature of the transition itself.</p><p>Whether it's a professional/career transition like getting fired or graduating from college, or a personal transition such as the birth of a child or the death of a loved one, transitions and how we tackle them matter greatly in the context of our lives, careers, families, personal development, and overall well-being.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY5e4mDuUQSSVxPJykZdxduF4eS7Vz6k7RrkibtduzmUuP7kz8Kvr2ADOAMDUvoXtOTgx3eoxsWFjR-i_kjEIR6vWP8wiWI6u3vFsF80wbuAsEvHR3iF_bp0MbKGfE3kbsSEbkCU_sl7KGQkwfIuPgevdkbF7eIukcgNHTnMAJppxypUhpEQ=s5016" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3344" data-original-width="5016" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY5e4mDuUQSSVxPJykZdxduF4eS7Vz6k7RrkibtduzmUuP7kz8Kvr2ADOAMDUvoXtOTgx3eoxsWFjR-i_kjEIR6vWP8wiWI6u3vFsF80wbuAsEvHR3iF_bp0MbKGfE3kbsSEbkCU_sl7KGQkwfIuPgevdkbF7eIukcgNHTnMAJppxypUhpEQ=w379-h252" width="379" /></a></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />Schlossberg's Transition Theory</h4><p><a href="https://www.unthsc.edu/students/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/Schlossberg.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Schlossberg's Transition Theory</a> is an important systematic lens through which we can choose to examine various types of life transitions, evaluate the challenges they pose, as well as their relative difficulty vis-à-vis the internal and external resources we can bring to bear on moving through such situations to a place of acceptance and resolution.</p><p>According to Schlossberg, there are three types of transitions to consider:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Anticipated transitions: predictable transitions such as marriage, graduation, or the birth of a child.<br /><br /></li><li>Unanticipated transitions: getting fired, the sudden death of someone we love.<br /><br /></li><li>Non-events: transitions we expect that fail to materialize. Non-events can be categorized into those that are 1) personal; 2) "ripple non-events" (things that happen to someone else but still impact us); 3) "resultant non-events" caused by external occurrences (the concert tour is canceled due to the pandemic); or 4) delayed non-events that may happen in the future but have been put off due to external forces (the concert tour is postponed due to the pandemic but will be rescheduled at a later date).<br /><br /></li><li>"Sleeper" transitions: something that creeps up on us insidiously over time without our necessarily being consciously aware of it happening (e.g.: losing attraction to one's spouse; or slowly losing interest in, or passion for, one's work or career).</li></ul><p></p><p>Schlossberg also elucidated four aspects or elements that can significantly impact an individual's response to transition, including the ability to cope — these are called "the four S's":</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u>Situation:</u> what triggered the event, the timing of the event, the responsible party (if any), and how long the situation lasts.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Self: </u>age, gender, cultural background, belief systems, health status, etc.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Social support:</u> the people, institutions, communities, networks, and groups that can be factor in terms of one's ability to appropriately respond and cope.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Strategies: </u>how we do or don't manage to respond, modify what can be modified, and adapt to change.</li></ul><p></p><p>This framework for examining the phenomenon of transition can be a useful tool in our own lives, as well as in a number of professional and non-professional roles in which we find ourselves supporting others (as clergy, healthcare provider, counselor/therapist, social worker, friend, supervisor, colleague, family member, or mentor).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijDXZ7aTXQr5LBm96hdk4xt1ZzHCcRTDpgDzO-HI-2Erx-MLtKjQ8Vj_PSsf1cA819IgMvqAWJkt3iN1cggqs-k8JID8YYwckvpfDEVZtQ7x3pze_dZQpHw5GGA8j4c6IjPwyhcqNLQu5RhVaDMo6rRIqkrNivKm1aGdb3hOzABljqWubanw=s6000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijDXZ7aTXQr5LBm96hdk4xt1ZzHCcRTDpgDzO-HI-2Erx-MLtKjQ8Vj_PSsf1cA819IgMvqAWJkt3iN1cggqs-k8JID8YYwckvpfDEVZtQ7x3pze_dZQpHw5GGA8j4c6IjPwyhcqNLQu5RhVaDMo6rRIqkrNivKm1aGdb3hOzABljqWubanw=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Change is Inevitable</h4><p>Whether it's anticipated or unanticipated, change is inevitable and simply par for the course as a human being. Stasis can and does occur at times — as can boredom and ennui —but change and transition are much more likely from both the micro and the macro perspectives.</p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic ushered the entire of humanity into a period of constant uncertainty and change — it seems as if we've been in transition for more than two years now, and that condition is ongoing in terms of the economy, our social lives, our work, and any other aspect of life one might enumerate,</p><p>The horrific war in Ukraine has brought a tragic transition to many, especially the Ukrainian people as they struggle with life during wartime in terms of hunger, fear, unwarranted death, wanton and wholly unnecessary destruction, and the path of the refugee seeking relative safety wherever it can be found.</p><p>Many of the people we love will at some point in their lives experience health crises and other challenges, and we also know realistically that everyone we love will eventually die, ourselves included.</p><p>There will also be weddings, births, unexpected windfalls and losses, and new opportunities that, for all their promise and excitement, can also bring about concern when the status quo is threatened and we must be supple and bend with the winds of change rather than break under duress.</p><p>Change isn't always welcome or easy, but we can do our best to lean into it with grace and consciousness.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Applying Theory to Life</h4><p>Theories like Schlossberg's are wonderful additions to the body of literature in related fields, but the rubber truly hits the road for us personally when we can consciously apply a theoretical framework to our own lives.</p><p>When we're faced with a moment of transition, we can choose to use the Schlossberg lens as a means to first evaluate whether that transition is anticipated, unanticipated, or a non-event, and then further examine the situation in light of the four S's of Schlossberg's model.</p><p>In light of the self-oriented aspect of responding to transition, it can be efficacious to evaluate if, perhaps, our belief systems or cultural background are somehow thwarting our ability to see our circumstance from a clear-eyed perspective. There may be long-held erroneous beliefs that must be reprogrammed (e.g.: "I'm simply inept in romantic relationships — there's no one out there who can really love me for who I am"), or we were taught a way of thinking by our family, community, religion, or cultural group that hinders our personal growth (e.g.: "People in our family/community are only considered successful if they're doctors, scientists, or lawyers; every other career choice is essentially a failure of character.")</p><p>In terms of social support, if we find that our current cohort of friends or colleagues doesn't provide us with the type of empathy, reflection, or advice that is consistently helpful, we may need to expand our circles and seek out those who can bring those qualities into the mix.</p><p>And, finally, if the strategies we know to employ in response to the threat of change are ineffective (e.g.: we fall too easily into despair and depression), we may be wise to find a therapist or other guide who can help us learn more adaptive skills.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Embracing the "Sleeper" Transition</h4><p>In the world of careers, a so-called "sleeper" transition can sneak up on us and catch us completely unawares. Perhaps we've long felt that something was a little "off" but we never stopped to consider what was happening other than to acknowledge that we've been feeling some vague sense of unease or unhappiness.</p><p>From my perspective, the sleeper transition is one of the most dangerous since it can reveal to us how little we've actually been paying attention (or simply been in denial).</p><p>When a sleeper transition finally hits us over the head with an eventual realization of what's truly going on in our psyches, we have a golden opportunity to wake up and change course with a renewed awareness of our reality. This moment of realization/opportunity can open doors of true change if we're willing to pause and reflect on how we've been holding ourselves back. Whether it's realizing that a relationship has run its course or a career path has lost all luster, we may find ourselves at the threshold of (hopefully positive and growthful) change.</p><p>Whether it's Schlossberg's theory or another frame of reference that opens your doors of self-perception and self-knowledge, seeing transition as a potentially transformational moment of personal evolution is one avenue towards living the life you truly deserve to live.</p><p>(NOTE: This post was originally<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/strategically-thoughtfully-approaching-transitions-keith/" target="_blank"> published on LinkedIn</a>.)</p><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div>Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-85370699215909053502023-04-17T11:24:00.000-04:002023-04-17T11:24:27.514-04:00Letting Your Nursing Career Magic Out of the HatNurses, do you need some magic to get your nursing career back on track? Career development for nurses isn't rocket science, but manifesting some magic and joy for the betterment of your career is certainly possible if you want it. Is it time to let the rabbit out of the hat?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Have You Lost the Magic?</b><br />
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If your nursing career feels like it's lost some of its magic and mojo, don't despair -- there's plenty you can do to make things right again.<br />
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Sometimes, our careers feel lackluster because our current area of practice or specialty no longer feels like a good fit -- after all, we change personally over time, and our professional lives need to change along with us.<br />
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At other times, it's a negative workplace culture or poor cultural fit that makes your work feel like a slog. Even if the workplace culture isn't terrible, you may simply not feel aligned with your colleagues, and that can make you feel like a nurse fish out of water.<br />
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Career magic can be lost when your personal life has changed, and your needs (or the needs of your family) are impacting how you feel about your work. Years of night shift may no longer serve you when your elderly parents need you present for daytime management of their healthcare. Or maybe your physical health or stamina aren't what they used to be, and you need a job that feels like a better fit at this point in your life.<br />
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Losing the magic doesn't mean it's gone forever, but it does mean that you need to put some skin in the game, apply some elbow grease, and figure out how to set things right again.<br />
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<b>A (Not So) Magical Strategy</b><br />
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Coming up with a magical strategy isn't really magic -- it's more about persistence, attention, intention, and the desire to do the hard work of finding your new path. Here are some ideas for where to begin your inquiry:<br />
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<i>1) Assess where you are in your current area of work or specialty.</i><b> </b>Is it fulfilling? Does it utilize the skill set(s) that you feel speak to who you are and who you want to be as a nurse? If your area of practice has lost its hold on you, moving forward may be impossible until you come up with a new plan of action.<br />
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<i>2) Seek informational interviews with nurses doing work that piques your curiosity.</i><br />
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<i>3) Attend a conference or seminar about an area of professional interest.</i><br />
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<i>4) Consume various media that share content of relevance to your situation and your professional desires</i> (e.g.: articles, books, blog posts, videos, and podcasts).<br />
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<i>5) Shadow a nurse who does a type of nursing that you find fascinating.</i><br />
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<i>6) Work with a career coach, life coach, or counselor who can walk you through a process of research, career development, and personal/professional self-discovery.</i><br />
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<i>7) Seek opportunities to utilize personality inventories (e.g.: Myers Briggs) or other tools (e.g.: DISC assessment; StrengthFinders) that will help you deepen your level of self-inquiry and self-knowledge. </i><br />
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<b>Honesty, Curiosity, and Self-Knowledge</b><br />
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Nurses, sometimes we need to take a good hard look at ourselves, our careers, and our circumstances. It took me a number of years to slowly extricate myself from direct care and nursing management into a new life of nurse entrepreneurship and self-employment. Getting to that point was a process that didn't happen overnight. In that formative period, there were moments of doubt, lots of energy and excitement, occasional panic, and the inner knowledge that I was indeed on the right path, even when I wavered. Did it take psychotherapy, career and business coaching, my wife's undying support, and an amazing leap of faith to make it happen? You bet.<br />
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I know nurses who've taken incredible risks to make a career shift. I've also met nurses who've simply known what to do, and their career transition actually did seem like magic -- even to them. However, the majority of people assessing the potential for a major professional change in order to bring back the magic have some hard work ahead of them to get there.<br />
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Can a curious mind deliver you to the professional promised land? It can certainly help. Do deep self-knowledge and honesty assist in the process? Absolutely. How can you make a major life change without knowing what you want, who you are, and what motivates you to change?<br />
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<b>Be Prepared for Surprises</b><br />
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When you embark on a courageous journey of creating more magic in your career and your professional life, be prepared for surprises. Did my friend and colleague <a href="http://www.thehulahoopgirl.com/">Caroline Cardenas</a> know that she'd write her Master's in Nursing thesis on the use of the hula hoop and hoop dancing in the <a href="http://www.thehulahoopgirl.com/self-care-for-nurses.html">prevention of nurse burnout</a>? She did not -- her team of advisors led her there. Sometimes it's the people you surround yourself with and the tools you utilize that take you over the finish line towards change.<br />
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If you'd told me when I graduated from nursing school in 1996 that I would be a nurse podcaster, blogger, freelance writer, and keynote speaker in less than 20 years, I wouldn't have believed you -- after all, I was planning to open my own independent hospice. And if you'd told me that I'd be completely comfortable speaking on stage in front of hundreds of nurses, I would've offered you a drink and asked you to sit down and get ahold of yourself. After all, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans (to paraphrase the incomparable John Lennon). It's also been said that when you make plans, God laughs.<br />
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This professional nursing journey is what you make it. You may find an area of specialty practice that remains compelling and fulfilling for 30 or 40 years. Then again, the magic can disappear at any moment, and you're faced with the decision of staying the course out of habit or striking into the unknown in search of a novel path of professional self-discovery.<br />
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Career magic can indeed be magical, but it can also entail the seemingly un-magical shedding of copious blood, sweat, and tears to create the life and career you want. How you approach the creation of magic is up to you, but know that the magic is always there within your grasp if you're willing to invite it to your door.<br /><div style="font-family: times;"><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: times;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-39188298317933152902023-04-10T10:45:00.001-04:002023-05-01T23:15:33.826-04:00When the Career Cookies CrumbleAs a seasoned career coach working with nurses and other healthcare professionals, I often hear stories from my clients that are both heartbreaking and maddening. Nurses and nursing students go through so much in their careers, and there can be plenty of pain, struggle, and blood, sweat, and tears along the way. And when things go south and a nurse's career seems endangered, it can be a frightening and worrisome time.<br />
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No matter the cause of a nurse's career cookies appearing to crumble, there's almost always a way to get things back to the way they should be. I've seen so many varied scenarios of how a nursing career can take a bad turn, and I've seen many nurses turn it around and get back on top once again.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>When the Cookie Crumbles</b><br />
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I've written before about recovering from being fired or bullied, as well as other speed bumps that crop up on the nursing journey. It's just not easy when the career cookie crumbles, is it? So, what cookies can crumble? What flies might you find in the ointment of your nursing career?<br />
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<i><u>Getting fired</u>: </i>Being fired can be demoralizing and painful. We can judge ourselves harshly, beat ourselves up, and otherwise feel miserable. Failure -- or what looks like failure -- hurts, and picking ourselves up by our bootstraps after being fired is a tough task.<br />
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<i><u>Not getting hired</u>: </i>When your job search seems fruitless and you're not getting called for interviews, it can be demoralizing. And when the interviews you actually have don't lead to actual job offers, you can feel very much discouraged.<br />
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<i><u>Bullying</u>: </i>Bullying -- also known as lateral or horizontal violence -- is a scourge on the nursing profession. Nurse bullies are out there, although inspired individuals like my friend and colleague Dr. Renee Thompson are fighting the good fight to eradicate it from our midst, with Dr. Thompson doing so under the auspices of <a href="http://healthyworkforceinstitute.com" target="_blank">The Healthy Workforce Institute</a>. Some nurses end up quitting jobs and even leaving the profession entirely because of the effects of bullying. This is unconscionable, but it happens every day.<br />
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<i><u>Stress and burnout</u>: </i>Stress seems to be an enormous factor for nurses. Untenable nurse-patient ratios, long hours, passive-aggressive colleagues, poor management, difficult patients, difficult doctors and colleagues, and lack of time to rest, eat, drink, or go to the bathroom all add up to a overflowing rain barrel of fatigue, worry, and stress. And when that stress barrel overflows, nothing good can come of it. Physical, psychoemotional, and spiritual symptoms arise, and the nurse may soon realize that he or she is burnt out, toasted, fried to a crisp, and at the point of exhaustion.<br />
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<i><u>Boredom and dissatisfaction</u>:</i> Sometimes, nurses aren't burnt out, bored, or otherwise under great stress. Believe it or not, sometimes we just get bored. When you've been doing the same thing for a long time as a nurse, it can become somewhat rote and robotic. In some ways, you can relax when things are so familiar that you can do your nursing job with one hand tied behind your back, but this type of familiarity can breed a form of lassitude and professional laziness that doesn't serve anyone. You can go through the motions, but if your heart is no longer in it, what's the point? Is a paycheck enough, or do you need and want more out of your work and career?<br />
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<b>ADPIE for the Crumbled</b><br />
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The good ol' nursing process can be invaluable when things go south in your career. When a patient's condition begins to take a dive, what do you do? You go back to the nursing process -- ADPIE -- whether you're conscious of it or not.<br />
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When the cookie crumbles, one of the first things to do is to assess the situation and see what's going. Whether it's a cardiac patient with tachycardia or a nursing career turned sour after being fired, it's the same thing -- you gather data before taking action.<br />
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Next comes the diagnosis. Is it a lack of self-confidence? Was your workplace just too toxic and getting fired was inevitable? Did your communication skills alienate you from your colleagues, leading to an irreparable rift that resulted in your being laid off? Diagnosis your situation and determine the root cause if you can.<br />
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A plan is next on the crumbled cookie to-do list. What are you going to do about it? Career coaching could help, and so could counseling or psychotherapy. If your communication skills are lacking, maybe you need to find out what kind of communicator you are and learn to alter your style to fit various situations.<br />
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Next you implement the plan and see if it helps. Does the career coaching move the needle? Does counseling uncover some uncomfortable stuff you need to unpack? The plan may be short- or long-term, but it needs to be geared towards getting your career and life back on track and overcoming the manner in which your personal cookie crumbled.<br />
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Finally, evaluation is necessary. Did your interventions work? Have you moved the needle? Did you uncover new diagnoses that need to be addressed? Maybe parts of the crumbled cookie were reassembled, but some other areas still need some work. If learning about your communication style opened a can of worms about how your mother treated you when you were a child, maybe some communication coaching or training could open the door to the need for intensive counseling or psychotherapy. Perhaps it's time to reassess.<br />
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<b>Fortifying the Self</b><br />
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Crumbled career cookies are no fun, and there's sometimes a lot of mess to clean up. You might be challenged emotionally, or the potential damage to your lifestyle could be financial. Our work is an intrinsic part of the fabric of our lives, and disruption in our careers can be difficult to process and move through.<br />
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If your self-esteem has been damaged by a negative work experience, it's a good time to lean into activities and relationships that fortify your sense of self-worth. Spend time with people who are able and willing to reflect your best characteristics back to you. Connect with a career coach who can help you identify your greatest strengths. Attend a workshop that can help you pause for some self-reflection, or spend time doing things that you truly love.<br />
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Whether it's camping, reading, writing, hiking, or skiing, there are things that make you feel good. So, when things in your career go south, lean into activities and people that can buoy your spirits and keep your self-esteem elevated.<br />
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<b>Picking Up the Pieces</b><br />
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If your career cookie has indeed crumbled, picking up the pieces is essential. As mentioned above, fortifying the self is crucial. Next, finding the missing or damaged pieces related to your career trajectory is also important.<br />
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If you were fired because your clinical skills were lacking, do an honest assessment of what skills need to be sharpened and what you can do about it.<br />
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In your particular case, perhaps the nursing specialty you were pursuing isn't a good fit, for various reasons. Sometimes we nurses can feel beholden to work in the clinical space, but maybe we'd do better in academia, research, or entrepreneurship. I, myself, have left clinical work behind in order to pursue writing, speaking, podcasting, and coaching. What would make you most happy and fulfilled in terms of how you spend your time and earn your living?<br />
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When you're in the midst of a job search process, you may be dissatisfied and frustrated with the lack of response to the applications you're sending out. If you're not getting any positive feedback or interview offers and you're feeling like your strategy is lacking, a new approach to the job search process is called for.<br />
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A crumbled cookie isn't destroyed -- it's shape has been changed but it's essential ingredients are still intact. Your nursing career is similar -- nothing truly spells the end, unless you've determined that the end has been reached. Sure, there are situations wherein circumstances may determine that nursing must be left behind as a viable career path. But this is rare -- most careers can be reinvigorated and breathed back to life with some effort and sweat equity.<br />
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Has your career cookie crumbled? Do things feel like they're falling apart? Have you lost your way? Are you feeling as if the bottom has fallen out from under you in regards to your professional life? Never fear -- things can still be repaired.<br />
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Picking up the pieces may not be easy, and there may be a tough road ahead. However, with the right support, self-care, and a keen eye towards what's most prudent to do in order to make things right, you can get your nursing career back on track and your cookies reassembled. Whatever type of cookies they may be, it's not too late to bake a new batch and turn up the heat on your nursing career once again.<div style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: times;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-3198686936961950962023-04-03T11:23:00.000-04:002023-04-03T11:23:17.696-04:00Nurses, Parachutes, Stools, and the Career You Truly WantBeing a nurse is a wonderful career and avocation. In the course of attempting to build an amenable lifestyle and workstyle, things can get confusing, but there are plenty of resources for the earnest nursing professional who wants support in taking their career to the next level.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclesvU5vCU1_aWXB8fGyfRTIP_XAncyRReT-cU6JDbUB9xC4ZMZC4R7D3LZ6aYi4vk2zrZmCVtIJPcJtdWq6kJQAwebZkfQLE2IBl5o5_T-DUTJdwjn-CIxGaTy4RQ7OJcsYk/s1600/nicolas-tissot-435976-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Nurses and parachutes" border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclesvU5vCU1_aWXB8fGyfRTIP_XAncyRReT-cU6JDbUB9xC4ZMZC4R7D3LZ6aYi4vk2zrZmCVtIJPcJtdWq6kJQAwebZkfQLE2IBl5o5_T-DUTJdwjn-CIxGaTy4RQ7OJcsYk/s400/nicolas-tissot-435976-unsplash.jpg" title="Nurses and parachutes" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Z2yEVIbH-XU?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Nicolas Tissot</a><span face=", , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/parachute?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><b>What Color is Your Parachute? </b><br />
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In 1970, author and career guru Richard Nelson Bolles self-published the seminal book, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2FwqZzO">What Color is Your Parachute</a></i>. In 1972, it was published by Ten Speed Press and has been consistently revised ever since and is now available in 22 languages.<br />
<br />
In the new edition updated for job-seekers of all stripes working and living in 2019 as the second decade of the century comes to a close, Bolles waxes poetic about the ways in which the job market and job search process have changed -- or not -- since the late 20th century. Much to my relief (and sense of vindication), his recommendations and advice are actually quite aligned with my own outlook as a holistic career coach.<br />
<br />
The main thrust of the book's first few chapters focuses on how some of the old job market strategies still work but new strategies are crucial in light of the rampant digitalization of the job search process.<br />
<br />
When a resume or application is submitted online by an applicant, they are often sucked into a digital black hole where they can disappear forever. So many nurse job-seekers who contact me tell stories of how the receipt of their resumes and applications are completely unacknowledged by the companies to which they're applying.<br />
<br />
They say the rings of Saturn are made of lost airline luggage and socks that disappear in the dryer, but perhaps they're actually made of resumes and electronic job applications.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8v0mdpc1m_Q4L5blhuSvWDl0MW9X9G7hi0TSiWVTcikPrVLCuD-jXCF165dS9vWNdcDQcY72JWKonv1qiJ8LQOEUx5peumoas6mxTe6F4qn6INh7kgbNZd2M2L9i3k4RhEurT/s1600/Depositphotos_21543555_l-2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The rings of Saturn are made of lost resumes" border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="1600" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8v0mdpc1m_Q4L5blhuSvWDl0MW9X9G7hi0TSiWVTcikPrVLCuD-jXCF165dS9vWNdcDQcY72JWKonv1qiJ8LQOEUx5peumoas6mxTe6F4qn6INh7kgbNZd2M2L9i3k4RhEurT/s400/Depositphotos_21543555_l-2015.jpg" title="The rings of Saturn are made of lost resumes" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>The Traditional Approach vs The Parachute Approach</b><br />
<ol>
</ol>
This is indeed an old school approach and it only works some of the time for some people -- for the rest, it falls on its face time and again. But most people have no idea there's another way!<br />
<br />
Bolles' calls his fresh way of looking for work "The Parachute Approach," which closely aligns with the opinions I've shared on this blog and on my podcast, <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a> for the last number of years. This entails the following paraphrased steps:<br />
<ol>
<li>Figure out who you are (with or without the help of a coach or other professional)</li>
<li>Identify your gifts and strengths</li>
<li>Look for organizations that match <u>you</u></li>
<li>Don't wait until they have a vacancy -- find a "bridge person" to get you in the door</li>
</ol>
Yes, this is harder and more out of the box; however, it can work when the other strategies fail. And from my point of view, I recommend a marriage of the Traditional Approach and the Parachute Approach -- by all means send out resumes and respond to job postings, but don't stop there.<br />
<br />
Remember: from the perspective of Richard Nelson Bolles, who you are should come before what you should do. In his words, "Who precedes What." You need to know who you are and what you're about before you can figure out what to do and where to go.<br />
<b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />More on Mr. Bolles and His Parachute</b><br />
<br />
According to Bolles, there are eleven best and worst ways to look for a job within the Traditional Approach, and they are:<br />
<ol>
<li>Looking for jobs on the Internet works for an average 4 percent of the time. </li>
<li>Posting or mailing your resume to employers works about 7 percent of the time. One study quoted by Bolles states that 1 out of every 1,470 resumes results in landing a job. (And remember to never lie or exaggerate on your resume since you can never really delete something completely once it's been on the Internet.) </li>
<li>Answering newspaper ads lands a job only about 5 percent of the time. Some find success of up to 24 percent but this is usually only for low-wage jobs, not professional positions. </li>
<li>Using private employment agencies yields positive results about 5 percent of the time, but up to 24 percent again for low-wage or low-skill positions. </li>
<li>Responding to ads in professional journals has good results about 7 percent of the time. </li>
<li>So-called job-hunting "clubs" (which I've never heard of but that Bolles mentions) have a 10 percent success rate. </li>
<li>State or federal employment offices offer a 14 percent success rate. </li>
<li>Physically going to places where employers pick up workers is good for trades, construction, and such, and will often find success 22 percent of the time, but this is a non-starter for nurses since this type of hiring process doesn't exist in healthcare. People in the trades have union halls where employers come to seek out workers -- nurses are out of luck in this regard. Day laborers are the ones who benefit most from this approach. </li>
<li>Directly asking for job leads has a 33 percent success rate. This involves asking friends, family, neighbors, and others in your network for leads on open positions. This has a 5x rate of success over sending out a resume. </li>
<li>Literally knocking on an employer's door (be it H.R. or another department) has a 47 percent rate of positive outcomes, mostly with small employers with less than 25 employees. </li>
<li>Using the Yellow Pages (remember those?) can work up to 65 precent of the time, but this means looking up viable employers, reaching out to them, paying a visit, setting up informational interviews, and exploring their status in terms of hiring. I suspect, however, that this approach will generally not be successful in healthcare since most healthcare employers will have far more than 25 employees, so being able to pick the brain of the person in charge of hiring is next to impossible.</li>
</ol>
<b>Nurse Keith's Three-Legged Stool Approach</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSehSOlkYa1sxmVGu94gwKBSaefXmFnhX9oO8ZW7h9DmcOcBSy6y6tgXd-SlNUvgmVoNlKun6sXt3e7X4S08LfXXOqUjvh2wvP_rS526XGwZyOtoQ0UvJoqfkpjsxnK_NA9LHh/s1600/Depositphotos_34660919_l-2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three-legged stool of your job search approach" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1445" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSehSOlkYa1sxmVGu94gwKBSaefXmFnhX9oO8ZW7h9DmcOcBSy6y6tgXd-SlNUvgmVoNlKun6sXt3e7X4S08LfXXOqUjvh2wvP_rS526XGwZyOtoQ0UvJoqfkpjsxnK_NA9LHh/s400/Depositphotos_34660919_l-2015.jpg" title="Three-legged stool of your job search approach" width="361" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
My approach to the job search process is much like Mr. Bolles's. My recommended job search and career growth process is like a three-legged stool (no, not <u>that</u> kind of stool) -- and remember that a stool with only one or two legs will fall over and be an unsafe place to sit. </div>
<br />
<u><i>Leg 1:</i></u> You make sure that the tools in <a href="http://digitaldoorway.blogspot.com/2015/03/your-nursing-career-toolbox.html">your nursing career toolbox</a> are sharp and ready to use at all times. Your career toolbox includes:<br />
<ul>
<li>Your resume</li>
<li>A skeleton cover letter that can be edited and tweaked as needed</li>
<li>A business card (yes, yes, you need one)</li>
<li>Your LinkedIn profile</li>
<li>Your robust professional network</li>
<li>Your personal and professional skill set</li>
</ul>
<u><i>Leg 2: </i></u>For this leg of the "stool", you find job postings, submit applications and resumes, and repeat the process -- this is where most people usually stop, but it's only the beginning.<br />
<br />
<u><i>Leg 3: </i></u>This part is multifaceted, as should be expected. To wit,<br />
<ul>
<li>You learn how to use LinkedIn and other social media platforms to meet like-minded professionals. </li>
<li>You expand upon Mr. Bolles's idea of finding a "bridge person" to help you get a foot in the door of an organization or facility you're interested in. This involves learning how to request informational interviews (another strong suggestion by Bolles) and find out how to make yourself the most attractive candidate possible for the employer you're targeting. </li>
<li>If you're wanting to make a change in nursing specialties or go back to school to accumulate more credentials, knowledge, and/or skills, interview people who do the thing(s) you're interested in and pick their brain to find out if, 1) you really want to do that thing, and 2) what they learned from the manner in which they went about getting to where they are now. This can help you learn from others' mistakes, not reinvent the wheel, and avoid entering an academic program or pursuing a specialty that won't be what you think and may not provide the fulfillment and satisfaction you're hungry for. </li>
<li>This is all about doing your due diligence, saving yourself unnecessary effort, and setting yourself up for success rather than disappointment. Remember that information is your friend -- gather data and find out as much as you can rather than making a blind choice. </li>
</ul>
None of the three legs will likely do the trick entirely on its own since it's generally a some combination of aspects of the three that will move the needle for you and your nursing career. While one step or strategy may end up being your silver bullet, that's generally an unlikely outcome for most people. Leg 1 is usually absolutely essential except for certain rare circumstances, and it's my belief that some parts of Leg 3 are going to be essential for the majority of job seekers.<br />
<br />
<b>Doing the Hard Work</b><br />
<br />
In my brand of career coaching (and the world of Mr. Bolles), a self-inventory and self-exploration is key. Again, you need to know who you are before you go any further. In essence, you do the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Learn more about yourself in terms of life and career</li>
<li>Understand what to look and what might light your fire based on your strengths and skills and aspirations</li>
<li>With a picture in your mind of the kind of work you want, you can focus your job search more acutely</li>
<li>When you know who you are and what you want, you can target organizations that fit the bill</li>
<li>Knowing who you are and what you're all about makes you a better interviewee who can "sell" him- or herself more skillfully and readily to an employer looking for someone just like you. </li>
<li>This self-exploration process can help you identify whether a career change (or specialty change in nursing, for instance) might be the best idea. </li>
<li>You use periods of unemployment or underemployment to assess and gain understanding of what you really want in the next chapter of your life. </li>
</ul>
Bolles's words on this part of the process:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Use this opportunity. Make this not only a hunt for a job, but a hunt for a life. A deeper life, a victorious life, a life you're prouder of.</i></blockquote>
There's so many more comparisons to draw between Bolles's approach and mine, yet this is a solid start. Do your due diligence and set yourself up for success. In the 21st century, the old approaches won't necessarily work anymore, so what will you do? Get started down a new path to career satisfaction and success!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-8895509505420730112023-03-13T10:31:00.001-04:002023-04-03T11:21:56.463-04:00Your Nursing Career Report CardRemember the days when you'd run home with your report card to show your parents how you did in school? Or were you the kid who hid it at the bottom of your bag so they wouldn't see it? Well, your nursing career deserves a report card, too. How've you been doing and what grade do you think you deserve?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJ472-68NI709dmsXHX8eKhBEi11akBZFBEHghOgW9KLrlpjtWY4EYjvdCplehIYTzBREOxax-8WxWfYu2dfKbUn0JvmLaF-tqG_JpL2cj76FqUFV53eTRSzE4zo6a6DKVpfk/s1600/Depositphotos_48128801_s-2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="report card A+" border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="500" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJ472-68NI709dmsXHX8eKhBEi11akBZFBEHghOgW9KLrlpjtWY4EYjvdCplehIYTzBREOxax-8WxWfYu2dfKbUn0JvmLaF-tqG_JpL2cj76FqUFV53eTRSzE4zo6a6DKVpfk/s400/Depositphotos_48128801_s-2015.jpg" title="report card A+" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Report cards can be a measurement of performance, communication, talent, intelligence, diligence, attention to detail, time management, relationships, and many other categories. In some schools, letter grades are the norm, while in some alternative schools, there aren't any grades at all. Sometimes, our report cards are pass\fail, and we either make the cut or we don't. And sometimes those grades just don't seem fair.<br />
<br />
<b>The Nurse's Report Card</b><br />
<br />
The nurse's career report card can look different for everyone, and there are various classifications we can use to measure a nurse's success. What do you think you excel in and what could use a boost?<br />
<br />
If we're looking at clinical performance, we can examine and assign a grade to different types of assessment skills (neuro, psych, cardiac, respiratory, etc). Clinically, nurses also need to do well in the areas of collaboration, communication, documentation, and patient relationships. And those nurses who work in non-clinical roles (like yours truly) need an entirely different measure of their skill sets and responsibilities.<br />
<br />
While I don't use any clinical skills in my current career manifestation (except with friends, family, neighbors, and the occasional stranger on the street), I still think of myself as a nurse and have judgments about where my greatest and weakest skills manifest.<br />
<br />
Do you play well with others? Do you readily share your toys? Do you hand in your homework on time? What would your nursing report card say?<br />
<br />
<b>What's On Your Nursing Career Report Card? </b><br />
<br />
Aside from evaluating and assigning a value to your clinical skills, let's examine your career itself. For those of you familiar with my blog or podcast, some of these will be familiar since I talk about them <i>ad nauseum</i>. Nevertheless, it's important to take a few moments to assess yourself in a new way. Shall we?<br />
<br />
<i>Your career toolbox: </i><br />
<br />
I've written and <a href="http://www.nursekeith.com/career-toolbox/" target="_blank">podcasted</a> about the nursing career toolbox before, so let's review what that means. Inside your nursing career toolbox is your basic resume, skeleton cover letter and thank you letter; your LinkedIn profile and LinkedIn strategy; your business card (yes, you need one); apps and tools that make your life easier; your professional network; and whatever else moves the needle for you. <br />
<br />
If you were to give yourself a grade on the state of your career toolbox, would you get an A? Where could you lean in a little bit more?<br />
<br />
<i>Time management:</i><br />
<br />
Time management can be a bear for anyone living in the 21st century. Since nurses are more apt to take on the burden of caring for their neighbors, friends, family, and even strangers, we can be hard pressed to find time for some aspects of our lives that should receive at least a little attention.<br />
<br />
What kind of a grade would you get for your time management skills? How often are you late for appointments? How many often do you get home from work much later than you'd like? How badly are you challenged in terms of managing your time in your professional capacity, and how does that impact your family and personal life?<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Self-care and wellness:</i><br />
<br />
Self-care and personal wellness can be inextricably connected to time management since we can easily let go of our self-care when time just slips through our fingers. Get to the gym? "<i>Impossible</i>!" Take a leisurely bath? "<i>Are you kidding me</i>?" Go to a movie? "<i>How indulgent</i>!"<br />
<br />
How badly are you falling down on the job of self-care, nurses? What would it take to reprioritize it once again and get it back on the calendar? Is it solely a time management issue, or do we need to give you a D in prioritizing your own health and well-being?<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Collaboration, teamwork, and relationships: </i><br />
<br />
Teamwork and collaboration are about how you get along with others in the sandbox. Collaboration is key in most sectors of nursing and healthcare, and some of us are better at it than others. Is working on a team hard for you? Do you chafe at sitting through committee meetings? (I know, I know; meetings are usually deadly boring.)<br />
<br />
If you work in home health, you need to collaborate with the therapists, case managers, schedulers, and aides. In med/surg, you're talking with doctors, surgeons, RTs, interventional radiologists, and other nurses. It's a circus of personalities and ways of being.<br />
<br />
Teamwork, collaboration, and professional development are so important; how are you doing in this regard? Is there something that needs to change so that you develop yourself in this career area?<br />
<br />
<i>Networking:</i><br />
<br />
Speaking of relationships, readers of this blog or listeners of my podcast know that I'm big on <a href="http://www.nursekeith.com/episode101/" target="_blank">networking</a>. Heck, I even <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Savvy-Networking-Nurses-Getting-Connected/dp/0996747400/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443104461&sr=1-1&keywords=savvy+networking+for+nurses" target="_blank">wrote a book</a> on the subject.<br />
<br />
Many nurses wait to do assiduous networking until they've lost a job and are in the job market, desperate to find work. If you're not consistently and actively building your network and nurturing professional relationships, you'll likely get a D or F in this category.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Happiness and satisfaction:</i><br />
<br />
Being happy in your personal and professional lives should be something that's measured on your career report card. Maybe you do all the "right" things but you're still miserable; in that case, something has to give.<br />
<br />
Your resume may be awesome and your nursing skills could be through the roof, but if you're in the dumps every day about the direction your career is heading, it's time for a change.<br />
<br />
What is it that makes you tick? Where do you find satisfaction? How do you manifest joy in your life?<br />
<br />
How would you grade your personal and professional happiness and satisfaction? Be honest!<br />
<br />
<i>Career/professional development:</i><br />
<br />
It's easy to fall into stagnation in your nursing career. We've likely all done it at times, and this type of complacency can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and downright unhappiness and misery.<br />
<br />
Career development means different things to different nurses, and it can all depend on where you are in your nursing career.<br />
<br />
For you, it might mean earning a BSN, MSN, PhD, or DNP. For someone else, it's volunteering and meeting new people. For yet another nurse, it might entail becoming an EHR super-user or joining a QA committee at work. You might join your state nursing association and learn how to lobby your legislators about important public health bills under consideration. Career development is a personal journey, and how you develop your nursing career is as idiosyncratic as it is important.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, we acknowledge that there are times when doing anything at all about our careers is the furthest thing from our minds. When a baby has been born, a parent is ill, or a spouse is disabled or out of work, the personal understandably takes precedent over the professional. But when the dust clears and life is more or less on an even keel, it's time to lean in once again.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Make The Grade</b><br />
<br />
Nurses, no one but you issues your career report card, unless you engage with a career coach or other professional to help you raise your grades. Sure, I can tutor you in resume-writing, LinkedIn, interview skills, and networking, but the final grade is really up to you.<br />
<br />
If you're playing well with others but aren't getting enough recess, would you like to change that calculation?<br />
<br />
If you stay up to date on evidence-based nursing research but haven't upgraded your resume in a while, is that an area worthy of your focus and attention?<br />
<br />
Have you made your own well-being so low on the priority list that your health has suffered? Are you OK with that?<br />
<br />
Making the grade is all about you, what you want, and where you're going in your nursing career. It's not about the pressure coming from others about what they think you should do. In reality, it's all about what will bring you the most joy, health, satisfaction, and professional success that you desire to create for yourself.<br />
<br />
<b>Your Career Homework</b><br />
<br />
Review the seven categories listed above and give yourself a grade between A+ and F. To review, they are:<br />
<ol>
<li><i>Your career toolbox</i></li>
<li><i>Time management</i></li>
<li><i>Self-care and wellness</i></li>
<li><i>Collaboration, teamwork, and relationships</i></li>
<li><i>Networking</i></li>
<li><i>Happiness and satisfaction</i></li>
<li><i>Career/professional development</i></li>
</ol>
Once you've done that, decide which areas you're going to tackle, a timeline for doing so, and a set of actionable, measurable, and achievable steps to bring that grade up next "semester". If you need a tutor and a cheerleader in that process, email me and we can work together on bringing your report card up to speed.<br />
<br />
Manifesting the nursing careers you want isn't always easy. Measuring your relative success and taking inspired action can also be a challenge. But in the interest of your career and your calling as a nurse, you couldn't choose a better way to focus your energy in order to create the life and career you really want and deserve.<br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-14872026466534161692023-02-27T12:55:00.000-05:002023-02-27T12:55:30.815-05:00What's On Your Nursing Career Runway? Your nursing career can feel like a busy airport, a marathon, a bus terminal, a rickshaw ride, or a taxi careering the wrong way down a one-way street. If your nursing career is an airport, and you're readying your plane on the runway in order to take flight, what's on your runway and who's behind the controls?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPXS9QfqAnnMk3WxyIqU1UIDm-jlL7du7YiUsniyst6O7-cciQXSjf3lcFywHhX0GO3-EtDT5HjnFFFEoTowigHRrTaPscwNK_oYyN9gT0Npn6IcF00eTJBcW05tQ7__oObJN/s1600/josue-isai-ramos-figueroa-587073-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Your nursing career runway" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPXS9QfqAnnMk3WxyIqU1UIDm-jlL7du7YiUsniyst6O7-cciQXSjf3lcFywHhX0GO3-EtDT5HjnFFFEoTowigHRrTaPscwNK_oYyN9gT0Npn6IcF00eTJBcW05tQ7__oObJN/s400/josue-isai-ramos-figueroa-587073-unsplash.jpg" title="Your nursing career runway" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/n2NBgIx3A28?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Josue Isai Ramos Figueroa</a><span face=", , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/airport?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><h2>
<b>Who's in the Cockpit? </b></h2>
In terms of your nursing career airplane that's ready for take off, who's in the pilot seat? Who's the co-pilot, and who are the flight attendants?<br />
<ul>
<li>Is your inner career co-pilot a critical mother or overbearing father? </li>
<li>Are your career choices controlled by an automatic pilot that won't take no for an answer? </li>
<li>Are your flight attendants busy making coffee when they should be battening down the hatches and locking the doors? </li>
<li>Is there so much emotional baggage in the overhead bins that your plane is too heavy to leave the ground? </li>
<li>Is the engine of your career overdue for repairs so that the potential velocity of your craft will keep you earthbound? </li>
</ul>
<h2>
<b>The Baggage</b></h2>
We all bring baggage to the table of life, and our nursing careers are just one of the places where that baggage make its true weight known. The aforementioned overbearing father or critical mother can be like stowaways on the jet of your career.<br />
<br />
When you contemplate your potential choices, do their voices echo in your head?<br />
<ul>
<li><i>You should have been a doctor. </i></li>
<i>
</i>
<li><i>Why did you waste your time on nursing school? </i></li>
<i>
</i>
<li><i>Your brother went into the family business. Why didn't you? </i></li>
<i>
</i>
<li><i>You're not smart enough to be a nurse. </i></li>
</ul>
Other baggage might obstruct us, as well. We may have had teachers in high school who questioned our intelligence, a boss that demeaned us, or a partner or spouse who abused us emotionally.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v4yNrJ230wUeOBDuoEg9a_g4ATzeA67UMj6hEWKm4Y3jlTGd2BAXfvsGnXEcRZYruwsx8pC3mLSH5wAYd3S7t_nH9D37m0R33dEjOCc5X6TQB3wrWreaLQZu6l-k213ndjDF/s1600/arnel-hasanovic-673679-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="your baggage" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v4yNrJ230wUeOBDuoEg9a_g4ATzeA67UMj6hEWKm4Y3jlTGd2BAXfvsGnXEcRZYruwsx8pC3mLSH5wAYd3S7t_nH9D37m0R33dEjOCc5X6TQB3wrWreaLQZu6l-k213ndjDF/s400/arnel-hasanovic-673679-unsplash.jpg" title="your baggage" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Nl-SXO4FAHw?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Arnel Hasanovic</a><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/luggage?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sometimes, to move your career forward, the baggage has to be thrown overboard. We can manage this ourselves under certain circumstances, but in some cases a psychotherapist, coach, or other helping professional may be needed.<br />
<br />
When I engage with a client in career coaching, I sometimes suggest psychotherapy when there are apparent issues that absolutely require intervention by a mental health clinician. I have, on occasion, refused to work with a client on their career until they seek assistance for their mental, emotional, or spiritual baggage. Sometimes we can work the small stuff through in the coaching arena, but I won't hesitate to point out when a career coaching client clearly needs something more in order to break through.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Consider the Conditions for Career Flight</b></h2>
If your career runway is filled with emotional potholes, fading lines, and broken directional signals, perhaps there's some work you need to do in order to create the most fertile environment for success. Your inner air traffic controller may be on vacation, and the terminal may be closed for renovations, and that's okay -- time is your friend.<br />
<br />
When readying for flight, one needs a good mapping system, reliable air traffic control data, a safe runway, a solid plane in which to fly, and a crew that can safely get you where you want to go.<br />
<br />
If the fuselage is damaged, seek assistance in repairing it. If the runway is filled with emotional potholes, solicit help to fill them appropriately. If your crew is missing in action, take your time in hiring a new one that's more reliable (coach, therapist, friends, family, colleagues, etc). And if you're not ready for flight, stay grounded until the weather clears.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h2>
<b>Take Off When the Time is Right</b></h2>
<br />
No matter what you think you want, the next step in your nursing career can only truly take flight when all favorable conditions are met. Be patient, be diligent, plan effectively, and make sure that your crew is up to the task and available to be there for you when you need them most.<br />
<br />
Prepare the runway, fuel up for the journey, and get excited about what can happen when the conditions are right and the equipment is in tip-top shape.<br />
<br />
Happy trails! <br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-70319616661923787602023-02-20T10:42:00.000-05:002023-02-20T10:42:47.473-05:00Overcoming Mission Drift in Your Nursing CareerHas your nursing career drifted off course? Do you feel that your current career path isn't aligned with your personal or professional mission? You're not alone, and there's something you can do about it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZlhwov-u4dSunKMTsazaLf-0mCibbB3P25M7lavKThvmKzVPlR98nsbfTvO6EjQCHbXuj-Z_t3uYN2FfF21f_Q1H36MHoEhY-Pm39rIa7RK6vCZknW_pokSAoLU5vJUIuy2i/s1600/Depositphotos_43149397_m-2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="adrift at sea" border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZlhwov-u4dSunKMTsazaLf-0mCibbB3P25M7lavKThvmKzVPlR98nsbfTvO6EjQCHbXuj-Z_t3uYN2FfF21f_Q1H36MHoEhY-Pm39rIa7RK6vCZknW_pokSAoLU5vJUIuy2i/s400/Depositphotos_43149397_m-2015.jpg" title="adrift at sea" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Going Adrift</b><br />
<br />
We all choose nursing as a career for a variety of reasons. For some, nursing is simply the prudent career choice in order to put food on the table for our families. For others, it's a lifelong dream. And for still others, the mission and vision of what being a nurse truly means develops over time, no matter the original reason for pursuing this particular professional path.<br />
<br />
It's a given that our career choices are impacted by a wide variety of factors. It's also apparent that our personal and professional lives are governed by both foreseen and unforeseen circumstances. To be fair to ourselves, we can choose to see ourselves and our careers with compassion when our professional life goes off course, our work loses meaning, and we feel at sea on an ocean of self-doubt and mission drift.<br />
<br />
<b>Identifying Where You Went Off Course</b><br />
<br />
Once you acknowledge that your career is off course, the next step is to identify where things went awry. This isn't always easy, but it can be done -- with or without professional help in unpacking the state of your nursing career.<br />
<br />
First, look back at why you chose to pursue nursing in the first place. Was it for the money? Were you influenced by a family legacy? Did you choose nursing because of a personal experience that inspired you? Did you see nursing as a solid career choice that would offer flexibility, a decent living, and a varied career?<br />
<br />
Once you remember why nursing seemed right at the time, consider the course of your career from the beginning until now. What choices did you make? Did you find work environments that suited your personality and interests? If you managed to change specialties at some point during your nursing career, what prompted the change, and did it bring you increased satisfaction?<br />
<br />
After enumerating these various aspects of your career, it's time to dig deeper and begin to wrestle with why you're unhappy or feel off kilter. Be brutally honest, and assess what it is about your current career trajectory that isn't sitting well with you. We all change over time, and what may have seemed exciting or fulfilling ten years ago may now seem loathsome, boring, or overly stressful.<br />
<br />
Aside from your career and job choices, you also need to evaluate your personal life. Did you have a child or two since becoming a nurse? Did you get married or divorced? Did a loved one become disabled or die since you became a nurse? What age-related changes are you perceiving in your life and health?<br />
<br />
You may find that the circumstances of your personal life are impacting your work more than you thought. Several babies born in a few short years can definitely change how you feel about work. A divorce can totally throw you off your game. A little self-compassion can go a long way here.<br />
<br />
No matter how or what went off course, you can get back on target when you're ready to do the work to get there.<br />
<br />
<b>Creating Your Future</b><br />
<br />
When you've identified what brought you to the game in the first place, you've taken the first step. And once you've been honest enough to name what's gone wrong or isn't working, you've taken another leap forward into a new and exciting future.<br />
<br />
Now you need to conceptualize -- and verbalize -- your new career vision and mission. Career drift can't really be overcome until you can catch a glimpse of what you truly want. A mission and vision come from a clear understanding of your motivations and desires. These can be identified in a variety of ways, and you don't always need a career or life coach to do it (but that can sometimes help).<br />
<br />
Do you want to work with children and heal some deeper part of yourself that wasn't loved as a child? Is working with underserved populations close to your heart? Have you realized that providing nursing care to injured combat veterans in honor of your father's service is where your heart really lies?<br />
<br />
Sometimes the thing that drove us to nursing isn't what continues to light our fire. When I was first in nursing school, I was certain that I'd graduate and serve the dying with dignity and compassion by opening an inpatient hospice. Although I did a fair amount of hospice care over the years, I would never have known that, fifteen years later I'd be focused with laser-like intention on helping nurses create more satisfying and inspiring careers. I also wouldn't have guessed that that vision would be further supported by freelance writing, blogging, speaking at conferences, consulting, and podcasting.<br />
<br />
My future crept up on me over time -- it didn't hit me over the head. My career was certainly focused on community health and outpatient care for a long time, but the other pieces that presently get me up in the morning were nowhere in sight in 1996 when I graduated from community college with an ADN. My journey was circuitous and unexpected at times.<br />
<br />
Creating your future comes with being able to assess the present and see what is and isn't working. This can be subtle and take a great deal of time, or it may happen overnight in a grand epiphany of self-awareness and clarity. No matter what, it generally doesn't all come together without some concerted effort on your part.<br />
<br />
<b>Mission Back on Course</b><br />
<br />
Career mission drift can happen for many reasons, be they personal and/or professional. And the ways in which you can get back on course are also varied and based on your needs, motivations, desires, and personal drive.<br />
<br />
Having a nursing career that feels adrift is no fun, and it can totally sap your satisfaction and inspiration to get out of bed and report to work. Staying focused on what you want out of your career is essential, and since this is a moving target throughout your life, it takes ongoing assessment and reassessment to figure it out along the way.<br />
<br />
Be real, be honest, and be willing to do the work to unearth why your career is off base and how dedicated you are to getting back to a place of inspiration and feeling great about being a nurse.<br />
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No one said this is easy, but it's totally worth it. If you spend a third of your life working, why not do work that brings you joy and satisfaction? Those are two of the most powerful engines for your personal life and your career success. Get back on track and experience more joy in your nursing career -- you'll never regret doing what you love.<br />
<div style="font-family: times;"><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: times;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-40757753906743874292023-02-13T11:22:00.000-05:002023-02-13T11:22:21.621-05:00Feeding Your Nursing CareerYour nursing career is a lot like your body; it needs to be fed, watered, exercised, and well-rested in order to function optimally. What kinds of nutrition does your career need? What nutritional deficits does your nursing career demonstrate? Are you willing to feed your career as well as you feed your own body? <br />
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<a name='more'></a>How do you choose to optimize the nutrition that you feed to your body every day? Are you conscientious about eating enough fruits and vegetables? Do you monitor your intake of saturated fat? Are you drinking enough water and exercising? Do you avoid processed foods and soda? As you care for your body, you should also be caring for your nursing career.<br />
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<b>Individualized Career Nutrition</b><br />
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Optimal nutrition for your nursing career may be quite dissimilar from that of your friends or colleagues. One nurse's career might thrive on continuing education, attending clinical conferences, and learning new bedside nursing skills. For another nurse, her career nutrition means claiming her place as a dancer, learning to integrate her love of dance with her love of being a caregiver, perhaps through offering movement classes for nurses in need of self-care.<br />
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Your nursing career nutrition may be spiritual, emotional, intellectual, psychological, or none of the above. While we may sometimes want a prescription for what we need to do with our professional journey (e.g.: get a job in med/surg, earn an MSN, get a doctorate, work in the ICU), not every nurse is going to travel the same path as her nurse brothers and sisters. This can seem like both a blessing and a curse. <br />
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<b>Nutrition Changes With Time</b><br />
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Do you eat the same way when you're 55 as when you were 25? Probably not; in fact, I hope not. Our nutritional needs change over time, and those of us who are paying attention know when to change gears as we age. Let's face it, we can't overindulge in our 50s like we did in our teens; our bodies just can't take the punishment we inflicted on them back in the day.<br />
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So, if you need to alter your nutrition as you age and change, doesn't it follow that you would also need to alter your career's nutrition in the same manner?<br />
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When you're fresh out of nursing school, you're like a sponge; there's so much you haven't yet experienced; every catheterization, blood draw, and central line dressing change has the potential to be a revelation. After 20 years or so, perhaps there's less novelty, and the new clinical skills you can pick up along the way just don't bring the same level of excitement and accomplishment.<br />
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If you feel tapped out and your nursing career is feeling a little anemic or dehydrated, it may be time to inject something new into your career diet; in other words, get something new on your plate. Whether it's a class related directly to nursing or a program that teaches you how to launch a podcast, something novel can break the spell of your career ennui and open your eyes to something new and different.<br />
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When we get bored with a cookbook that we've used for ten years, do we just keep cooking the same old recipes over and over again? No, we don't; if we need a cookbook in order to make anything more than cereal and coffee, we'll likely go out and get ourselves another one and deliberately bring some novelty into the kitchen.<br />
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Your career's nutritional needs will change, just like your body will crave different types of foods at different stages of development. Pay attention to what you're feeding your nursing career.<br />
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<b>A Nutritional Assessment</b><br />
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Here's my prescription for a nutritional assessment of your career. Ask yourself the following questions:<br />
<ul>
<li>How do I feed my nursing career? </li>
<li>What is my career asking of me? </li>
<li>Am I satisfied with how my nursing career is in this very moment? </li>
<li>What am I craving as a nurse? </li>
<li>What experiences/knowledge/skills would be fulfilling and enlivening? </li>
<li>What would I like my nursing career to look like in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? </li>
<li>How can I optimize my career's nutritional intake? </li>
</ul>
A nutritional assessment of your nursing career means looking honestly and nakedly at what makes you tick as a nurse. If you've been hiding from your own feelings about your career as you silently burn out, this process could be somewhat painful. Those who have been avoiding their feelings about their lives as nurses may need to wash their face with cold water and brace for a dose of reality.<br />
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Doing such an assessment of your nursing career may look like leaving your last clinical position and opening a consulting practice, free from the bedside and nursing documentation. This assessment process could lead to a decision to (gulp!) go back to school and earn your PhD because, for better or worse, your professional goals simply aren't going to come to fruition without those three letters after your name.<br />
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<b>Feed your Career What It Wants </b><br />
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Asking yourself these types of questions means being willing to listen to the answers and then feed your career what it's asking for. If your body was dehydrated, would you deny it sodium and water? If you had scurvy, would you choose to not eat foods rich in vitamin C? If you had diabetes, would you just shovel donuts into your mouth every day? If your career is calling for a certain diet, it's your duty and responsibility to give it what it needs to thrive.<br />
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Burnout and compassion fatigue don't just happen in a vacuum; if you can keep your career nutrition healthy, consume the right professional diet, and immerse yourself in a professional environment that truly feeds your soul, you're on the path to a healthy, well-fed, and satisfying nursing career.<br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-56784366238816995922023-02-06T11:55:00.000-05:002023-02-06T11:55:34.503-05:00Metacognition: Thinking About Your Thinking About Your Nursing CareerIn the world of nursing and non-nursing education, metacognition is a common pedagogical concept for nurse educators to consider when working with students on the path to becoming licensed healthcare professionals. Metacognition is at its most basic the act of thinking about your thinking. Aside from its commonplace setting of education, metacognition can be also considered in terms of how we approach our nursing careers and professional lives. So let's stop and think about our thinking, shall we?<br />
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<b>Metacognition and the Earnest Nurse</b><br />
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When you think about your nursing career, what do you think about? Is it how unhappy you are or how you're mistreated by a particular colleague or supervisor? Are you confused about what might be the next best career move for you? Does the next chapter of your life feel completely unfathomable? Do you actively examine your thoughts or do you get stuck in moments you just can't get out of (like the old U2 song)?<br />
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In my work as a career coach for nurses and healthcare professionals, I often hear stories from clients who feel caught in circular thinking wherein they cogitate about the same ideas or problems over and over again, <i>ad nauseum</i>. When thinking becomes habitual or reactive in this way, additional stress is put on the thinker if he or she isn't making any progress in what is perceived as the "right" direction.<br />
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For those who practice meditation, the goal is generally not to stop your thoughts, which is a great misinterpretation of meditation (and essentially impossible, anyway). In most traditions, I perceive the idea as watching your thoughts dispassionately without latching on to them, as if they're just clouds moving across the sky of your mind. Not my happy place, honestly.<br />
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In terms of metacognition for examining the state of your nursing career, I'm encouraging almost the opposite of what a meditation instructor might teach: I want you to watch your thoughts carefully and then watch how you think about your thoughts, and then how you react to them emotionally. This is a big difference and quite a powerful exercise, especially when you then use cognitive strategies to deescalate any negative emotions, fear, or stress that surfaces.<br />
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For nurses who want to dig deeper beyond nursing being just a job and a career with a financial means to an end (e.g.: putting food on the table, paying the rent, etc.), consciously engaging in metacognition can truly help move you beyond habitual thinking and rumination that can bog you down in negativity and dissatisfaction.<br />
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<b>Start With Your Thinking</b><br />
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The first step is to simply realize that your thoughts are running rampant, even if you're often not paying that much attention to them. You may soon realize that your thoughts about your nursing career (and perhaps your current job) can be pretty negative and have a great deal of power to bring you down. Talk about a buzzkill.<br />
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Once you're aware of your thinking -- especially habitual negative thinking -- the next step is to convince yourself that there's another way, and that may be in the form of purposefully engaging in metacognition.<br />
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According to some sources, metacognition allows you to engage in critical thinking about how your mind works and how and why you do things the way you do. For instance, if you always walk through the door of your workplace, sigh deeply, and think, "<i>This is going to be a really hard day; I just don't want to be here</i>," how will that thought impact your performance, attitude, and level of satisfaction during your shift?<br />
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In some philosophies, it's often said that your thoughts create your reality, and it appears quite true to me that thinking negatively can impact your behavior and your perceptions. After all, you can wear rose-colored glasses, feces-colored glasses, or something in between -- how and why do you choose your particular metaphorical glasses when you're preparing for a shift?<br />
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<b><br />Engage Your Metacognitive Brain</b><br />
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In terms of how you approach your nursing career, engaging your metacognitive brain may not be an easy habit to develop, but the risks of not doing so are potentially high because what you don't try to change will only solidify as time goes by.<br />
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Do you have a colleague who always seems unhappy about her work life and/or personal life? Does she almost always verbalize the same old complaints time after time, almost like a broken (nurse) record? She's mired in negative thinking, and changing her own mind and short-circuiting those thoughts can be a heavy lift if such thoughts are deeply ingrained and she's habituated to thinking them.<br />
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Enter metacognition. If the above-mentioned nurse can engage in metacognition and identify the thoughts that are keeping her in a highly negative state with regards to her work or career, she can then choose to manage her thoughts in order to change the tone of her thinking vis-a-vis her career.<br />
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We all tell ourselves stories about our lives and the world around us, for better or worse. To wit, "<i>I can't start IVs and I never will -- I just don't have the touch</i>", or, "<i>My nursing career is going nowhere and I think I should just give up</i>." These thought messages delivered with great conviction to your sensitive mind can trip you up time and time again, thus, this could be where your work is cut out for you and the most attention is needed for change to occur.<br />
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<b>Critical Thinking About Your Thinking</b><br />
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The purpose of metacognition for your nursing career is to be aware of your habitual thought patterns, make choices about which thoughts are most helpful, reject the thoughts that trap you, and then work to create a new reality for yourself. Most of us spend time thinking all sorts of things without critically examining our thoughts, and that's where the rubber can hit the road when we begin to do so.<br />
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Here's some homework:<br />
<ul>
<li>During the course of a few days — or an entire week — closely watch your thoughts about nursing, being a nurse, your workplace, your career, your colleagues, etc.</li>
<li>Write down the negative or critical thoughts that you notice (the list may be quite long!) </li>
<li>Examine each thought you've recorded and consider if it's truly helpful to you in any way</li>
<li>Next write down a thought that could counterbalance the original negative thought. </li>
</ul>
For example:<br />
<br />
You notice that a recurring thought is, "My nursing career sucks, and I'm totally unhappy. I'm trapped and there's nowhere else for me to go."<br />
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So, what could the counterbalancing thought be? Maybe something like this: "My career may feel tough right now, but I have the capacity to change my situation. I'm free to act, move, change, grow, or find a new job or career path. Now I need to snap into action and take some positive steps in the right direction."<br />
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We can all get addicted to our thought patterns; in fact, sometimes our ways of thinking help us to solidify and quantify the negative opinions we have.<br />
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We may also get secondary gain from feeling bad or thinking negatively: perhaps our friends show us great sympathy and see us as a "martyr nurse" who they respect for our many daily sacrifices. If we were totally happy in our work, would our friends be as supportive as when they think we're miserable? Of course they would, but we may be addicted to complaining and receiving sympathy. It's up to us to change our very own way of being and thinking.<br />
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<b>Metacognition and Critical Thinking</b><br />
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As noted above, metacognition is often used in the context of education. And as we've already learned it can also be helpful in changing our mindset and altering the course of our negative thinking and rumination.<br />
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Beyond these powers of metacognition, we can also conclude that metacognition can aid us in strengthening our critical thinking when we're engaged in the actual work of nursing. If critical thinking is as central to or work as nurses as we were taught in nursing school, then we can use metacognition as a means to think about our critical thinking and dig deeper into our motivations and reasoning when making crucial clinical choices.<br />
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As stated <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5468716/">in a study on metacognition</a> in education published on the website of the National Library of Medicine: "<i>At its core, a critical thinker is one in charge of their thinking processes, while metacognitive strategies enable such control to take place</i>."<br />
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So, while you're thinking about your thinking about your nursing career, you can also utilize similar strategies and techniques at the bedside.<br />
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<b>Think, Think, and Think Again</b><br />
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Nursing practice is powered by the engine of critical thought. Likewise, the trajectory and direction of your nursing career are also powered by thought, not to mention how you think about your thinking about your career's discontents and joys.<br />
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When you notice yourself sinking into "stinking thinking" and negative pathways, consider using the techniques outlined above to counterbalance the negativity. This takes practice, determination, and an actual willingness to change. If your thinking feels completely entrenched and beyond your ability to alter, consider psychotherapy or counseling, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or a similar cognitively-based modality.<br />
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My own therapist will sometimes pose these questions and comments when I'm stuck: "Are the thoughts you're having based in reality? Is there another way to think about this? Is your rumination about the future useful? Remember that worrying about the future is focusing on a negative fantasy that hasn't even happened yet." These are incredibly useful for breaking out of poor thinking.<br />
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No one is perfect in this world, even though so many nurses seem determined that they need to be. Nursing can be stressful, and a nursing career can have many ups and downs. That said, it's your choice how you think about your career so that you can make prudent choices, think constructively about your next move, and counter those habitual negative thoughts with new thoughts that are more likely to goad you into action.<br />
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Think critically about your thinking, make the best possible choices, and continue to examine your own habituated behavior and thoughts. In controlling and harnessing your thinking, you will move inexorably closer to a happier, healthier life and a more satisfying nursing career.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-77330306102440897162023-01-30T11:14:00.001-05:002023-04-18T21:42:54.087-04:00Defining Nursing Career Success on Your Own TermsEvery nurse and healthcare professional has the opportunity to define success in their own way. However, how many of us allow our nursing careers to be defined by someone else. How can we seize control of our careers and define success on our own terms?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOcPKOQQmr5fusL-KkfGwI_WwLJEvccgNgjalAe5AtnXN8sml_hpIFGKqMjBCMgAzVgxjUuCoIEqnCeE95L8rEuzfo8GuxRWJrvKmiQkuYbyAUjLaE-aSn20vKAqLRdAIIp6v/s1600/Photo+by+Jamie+Street+on+Unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="How do you define nursing career success?" border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOcPKOQQmr5fusL-KkfGwI_WwLJEvccgNgjalAe5AtnXN8sml_hpIFGKqMjBCMgAzVgxjUuCoIEqnCeE95L8rEuzfo8GuxRWJrvKmiQkuYbyAUjLaE-aSn20vKAqLRdAIIp6v/s400/Photo+by+Jamie+Street+on+Unsplash.jpg" title="How do you define nursing career success?" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/_94HLr_QXo8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Jamie Street</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/success?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><b>Beyond a Cookie Cutter Career</b><br />
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At this time in your life, your definition of success may mean earning your MSN by the time you're 35 and your PhD or DNP by the time you're 45. For one of your nurse colleagues, success may mean getting a BSN and finding a job that will pay the bills and put a child through college. For another, it's taking a year off and traveling the globe on an around-the-world ticket. And why not?<br />
<br />
There are many prescriptions for a successful nursing career, but cookie-cutter solutions are just approximations of what's possible for you. What works for Jane the nurse doesn't necessarily add up for Bill the nurse -- Jane and Bill have different life histories, goals, professional experiences, family circumstances and responsibilities, so they each need to forge an individualized path forward.<br />
<br />
Just because "they" say you need two years of med/surg before pursuing other opportunities doesn't make that true for you. As a new grad, I skipped med/surg and acute care altogether and never looked back as I created a career focused on community health and home health nursing -- did I miss out on some experiences? Sure. Do I care? Not really. It was my choice, and the consequences of that decision are mine to bear, whatever they may be.<br />
<br />
<b>Your Own Compass</b><br />
<br />
When a hiker strikes off into the woods, they often use a compass (whether an old-fashioned version or an app) to keep from getting lost. All compasses universally point out where north, south, east, and west are, and the hiker can use those cardinal directions in concert with a detailed topographic map in order to make good decisions about where they're heading.<br />
<br />
Not so with a nursing or healthcare career --- true north for one nurse is dead wrong for another. For most new grads, that first professional expedition out of school means marching right into an acute care position -- that's true north in many cases. But for us nurse iconoclasts, rebels, and black sheep, we may very well turn around and march in a completely opposite direction than our peers, and that's OK.<br />
<br />
Wherever you happen to be in your nursing career, it's your responsibility to find your own compass and solicit the drummer who will play the beat that moves your feet towards your own definition of success.<br />
<br />
<b>Defining Your Success</b><br />
<br />
In order to take the bull by the horns and define success on your own terms, you need to know what you think and feel. This may seem rudimentary, but many of us allow ourselves to be buffeted by the winds of opinion that others force on us. We may also be influenced by our peers' choices, even if they themselves don't tell us what we should be choosing or doing.<br />
<br />
Knowing what you truly think and feel necessitates exploring your motivations, goals, and desires, as well as identifying the preconceived notions that you brought to your professional nursing career. We all have career baggage, as well as self-judgments that hold us back and keep us from making choices that are truest to our nature.<br />
<br />
These questions (and others, of course) may hopefully lead to further exploration and the uncovering of what you really want:<br />
<ul>
<li>What are my greatest strengths? What do I bring to the table as a nurse and healthcare professional? </li>
<li>What are my "weaknesses"? Where do I need to bolster my knowledge, expertise, and/or experience?</li>
<li>What are the things that are potential threats to my success and happiness? (e.g.: Do I lack motivation? Am I going through a difficult divorce? Do I have medical or mental health conditions that impact me negatively at home or at work? Is a lot of my energy taken up by caring for an elderly parent or disabled loved one?)</li>
<li>What opportunities are out there just waiting for me to seize them? </li>
<li>Who do I know who might be a good networking connection? </li>
<li>What are past experiences that can lead to new opportunities in the future? </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Staying Focused</b><br />
<br />
Many factors will influence what we do in our nursing careers over time. If your personal circumstances change (e.g.: divorce, marriage, birth of a child, etc), you may need to make some adjustments in your work schedule. If your hospital is bought by a big corporation and heads are rolling left and right, you may need to abandon ship before things get really bad.<br />
<br />
Threats, opportunities, and stuff that just plain happens may cause you to lose focus and deviate from a very clear career plan. These abrupt turns can be advantageous happy accidents, but they can also lead you unhappily astray.<br />
<br />
Staying focused means you consciously choose to keep your eyes on the prize, maintain the integrity of your plans, and simultaneously be open to serendipity and the unknown. An open mind will serve you best in just about all situations.<br />
<br />
<b>Know Thyself</b><br />
<br />
Creating a nursing career on your own terms calls on you to know yourself as well as possible. The aforementioned advice is just the tip of the iceberg: find coaches, mentors, counselors, therapists, colleagues, and/or accountability partners who can listen well, hold your feet to the fire, question your motivations, and otherwise be there when you're at your strongest or your weakest.<br /><br />
Dig deep and get to know yourself. If you do nothing else, self-reflection and increased self-knowledge will benefit every aspect of your life, not to mention your relationships with those around you.<br />
<br />
Defining your nursing career on your own terms isn't rocket science, but it's also not as simple as it seems. Do the work, put in the sweat equity, and you'll be rewarded with self-knowledge, self-confidence, and an understanding of what makes you tick in both your personal and professional lives. The rest is icing on the cake.<div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><p style="font-family: Times;">------------------------------</p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="font-family: Times;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-63883160972057107972023-01-23T11:04:00.000-05:002023-01-23T11:04:31.351-05:00Your Nursing Career and a Latte?Just the other day, I was drinking a latte (decaf---I'm an unapologetic caffeine lightweight), and I realized that there's a very appropriate metaphor related to nurses, nursing, and a perfectly brewed latte. It may sound silly, but it may be more apt than you imagine at first.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CLmQ1x9OTbDM9uNEADZzLhGZM1SecIil7pQ5jjObs-QweRODuUdWF6aEu8f8KvUdsW112dOIW0Y1iDx1FqSzsDKVKHlgTCMPq3Fy5dIjcXk1N0lnav0tv0cr-qyMC5KKldiv/s1600/Is+your+nursing+career+like+a+latte_-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CLmQ1x9OTbDM9uNEADZzLhGZM1SecIil7pQ5jjObs-QweRODuUdWF6aEu8f8KvUdsW112dOIW0Y1iDx1FqSzsDKVKHlgTCMPq3Fy5dIjcXk1N0lnav0tv0cr-qyMC5KKldiv/s320/Is+your+nursing+career+like+a+latte_-1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>So, think about a latte for a moment; its base is espresso, a rich, dense shot of coffee awesomeness that boasts deep flavor and a cultural history worthy of movies, books, and a great number of rabid fans around the world. Poured into and over that (hopefully) perfect shot or two of espresso is a quantity of expertly steamed milk, and when it's done right, the result is nothing short of miraculous in its creaminess, artfulness, and foamy aesthetic pleasure.<br />
<br />
A latte with a delicate hat of foam can be decorated by a talented barista who takes the time to apply his or her expertise in order to create a visual and culinary experience that delights the senses of the appreciative coffee drinker. Is your mouth watering yet? Craving a cuppa now? I think I am! <br />
<br />
So, enough about the latte; you want to know how this relates to nursing in any way. Indulge me. <br />
<br />
<b>The Espresso of Your Nurseness</b><br />
<br />
As your nursing career is imbued with depth and breadth of experience, knowledge, skill, and nurse wisdom, your nurseness is like an espresso bean that has reached its peak of flavor and robustness. Your nurseness grows over time, and it takes on flavor and characteristics from everything with which it comes into contact.<br />
<br />
A coffee bean is kissed by sun, watered by rain, fed by soil, exposed to the air, and then roasted to perfection. Similarly, your skills and knowledge as a nurse are also fed, watered, coddled, and roasted in the fires of the nursing profession (pardon the mashup of metaphors).<br />
<br />
Where is your nurseness in terms of its development of a ripe and robust flavor? Is your career still young, enjoying the fertility of learning and soaking up the nutrients of experience? Or is your career fully ripe and bursting with the flavors of all you've seen and done?<br />
<br />
As a mature nursing professional with significant experience under your belt, you're like a perfect espresso: satisfying, flavorful, robust, and earthy. As a newer nurse, you're already developing the flavor and depth of your chosen career. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlaGcfoeizj-1PDLOWFGzFy0eY-FvLPuMWDDCFs5afGntIycrZBCg0Sz2vu2ULVllYgxJCOVmErmbK7okaatGhqaIptKKM9srgIk-dV8THPJZxo5tqOXF8wR_AphIjn3Ov2KL/s1600/20160623_160401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An artful latte for the nurse" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlaGcfoeizj-1PDLOWFGzFy0eY-FvLPuMWDDCFs5afGntIycrZBCg0Sz2vu2ULVllYgxJCOVmErmbK7okaatGhqaIptKKM9srgIk-dV8THPJZxo5tqOXF8wR_AphIjn3Ov2KL/s320/20160623_160401.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Don't Forget the Foam</b><br />
<br />
The steamed milk and foam that are poured into and over the espresso of your nursing career and nurseness are like the cherry on top of a sundae. The foam may be represented by a special certification or training, deep self-knowledge and self-awareness, keen emotional intelligence. additional degrees and academic achievements, or a vertical move into management or executive nursing leadership.<br />
<br />
The foam that you add to the recipe of the trajectory of your nursing career is a rich froth born of all you've accomplished and achieved.<br />
<br />
<b>The Tools of the Trade </b><br />
<br />
A plain old resume created without much creativity or thoughtfulness is more like a cup of coffee brewed in a diner than a latte made by an artful barista. When you're putting together or editing your resume, does it come across as bland and generic or heartfully prepared for maximum impact? How can you make it more like a beautiful latte, with depth of flavor showcasing the measure of your nursing career, as well as a foamy topping that demonstrates a regard for beauty and aesthetics?<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, cover letters can also be small works of letter-writing art, with flawless construction and a personalized, non-generic flavor. On the other hand, your cover letters can feel like instant coffee, something made without much thought or care. <br />
<br />
<b>Adding Spice To Your Career</b><br />
<br />
Just as we add cinnamon, cocoa powder, nutmeg, or flavored syrups to our lattes and coffee drinks, we also add spice to our careers. A stint with Doctors Without Borders gives you a certain leg up on other candidates, as does having Johns Hopkins on your resume. You can also spice up your nursing resume and career with various forms of volunteerism, leadership, participation in research, or a demonstrated commitment to excellence.<br />
<br />
Building a robust professional network also adds to the spice of your career; your contacts and valued colleagues are those who will write amazing letters of recommendation, endorse you on LinkedIn, serve as excellent references, and otherwise support your professional journey. They're like sprinkles of dark chocolate shavings on the latte of your nursing career.<br />
<br />
<b>Be Flavorful, Nurses</b><br />
<br />
Nurses, in order to stand out in the job marketplace, you need to be flavorful and unique. If you're as generic as diner coffee, you won't necessarily be as attractive to potential employers than if you were unique, flavorful, and thoughtfully put together.<br />
<br />
Is your career a latte, a cappuccino, or a perfect Americano or cold brew? Consider the flavor you want your nursing career to have; bring those flavors forward with conscious effort and thoughtful consideration of how you can take your career to the next level, whether it's decaffeinated, half-caff, or high test.<br /><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-20797907795935165352023-01-16T14:13:00.000-05:002023-01-16T14:13:15.710-05:00Spinning It Positive in Nursing Job InterviewsNurses, when you're sitting in a job interview for a new nursing position, do you feel like you have to constantly be on the defensive? Are you anxious about how to respond to questions that seem to be geared towards creating a crack in the foundation of your career and self-confidence? Do you tremble at the thought of verbal swordplay? <br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>Job interviews can feel like you're being grilled and prepared for dinner, and there are tactics that you can employ to counter those cutting questions and turn the conversation in your favor. I'm not saying it's easy, but a calm, cool, and collected interviewee can indeed think on her feet and learn to verbally spar with the best of them.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>It's About Spin</b></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
Yes, the term "spin" is often used in relation to politics and the ways that politicians and their spokespeople try to "spin" a story in a more positive direction. And you know what? They have something there. Verbal sparring or swordplay is an important skill, and job interviews are one place where you need to get out your sword and cut through the negativity with agility and aplomb.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<h3>
<b>A Case in Point </b></h3>
<h3>
<b><br /></b></h3>
Let's say you've been a nurse for four years, and you're in a job interview for a nursing position that you're really excited about. You've jumped around a bit in those four years in an attempt to find your place in the profession, so you have five positions on your resume. Moving around frequently from job to job is often a red flag for potential employers, so this is where the ability to "spin" the story in a positive direction becomes crucial.<br />
<br />
Your interviewer says:<br />
<br />
"<i>So, Penelope, you've had five jobs in your four years as a nurse; we're a little concerned that you may not have what it takes to be a loyal employee. Onboarding a nurse is expensive, you know</i>." <br />
<br />
You take a deep breath, smile, and say:<br />
<br />
"<i>Thanks for bringing that up, Sandra. As you know, entering the nursing profession can be challenging, and it can take a while to find the right 'fit' in terms of a facility and a position. In my previous career, I demonstrated loyalty to many employers; you'll see from my resume that I was with Company X for seven years, and Company Z for eight years. </i><br />
<br />
"<i>As a newer nurse, I've been searching for a facility where I feel my gifts can be most readily utilized, and I've been looking for a work environment where multidisciplinary collaboration is truly practiced. </i><br />
<br />
<i>"From speaking with other nurses who work here at Hospital Y, I've learned that collaboration and teamwork are central to how you conduct patient care, and my colleagues rave about the workplace culture here. </i><br />
<br />
<i>"I'm looking for the opportunity to dig deep into the company culture and grow as a nurse over time. I feel very confident that I'm the perfect candidate for the Hospital Y team; I'm ready to demonstrate my loyalty at every turn</i> <i>and jump right in</i>."<br />
<br />
Let's unpack Penelope's response. She didn't try to explain why she left those other jobs; that could easily turn into slinging mud on her former employers, making excuses, or otherwise being on the defensive. Rather, she calmly and non-defensively explained that she'd been honestly "shopping around" during her first years in a new profession, and she pointed out how she had demonstrated loyalty in her previous career. She didn't dwell on the negative; she "spun" it towards the positive. <br />
<br />
In her response, Penelope made it clear that she has friends who work at Hospital Y, that she's heard very positive things about the workplace culture, and she's ready and willing to make a commitment to the right employer, which clearly is Hospital Y. She also boldly stated that she <u><i>is</i></u> the perfect candidate, not that she could be, might be, or would like to be. That form of boldness is risky, but it's a calculated risk that's often worth taking.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Minefields Into Goldmines</b></h3>
<br />
If you can become comfortable with the art of verbal sparring and spin, you can more often than not turn a potential conversational minefield into a goldmine. It's not always easy, and it won't work perfectly in every situation, but such a skill is one to have sharpened and stored in your interview toolbox at all times.<br />
<br />
Interviews can be tricky, and the stress and uncertainty can be unnerving. When you've developed the skill of being able to calmly turn the conversation in the direction that you want it to go, you'll know that you're onto something. Being able to maneuver in such conversational situations is a skill worth honing. This can be learned, and it's well worth your attention.<br />
<br />
In your next interview, try some of these tactics and strategies; practice in your head, do mock interviews with friends or colleagues, and learn the art of skillful conversation. Who knows? Your next minefield may very well turn into a goldmine of opportunity.<br />
<br /><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-44768802698182805292023-01-09T10:29:00.002-05:002023-01-09T10:29:33.006-05:00Acing Your Next Nursing Job Interview — 4 Common Questions to Prepare For<p> Job interviews can be a source of stress for both novice and seasoned nurses, and being prepared for some of the most common questions can give you the confidence to ace your next nursing interview. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXINko17V468er9XiM-_GkjIH_BDBN_-p4FQzane8ecNo15SMAPHxn4KUoXKlC-n5-hv3cqirh2XCYnTqKtBLSDm4O3gngDblaMRdbolj4Yultkb2dNuwJI-u5q-suB90JBitXXwshhajv-_gArIVPhsQIbdS06KucjL404-XMQrhCMWT3g/s5607/christina-wocintechchat-com-eF7HN40WbAQ-unsplash(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3738" data-original-width="5607" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXINko17V468er9XiM-_GkjIH_BDBN_-p4FQzane8ecNo15SMAPHxn4KUoXKlC-n5-hv3cqirh2XCYnTqKtBLSDm4O3gngDblaMRdbolj4Yultkb2dNuwJI-u5q-suB90JBitXXwshhajv-_gArIVPhsQIbdS06KucjL404-XMQrhCMWT3g/w442-h295/christina-wocintechchat-com-eF7HN40WbAQ-unsplash(1).jpg" width="442" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>You obviously can't rehearse for every possible question, but practice boosts your readiness and creates a positive mindset that will increase your comfort level preparing for what's ahead. <br /><br />One frame of reference for any interview question is to ask yourself why you’re being asked this particular question. What is it that they want to know? What’s the question beneath the question? Are they showing you through their questions what qualities, characteristics, or skills are important to them? How can you speak their language and nail the interview? </p><p>Here are five common interview questions to rehearse while keeping these various contexts in mind. </p><p><b>Question #1: Tell us about yourself. </b></p><p>When this question is asked, it can feel confusing in terms of understanding what they actually want, so here’s the thing: they want to know what makes you tick. You definitely don’t want to tell your life story, or even the story of your entire career. Instead, think about the job you’re applying for and what core personal characteristics might be most important. You can also highlight the skills and experience that differentiate you from others. </p><p>For example, if the job is in oncology, focus on skills related to oncology nursing. If you’re coming from another specialty, you’ve hopefully done your research and know what makes oncology nursing unique and what you have under your belt that’s transferrable. </p><p>There’s an emphasis in oncology on communication, and being compassionately present with patients and families experiencing anticipatory grief and loss. Emphasize your emotional and relational intelligence and how you would bring that to the table. And if you have a personal experience with cancer — either your own or that of a loved one — briefly tell that story and how it inspires you. </p><p>Respond to this question by painting a picture of the kind of nurse an oncology hiring manager would be thrilled to have on their team, and if you don’t know what that is, find out beforehand and use that knowledge to your advantage. </p><p><b>Question #2: Why do you want to work for this organization? </b></p><p>With this question, the more specific you can be, the better, so do your homework. They don’t just want to know what they can do for you — they also want to know if you’re a good fit and will make a positive contribution. For example: </p><p>“Well, Linda, I’m glad you asked. You see, Central Hospital has a reputation as a Magnet hospital that truly supports nurses and develops them as leaders, which is very much in line with my career goals.</p><p>“I’m a natural intrapreneur, and I like to be a positive part of the fabric of a workplace. I’m a collaborator, and I enjoy finding ways to work with others for the good of the whole. </p><p>“I also admire Central’s commitment to the surrounding community. I love how employees are encouraged to volunteer for the downtown free clinic and mentor local high school students interested in healthcare careers. </p><p>“Central seems like a workplace where I could put down roots, grow as a leader, and serve the community in meaningful ways.” </p><p><b>Question #3: What are your strengths and weaknesses? </b></p><p>This is an extremely common question you should definitely be prepared for. If you have strengths that can be easily leveraged, consider the position and the type of facility, and verbalize strengths that will reassure them of how you’ll contribute (see #2 above). </p><p>When speaking about your weaknesses, this is an opportunity to turn something that’s “negative” into something about which you’re already aware and are working on changing. This demonstrates self-awareness and tells your interviewer that you’re consciously focused on improving yourself. For example: </p><p>“I’m so glad you asked, Alice. Over the last year, I’ve been focused on learning to delegate more and place more trust in our nursing assistants. Like many nurses, I tend towards perfectionism, and I can often think, ‘I might as well do it myself since I’ll know it’ll be done right.’ So, over the last year I’ve taken the nursing assistants under my wing, mentoring and empowering them. I’ve developed trusting, collaborative relationships with all of the assistants, and frequently thank them for their hard work. Now I’m more apt to delegate the tasks I know they do well. This is a developing strength that I’ll bring to Central.”</p><p>As you can see, the interviewee divulged a weakness, described the proactive steps they’ve taken to correct it, and described a “developing strength”, which is 100% gold to an employer. </p><p><b>Question #4: Tell us about a time you had a conflict with a colleague and how you handled the situation</b>. </p><p>Any employer wants to know if you can negotiate conflict independently. When responding to this question, illustrate your emotional and relational intelligence, your ability to compromise, and your comfort with being assertive. For example: </p><p>“I was working with a nurse who was very critical and negative. She would frequently criticize my work, usually by complaining about me to other people while I was within earshot. </p><p>“When I had had enough of her behavior, I asked her to meet for coffee. I told her that I’m very open to constructive criticism, but when I’m constantly criticized — especially indirectly — it undermines my confidence and makes me anxious. </p><p>“Then I asked her if there was anything she needed to tell me directly. She began to cry and said that she’d been feeling very badly about herself and unconsciously covered up those feelings by being hard on others. She then added that she had some helpful feedback for me; we talked it over and I saw that she had many good points. Now we get along well, are open in our communication, and she’s kinder and gentler with everyone.”</p><p><b>Ace Your Next Interview</b></p><p>Interviews don’t need to be scary, and there’s nothing like practice and preparation to help you feel more confident. You can’t prepare for every possible question, but you can rehearse for the most common ones and boost your confidence for hitting any curve-balls out of the park. </p><p>As a nursing professional, you have highly marketable skills that are in demand, so get your interview ducks in a row and be ready to ace your next job interview with poise and humble self-assurance. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">------------------------------</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div><br /><p></p>Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-75533601031225582952023-01-02T11:48:00.001-05:002023-01-02T11:49:10.744-05:00Your Nursing Career: Intentions and Positive ChangeWhen the New Year begins in earnest, many of us nurses start to consider what we'd like to accomplish in our personal lives and nursing careers. We can run around like chickens afraid that the sky is falling all around us, or we can set our intentions and plan for an inspired year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9IFFvd2KKk0EjmzqlZam48exvrW-wkDBYKingM8Y3np4_hRfBS3v-DhlIxyzHT6INvR3kyC7eazQ8JpLWAtS8cqD4VZK_Pj6Apm7Fqv1B3euhNKsEIc8vc5NmTmxSex6PLQl/s1600/INTENTION%2521.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9IFFvd2KKk0EjmzqlZam48exvrW-wkDBYKingM8Y3np4_hRfBS3v-DhlIxyzHT6INvR3kyC7eazQ8JpLWAtS8cqD4VZK_Pj6Apm7Fqv1B3euhNKsEIc8vc5NmTmxSex6PLQl/s320/INTENTION%2521.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><b><br />Hindsight Can Serve You</b><br />
<br />
Hindsight is sometimes said to be 20/20, and I believe that this is actually a very good thing. Looking back on our accomplishments (or lack thereof) in the previous year, we can accumulate a great deal of data when it comes to making prudent choices for the new year.<br />
<br />
As you assess last year in terms of your career trajectory, ask yourself the following questions: <br />
<ul>
<li>How do I feel about the way in which my career developed last year? </li>
<li>What kinds of career-related choices did I make? </li>
<li>If I felt stuck last year, what was it that made me feel that way? </li>
<li>If I moved forward last year, what were the choices that really worked for me? </li>
</ul>
Looking back at the previous year will directly inform how you approach the twelve months ahead of you and your nursing career. <br />
<br />
<b>Don't Forget Foresight</b><br />
<br />
We need to make career choices that are prudent and thoughtful; if our intentions are clear, we can choose more wisely. We don't want to take a certification course or enroll in a master's degree program just because someone said we should; rather, we need to assess what we want and select the most intelligent, affordable, and efficient path to reach our goal.<br />
<br />
Career choices need to emerge from due diligence, the collection of data, the honoring of your intuition, and the assessment of how to identify the most powerful vehicle for the journey ahead. Some forms of assessment may include: <br />
<ul>
<li>Informational interviews with influencers and knowledgeable professionals</li>
<li>Web-based research on specialties, schools, certifications, etc</li>
<li>Plumbing of your own desires and aspirations</li>
<li>Online and in-person networking</li>
<li>Engaging with a life or career coach </li>
<li>Podcasts, blogs, articles, journals</li>
</ul>
There are, of course, other ways to find the information you need in order to make an informed decision; be creative and open-minded.<br />
<br />
<b>The Power of Insight</b><br />
<br />
Insight emerges from the crucible created by hindsight and foresight. An insight may come in a flash of intuition, or it may come to light during an informational interview. We don't know where insight will come from, but the power of a strong realization can be enormously impactful on your nursing career.<br />
<br />
Listening to a podcast, a thought may emerge that leads you down another unknown path of discovery. While you're reading a blog post or article, a particular link or recommendation could be the key you've been seeking. And sometimes, insights are born from hard work and tedious research.<br />
<br />
<b>Intention is Key</b><br />
<br />
If your intention is to become a flight nurse, then your path forward will be clear. If your intention is to "quit this stupid job," you have more work to do to get there. And if you just know there's something you need but can't figure out what it is, that's a row that's more tedious to sew (but altogether possible).<br />
<br />
Focus on your intentions, motivations, and short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals; once these become more clear, the path ahead will more readily make itself known.<br /><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div>Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-58994436015784656982022-12-19T11:43:00.002-05:002022-12-19T12:04:02.387-05:00The Conscious Creation of Your Nursing Career <p>As the year comes to an end, it's always a good time to pause, reflect, and take stock of the current state of your nursing career. As I've often said in my writing, podcasts, and keynote addresses, you can always choose to allow your career to happen to you, or you can instead take inspired action and make it happen. Which sounds better to you? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUqZsraZMQ_bI-3xgbsAQ8M6pOZyQU8cTUO-53dwKfK2wejo_dyPptAo-bClG0jLwwMFoqKVJK8TjoR2uKvd3iOucJSxiO84RZq3_2EVvZSlzPdZveVAoMFK5rResQOTy1ybFk-JfaJT9cp5DYRAULmofJW2Cr6zq1_MWE3i4S9-_Q-iHzg/s3128/nicole-wilcox-zAWs-hKChYA-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2346" data-original-width="3128" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUqZsraZMQ_bI-3xgbsAQ8M6pOZyQU8cTUO-53dwKfK2wejo_dyPptAo-bClG0jLwwMFoqKVJK8TjoR2uKvd3iOucJSxiO84RZq3_2EVvZSlzPdZveVAoMFK5rResQOTy1ybFk-JfaJT9cp5DYRAULmofJW2Cr6zq1_MWE3i4S9-_Q-iHzg/w412-h309/nicole-wilcox-zAWs-hKChYA-unsplash.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><b>Conscious Career Creation</b></p><p>Consciously making your nursing career happen involves several key factors: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>The <b>will/desire</b> to create a career that's unique to you</li><li>The <b>discipline</b> to consistently focus on your career's evolution</li><li>The <b>inspiration</b> to think creatively </li><li>The <b>independence of thought </b>to do what's best for you, not what others say you should</li></ul><p></p><p>When you decide to create a career on your own terms, anything is possible. Many will tell you what you should do, but if you can hold true to what holds meaning for you, your career will be much more satisfying than if you simply do what others say is prudent. </p><p>As author, professor, and activist Derrick Bell states in his wonderful book, <i>Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth</i>, "Trying to simultaneously balance my dreams and needs is tough, and requires an ongoing assessment of who I am, what I believe, value, and desire."</p><p>Plenty of nurses follow a tried and true career strategy of working one or two years in med-surg and then specializing in an area suitable to their temperament and clinical interests. This works for many nurses, and if your career takes you down such a path, there's much to gain. The ICU, ED, trauma, and other specialties provide opportunity for serious focus on pathophysiology and a plethora of nursing skills, and we need nurses in these areas of practice who are thrilled to be there. </p><p></p><p>And then there are those for whom the road less traveled has a stronger calling. I myself completely eschewed the med-surg/acute care route, despite the warnings of my peers and professors that it was career suicide to not do at least a year of med-surg. Nonetheless, I dove directly into heartfelt work in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) serving marginalized communities, and I never looked back. </p><p>Mr. Bell also wrote, "<i>I truly believe that in making honorable choices about our lives, we can acknowledge sacrifices we make and the risks we take and recognize that what others view as losses and foolhardiness are the nourishment upon which our spirits thrive</i>." </p><p>No matter what your disposition as a nursing professional, conscious career creation is paramount. So, let's break it down. </p><p><b>The Will/Desire to Create a Unique Career</b></p><p>Whether you're interested in trauma, nursing research, the pharmaceutical industry, NICU, hospice, or entrepreneurship, having the will or desire to create and curate your own career is central to the process. Without will, without desire, you have nothing but simply going where the tides take you. But when you get in touch with what you want deep down inside, that's where the magic happens. </p><p>Some questions to explore include: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What is it that makes me truly happy? </li><li>What kind of people do I like to work with? </li><li>Is doing hands-on care something that matters to me?</li><li>What aspects of work feed my emotional and spiritual lives? </li><li>Are there certain types of activities, tasks, or challenges that appeal most to my intellect? </li><li>What voices and messages in my head (e.g.: from my past, my family, etc) are strongest when it comes to choosing a life path and a career? </li><li>What scares me about my work and career? </li><li>What excites me? </li><li>When I'm on my deathbed, what kinds of accomplishments would I want to look back on? </li></ul><p></p><p><b>The Discipline to Consistently Focus on Your Career</b></p><p>Discipline plays a big role in crafting a career that matters. The undisciplined nurse goes along with the crowd and does what they're told they should do. With lack of discipline on display, the nurse does as little as possible other than show up at work and do their job. </p><p>There are also those who must remain in a job that's less than ideal due to their obligations to family and their dependents. Derrick Bell states: </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote>It is not, of course, a betrayal of ethical ambitions when circumstances require that you remain in a job or a relationship that is not evil, but not very rewarding. Duty to family, to children, to elderly parents, even to an employer may mandate remaining in a job with little future and even less satisfaction. In order to maintain their health coverage or for any number of reasons, likely millions of Americans — at every income level — find themselves trapped in unfulfilling jobs Even in this situation, you will be faced with choices that can have a profound effect on your spirit. If you perform your job as well as you can, treat your co-workers with the respect they deserve, and if the opportunity arises, stand up in some small way to a practice, policy, or environment that you see as demeaning or simply less than ideal, your job — even though it may not be the one you always dreamed of — can give you a measure of satisfaction. </blockquote><p>If you take a disciplined approach to your career, you can choose to methodically examine various aspects of your career and then take inspired action in those arenas. The disciplined approach might include: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Consistent building and nurturing of a professional network so that you have a growing "brain trust" of individuals to whom you can turn for advice, support, or mentoring as needed — and who can also turn to you</li><li>Ongoing career assessment with any eye towards initiating change when change is called for</li><li>Always having an updated resume on hand in order to be ready for any opportunity that might arise</li><li>Having a solid online presence in the professional world (e.g.: LinkedIn)</li><li>Keeping abreast of changes and developments in one's areas of interest</li><li>Being involved in professional organizations, committees, or other groups as a way of networking and developing various aspects of one's intellect and professional knowledge</li></ul><p></p><p><b>The Inspiration to Think Creatively</b></p><p>Creative thinking is more crucial for career development than you might initially think. You might ask, "So where does creativity come in? Isn't that the realm of artists, musicians, dancers, and people in those types or careers?"</p><p>Actually, creative thinking is important no matter where you might find yourself, and a nursing career has plenty of space for creativity of thought. Creative thinking might look like: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Talking to a career coach to explore possible next career steps</li><li>Exploring a hobby that engages a different aspect of your intelligence</li><li>Keeping your mind open to changes in the world around you</li><li>Reading the latest research in nursing, healthcare, medicine, psychology, sociology, and other disciplines for inspiration and fresh ideas </li><li>Never saying "never"</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Independence of Thought </b></p><p>Ah, now we're at the good part: independence of thought. As noted above, we can very easily follow the crowd and do what everyone else is doing. Yes, it's safe, but is it interesting? </p><p>The career suicide I was warned about? It never happened. And when there was only one other nursing podcast on the internet, did we let that stop us? No, we launched RNFM Radio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast, and were simply ahead of the curve. And when I became a Board Certified Nurse Coach, it was a very new thing for the nursing profession, and no one knew where it would go — now nurse coaching has been legitimized and normalized within the nursing world. And this blog? Well, it was one of the first nursing blogs in existence, and it's been going for over 17 years. </p><p>Being a nurse who thinks for yourself is a potent statement of personal power. When you're willing to go against the flow, make unpopular decisions, reject the terribly detrimental "but-that's-the-way-we've- always-done-it" mentality (which, by the way, are the most dangerous words in healthcare), you're claiming your individual sovereignty and sense of personal agency. </p><p>If you pause right now to take stock of your nursing career, assess if you're in touch with these four ket factors: </p><ul><li>The <b>will/desire</b> to create a career that's unique to you</li><li>The <b>discipline</b> to consistently focus on your career's evolution</li><li>The <b>inspiration</b> to think creatively </li><li>The <b>independence of thought </b>to do what's best for you, not what others say you should</li></ul><p>If any of these areas of your personal and/or professional career development are lacking or need shoring up, there's no time like the present to initiate inspired action on your own behalf. Your career is your own, your life is your own, and how you conduct yourself and evolve over time can be an exciting, invigorating, and inspiring. <br /><br />Whether it's the end of the year, the beginning of the next, or any other time that suits you, doing this deep dive of self-inquiry just might take you to places that your nurse's soul is destined to go. </p><p>------------------------------</p><p><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at </span><a href="http://nursekeith.com/" style="font-family: times;">NurseKeith.com</a><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></span></p><div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div>Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-76811861078992869162022-12-12T18:46:00.002-05:002023-01-09T23:46:54.728-05:00Nurse Specialist or Nurse Generalist?Nurse specialists and nurse generalists are both common within the nursing profession and 21st-century healthcare, and both serve important purposes in patient care as well as non-clinical settings. What does it mean to choose to be a specialist or generalist? What are the repercussions for your nursing career? And how can one accomplish both?<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by wang dongxu on Unsplash.com</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><h3>
Nurse Specialists Matter</h3>
In both medicine and nursing, generalists and specialists both serve many important purposes. Choosing which one to be can be difficult but it's not out of the question, and sometimes it's possible to have the best of both worlds. Why does this choice matter and how does one make the most prudent choice for nursing career growth and satisfaction?<br />
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In medicine, it's often said that there's a shortage of primary care physicians (especially in rural areas and some small town and inner cities) because being a medical specialist pays much more handsomely. Nurse practitioners are thankfully filling those gaps in primary care. So, is money the greatest allure of specialization?<br />
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The nurse who graduates from an ADN or BSN program is basically a novice generalist who has a whole lot more to learn. When I was in my ADN program, I became the class "specialist" in orthopedics — especially hip replacement post-op care — because I was frequently assigned such patients. Nursing students need as many clinical experiences as possible, but circumstances sometimes lead us down certain paths for one reason or another.<br />
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Even though ortho was something I became significantly comfortable with, upon graduating I actually chose to skip med-surg and acute care in favor of community health and home health. I never looked back, and I indeed developed my own form of expertise, albeit not in the hospital setting.<br />
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Nurse specialists have a crucial purpose: those in ICU, flight nursing, OR, ED, and other critical areas are absolutely necessary for the saving of lives. Pediatric nurses, dialysis nurses, school nurses, and others also play their parts in specific areas of clinical focus and patient care.<br />
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We always need a certain percentage of nurses and other clinicians to specialize — how else would those ICU and OR patients receive the highly specific care they need? Specialization is life-saving and central to the full function of any healthcare facility, and those who serve in such positions are often in high demand.<br />
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Nurse specialists are born of extensive clinical experience, high-quality education, and certification processes that determine a nurse's knowledge and expertise. Some nursing specialty certification pathways are extremely rigorous, molding enrolled nurses into high-level clinicians with a plethora of skills and intellectual/clinical rigor.<br />
<h3>
Nurse Generalists Matter</h3>
A nurse generalist knows a lot about many things; in some ways, you could call a nurse generalist a polymath of sorts. Generalists matter as much as specialists do, and they serve in a variety of functions and roles.<br />
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Licensed practical or vocational nurses are usually considered generalists, and their work is crucial in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, physician offices, and other milieus where they are the lifeblood of patient care.<br />
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Generalist nurse practitioners also serve an important clinical purpose in many facilities. Meanwhile, those individuals with a previous unrelated bachelor's degree become nurse generalists when they graduate from an accredited second bachelor's nursing program (sometimes known as an accelerated generalist educational track).<br />
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Most any newly graduated nurse is a generalist, no matter the program they attended. LPNs, ADNs, BSNs, and some NPs bring general knowledge and some learned expertise to the table. There is no shame in being a nurse generalist, and choosing to specialize can lead to many rewards when and if the nurse chooses to pursue that path.<br />
<h3>
To Specialize or Not to Specialize </h3>
Why would a nurse choose to specialize? Why would the process of specialization and acquiring expertise be appealing to a professional nurse clinician? I believe the following to be compelling reasons to do so:<br />
<ul>
<li>Specialization can lead to increased earning potential </li>
<li>Being a nurse specialist lends credibility to the nurse's personal/professional brand</li>
<li>Many positions are reserved for nurses with specific training and expertise</li>
<li>A nurse's professional standing and credibility are elevated by specialization and certification</li>
<li>Personal self-esteem can also be positively impacted by the knowledge that one has gone above and beyond in accumulating relevant training and expertise</li>
</ul>
While specialization is not required nor necessary in order to have a successful and satisfying nursing career, it does bestow certain benefits as noted above. At the same time, being a skilled generalist nurse is also a respectable career choice, and generalists can accomplish a great deal on the twin engines of their professionalism and skill.<br />
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In the end, each nurse must make their own decision when it comes to choosing to move beyond generalist practice to specialization. The world will not end if a nurse decides to remain a generalist, nor will her life change dramatically once she's certified and ensconced in her area of specialty.<br />
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If nothing else, every nurse can be a specialist in doing the job they are called to do, whether that position is of a clinical nature or not. Specialization is a path that can be chosen or not, and there is no judgment in my mind of nurses who forego that journey. Every nurse is valuable, and no one can take our worth away from us, individually or collectively. Choose your path, own your path, and approach your personal nursing career trajectory with pride and the knowledge of your stellar contribution to a society that daily relies on courageous and intelligent nurses to be the veritable backbone of the complex 21st-century healthcare system.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px;"><div>__________________________________________________________________________</div><div><br /></div><div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s1600/Keith.LoRes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></p><div style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at <a href="http://nursekeith.com/">NurseKeith.com</a>.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-2622690907684065032022-12-05T10:34:00.001-05:002022-12-05T11:22:34.092-05:00Nurses, The Holidays, and Work-Life BalanceThere's no doubt about it, nurses; it's the holiday season, and many of us are feeling the pressure in our personal and professional lives. How do the holidays impact you, your mental and emotional health, your spiritual well-being, and your professional responsibilities as a nurse?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Working During the Holidays</b><br />
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Many of you who are employed by hospitals, home health agencies, hospices, and other organizations are likely working during the holidays, perhaps even on your favorite special day. You may miss special moments with family and friends, even while you do your best to spread cheer among your colleagues and your patients and their families.<br />
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Having to show up for work at 7am on Christmas Day or New Years Day is no fun, and having to work 11a-7p in the ER on New Years Eve is no picnic. Those of us who don't work in milieus requiring us to work holidays may forget how our nurse colleagues are slogging away while we tuck into Christmas dinner and open presents with family.<br />
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For those of us Jews who celebrate Hannukah, having eight days makes it easier to be flexible with our celebrations, even though most employers pay no attention to Hannukah in their planning. And for African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa, it can be a challenge to ask for time off for a holiday that few people recognize or understand — then again, Kwanzaa has multiple nights like Hannukah, so that can sometimes make it easier, but not always depending on the demands of your work schedule and the sensitivity of your employer. <br />
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No matter how you slice it, the holidays can be difficult enough without the added stress of working odd hours and missing out on the fun and togetherness that others enjoy so readily.<br />
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<b>Nurse Self-Care and the Holidays</b><br />
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Self-care is important at any time of year — and everyone defines that concept differently — but during the holiday season you need to be extra vigilant. Ask yourself some questions: <br />
<ul>
<li>What can I do to make my holiday shifts easier? </li>
<li>How can I bring more cheer to my workplace, my colleagues, and my patients? </li>
<li>Can my family be creative about the timing of special celebrations and meals so that I don't miss out on my favorite holiday activities? (I've heard of nurses having Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner the day before or the day after in order to accommodate work schedules.) </li>
<li>Are there nice things I can do for myself at this time of year? Can I take myself out for a pastry and hot chocolate? Can I spend a few hours in my favorite bookstore? </li>
<li>How can I reward myself after the holidays for a job well done? </li>
<li>What gratefulness can I feel and express for the abundance and love in my life? </li>
</ul>
Nurses are a nurturing bunch, and we can often forget to nurture ourselves. Do you work 12-hour shifts, do all the holiday shopping, cook most of the meals, send all the cards, and show up bright and smiling every day even when you feel run down and overworked?<br />
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Sometimes, there's something that needs to give, and whether you cancel a social engagement, delegate a task to another family member, or turn down an extra shift, you may need to make some choices that put your needs first this holiday season. <br />
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<b>The Presence and the Presents</b><br />
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As Ram Dass once said, "<i>be here now</i>." The holidays are admittedly often about presents, but they're also about presence.<br />
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How can you be more present during this holiday season? How can you be more mindful? You can be present for your patients, expressing compassion for the fact that, unlike you, they don't get to go home to their families when your shift ends. You can also be present for your colleagues as they too struggle with the stress of the holiday season.<br />
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Meanwhile, you can also simply be present to yourself and your own feelings; this time of year can be joyous, but it can also be a challenge. Remaining mindful of how you're actually feeling can help you choose a course of action that will keep you uplifted, cajole you to schedule your own self-care activities, and relieve you of the sense that you have to do it all. And if you have to work on the holidays, make a plan to do it with great heart, compassion, and a feeling of gratitude for your patients and the ways in which you can serve their greatest good. <br />
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Stay present, enjoy the holidays, take care of yourself, make self-care a priority (whatever that means to you), and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done in 2022. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfXIUFCGFX74J5SShQ-3lmGw5Fh2NeZceFdELuFCvlVDTnwfPtZY6ehTVrYUfYCPfvQh3zn4c2Yd_o65S8EUvdQPMqy7pJW85Gj9tle1cXLyMzPlOPqLMFWyVTox33mZ8H9a7/s1600/Photo+by+Aaron+Burden+on+Unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1600" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfXIUFCGFX74J5SShQ-3lmGw5Fh2NeZceFdELuFCvlVDTnwfPtZY6ehTVrYUfYCPfvQh3zn4c2Yd_o65S8EUvdQPMqy7pJW85Gj9tle1cXLyMzPlOPqLMFWyVTox33mZ8H9a7/s400/Photo+by+Aaron+Burden+on+Unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="font-family: Times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s1600/Keith.LoRes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></p><div style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at <a href="http://nursekeith.com/">NurseKeith.com</a>.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></div></div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-22983114021071018472022-11-28T10:46:00.000-05:002022-11-28T10:46:17.459-05:00Six Steps to Being a Better Nurse Communicator<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the most important non-clinical skills for a nurse to develop is strong powers of communication. Nursing care is built on the foundation of communication -- both patients and colleagues figure largely in a nurse's world, and being able to listen well and speak your truth clearly is absolutely essential both on the job and in your daily life. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lUmq51AuNOSpHowu9CqcSwVKDUEAWZ-D8GPwYLAHqRpuirfTzB3zsrZTXDEUDU22ut9066OVc5rk4mF8y1Miq4iSSfA_bHW62NryLbvID9BX0BBBMbfLT3cQOtDx_MePqAGU/s1600/jason-rosewell-60014-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Speak your truth" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lUmq51AuNOSpHowu9CqcSwVKDUEAWZ-D8GPwYLAHqRpuirfTzB3zsrZTXDEUDU22ut9066OVc5rk4mF8y1Miq4iSSfA_bHW62NryLbvID9BX0BBBMbfLT3cQOtDx_MePqAGU/s400/jason-rosewell-60014-unsplash.jpg" title="Speak your truth" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ASKeuOZqhYU?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Jason Rosewell</a><span face=", , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/communication?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Conversations Abound</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The work of a nurse in the clinical space -- whether in home care, dialysis, entrepreneurship, ambulatory nursing, or the assisted living facility -- is informed by communication and conversation. Nursing is itself a highly collaborative practice in most instances, thus nurses need communication skills that will make this aspect of their work lives smoother to navigate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Think about it: how many conversations of varying lengths do you have during the course of an average work day as a nurse? If you're a nursing professor, you likely speak with your colleagues, students, and others for hours each day. In the ICU, you speak with family members, loved ones, physicians, ancillary medical staff, and a plethora of others. No matter what type of workplace you spend time in, communication is very likely to be key to what you do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For myself, my home-based work as a 100% self-employed nurse entrepreneur also involves a great deal of conversation with career coaching clients, my editors, my wife (and business partner), colleagues, friends, and myriad others. Even when I'm working solo at my desk, it's a rare day that I don't have at least one or two significant conversations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For nurses, the ability to speak and listen well is paramount, but do we naturally have the chance to learn such skills? What communication and conversational skills do you need to improve? Here are six steps to stronger communication skills as a nursing professional: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Step 1: Electronic Communication</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the 21st century, electronic conversation is part and parcel of many of our lives. And while many of these technologies don't allow for us to see one another's faces while communicating, how we relate with others in these ways is also important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, (the awful and mostly failed) Google Hangouts, Facebook video chat, and similar platforms allow for face-to-face conversations over streaming video, no matter how flawed they can seem at times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Current technology has most of us looking at the person's moving image rather than at the camera, thus losing the illusory notion of "direct" eye contact, but these types of conversations remain crucial despite their inherent shortcomings. In 10, 20, or 50 years, who knows how such technologies will develop so that we feel even more connected when using them (do I hear "scratch and sniff" Zoom calls or video cameras and censors embedded in our clothing, eyeglasses -- or even our very skin or eyes like cyborgs?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Email and texting still hold sway over many of us, and they remain common modes of electronic communication (although some younger people seem to be eschewing email completely unless they're required to use email at work). So many people seem to not understand email etiquette (e.g.: being thoughtful and using blind carbon copy (BCC) for multiple recipients or not replying to all when recipients are not BCC'd -- don't get me started!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For email and texting, emoticons and GIFs add some nuance and emotional context, but they can still be easily misconstrued. Without body language, tone of voice, and other factors that face-to-face conversations effortlessly benefit from, our electronic messages need to be as clear as we can possibly make them. Nuance may not be easy to achieve in this realm, so we do our best to be concise and descriptive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Step 2: </b><b>Difficult People and Conflict</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />The healthcare workplace can be stressful, and encountering difficult or anxious people is common. Physicians on rounds may be curt and harried; other nurses may seem like they can't even give you the time of day; and patients and their families may be wracked with worry and have many questions requiring complicated answers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Learning to navigate conflict is what all nurses and healthcare professionals should learn, but we generally aren't taught these skills in school (nor any communication skills, for that matter). </span><br />
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<li>How do you handle conflict? </li>
<li>Do you blame others or yourself as an easy way out? </li>
<li>Are you averse to confronting someone when you have something to say about their behavior? </li>
<li>Could you learn how to "do" conflict better? </li>
<li>Can you avoid processing any hurt feelings or difficult issues via text or email? </li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Step 3: Boundaries</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Setting strong boundaries is essential in the midst of very full 21st-century lives. We nurses who are so tuned into the needs and desires of others must also learn how to care for our own needs by saying no when it's necessary to do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One important aspect of boundaries is to know our own limits. There is anecdotal evidence out there that Millennial nurses are much more adept at standing up for themselves and refusing overtime, extra shifts, or coming in to work when they have a planned day off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For various reasons, it's theorized that this younger generation just seems to have an easier time setting firm boundaries, especially where work is concerned. Meanwhile, anecdotal evidence also tells us that older nurses (Baby Boomers, Gen X'ers, etc) have a much harder time saying no and will bend over backwards to accommodate others even if it's not in their own best interest to do so. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In states with strong nurse "safe harbor" laws, a nurse cannot be reprimanded or punished for refusing to w</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ork under unsafe conditions. This is a boundary that many nurses ignore at the peril of their licenses, their mental well-being, and patient safety. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Boundaries don't just come into play with colleagues, supervisors, but also with patients and their families. We can become very emotionally tethered to our patients and their loved ones, especially in clinical situations where we work with patients over an extended period of time. And when we get close and feel more like friends, things can get sticky and it can become hard to say no or overextend ourselves. We all know that crossing the line into an emotionally or physically intimate relationship with a patient is a very bad idea at best, but we can also get into trouble when we decide to help a patient out financially, intervene in family dramas, or otherwise move outside of our mandate and scope of practice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Can you say no and still feel good about yourself? </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Step 4: </b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Written Word</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In terms of the written word, there are numerous ways to take your skills to the next level. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As mentioned above, being conscientious when emailing or texting is prudent. However, the written word also comes into play in your clinical documentation, any proposals or reports you may write, your resume, cover letters, your LinkedIn profile, and also your social media presence. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Building a personal/professional brand is reflected in how you conduct yourself online and "in real life".</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although writing skills are not in the forefront of nursing education (aside from research papers and the like), writing can be used to advance your career. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Your reputation as a nurse can be impacted by the quality of your documentation, a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, the publication of any articles or research you may participate in or author independently, or perhaps a blog or website you create to share about your nursing career. </span><br />
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Writing is a powerful medium that many nurses have leveraged to their advantage, whether as entrepreneurs or not.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Step 5: Emotional and Relational Intelligence</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Developing your level of emotional and relational intelligence is crucial to being able to communicate with a high level of skill. As I once wrote in </span><a href="https://www.ausmedcorporate.com/emotional-intelligence-nursing/" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">an article for AUSMed</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, a nursing website based in Australia: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Emotional intelligence, a term originally coined by author Daniel Goleman, is basically defined as the ability to be aware of, and control, one’s own emotions, and to read and respond empathetically to the emotions of others</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>One’s emotional quotient (EQ) is the measure of one’s EI.</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>In nursing and healthcare, relationships and communication are everything; thus, a nurse with a high EQ is more likely to have successful interactions with colleagues, managers, and patients and their families.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Being sensitive to the feelings of others while also acknowledging one’s own emotional state is a gift, and nursing leaders and hiring managers would be prudent indeed to hire staff with a high EQ.</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>And since emotional intelligence can actually be taught, it is in the best interest of every healthcare institution to offer trainings and in-services that will increase the EQ of those staff members who need it most.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The emotionally intelligent nurse can listen to a patient’s explosive angry outburst, assess the patient’s emotional state, and keep her own reactions in check. The nurse can then respond in a calm and rational manner that demonstrates understanding of, and empathy for, the feelings of the patient, without any reactivity on the part of the nurse.</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This is a skill that is difficult to master but essential to learn.</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This nurse with a high EQ can also relate to her colleagues in a similar fashion. She’s a strong, assertive team member, a good friend, and a reliable emotional barometer in terms of the health of the group.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span>Relational intelligence is where the rubber hits the road and your emotional intelligence is utilized in order to navigate relationships and their inherent need for clear, kind communication. A relationally intelligence nurse can use his or her emotional intelligence to create lines of communication with patients and colleagues that usher in greater understanding, stronger relationships, clear conversation, and feelings of connection.<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><b>Step Six: Miscellaneous Communication Strategies</b><br />
<br />
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<br />
There are plenty of other strategies and techniques to learn and employ in your communication as a nurse, including but not limited to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Body language: Your posture, facial expressions, and other forms of body language are crucial to understand and have under your control. Does your facial expression match your words? Are your arms crossed while speaking? Is your posture open or closed? Are you making direct eye contact? </li>
<li>Cultural differences: Understanding cultural norms in terms of communication, body language, and eye contact are important. If you don't know, ask!</li>
<li>Language: If you're coming into contact with the transgender community or other marginalized groups, be aware of the language you use. If you don't know how a patient should be addressed, ask them what they prefer. If you have a man who is transitioning to female, ask what pronoun they prefer and school your colleagues about what you've learned.</li>
<li>Listen: It's been said that we have two ears and one mouth so that we'll listen twice as much as we speak. </li>
<li>Ask questions and be curious! </li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Communication is key in any industry or any relationship. If you show curiosity, listen well, show kindness, and practice these other strategies and techniques will get you moving in the right direction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><p style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">----------</span></p><p style="font-family: Times;">-----<br /></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s1600/Keith.LoRes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></p><div style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at <a href="http://nursekeith.com/">NurseKeith.com</a>.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-73576401380595034322022-11-21T06:47:00.001-05:002023-04-03T23:35:09.900-04:00Lions, Gazelles, and Nurses: The Herd Mentality at WorkNursing has a hierarchy of power and experience just like any other profession; in fact, it also has a hierarchy that sometimes feels akin to the laws of survival on the savanna or in the jungle. <br />
<br />
Have you ever observed that the less experienced and more vulnerable nurses frequently get left on the outside, often falling prey to bullies and "predators"? This is the herd mentality at its worst, and many novice nurses are taken down by bullies and power-hungry colleagues who eat them alive when they're demonstrating the slightest weakness. <br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Protection and Predation</b><br />
<br />
Out on the African savanna, herds of gazelles keep watch for lions, one
of their most fierce predators; the culling of the herd is a natural
phenomenon, and lions need to eat just like anyone else. The thing is,
some naturalists notice that the sicker, older gazelles are left on the
outside of the herd, vulnerable to predation and outside of the safety
of the circle. Young gazelles are naturally kept on the inside, their parents and
elders protecting them and keeping them close, with the innate
understanding that they are the carriers of the gene pool who need to
survive into adulthood so that the species can thrive into the future. <br />
<br />
In the healthcare environment, we often see a herd mentality, as well; in this scenario, the experienced nurses make up the bones of the innermost circle of safety, and survival of the fittest is frequently the name of the game. But what about the newer nurses? Where are they in the hierarchy? <br />
<br />
<b>A Med/Surg Herd </b><br />
<br />
Let's consider a large Med/Surg unit where we find a mix of older, highly experienced nurses, some nurses who are two to five years into their careers, and a number of fresh-faced novice nurses who are in their first year in the profession.<br />
<br />
Now let's imagine that there's a bully in the mix; she's a nurse with 25 years of experience, a toxic personality, and a stranglehold on the unit culture. The administration is afraid of her, the nurse manager turns a blind eye to her egregious behavior, and most nurses just keep their heads down and hope she doesn't pick on them or single them out.<br />
<br />
The older, more experienced nurses may be relatively safe from the bully; they've known her a while, put up with her toxicity, humor her, or perhaps just ignore her as much as they can in order to not call attention to themselves. Their silence is essentially complicity, and some of them may actually play into the bullying and tacitly empower her aberrant behavior. A bully can sometimes be a younger nurse who bullies older nurses, as well; this power dynamic can work in both generational directions. <br />
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<br />
<b>The New Nurse: Falling Prey to the Lion</b><br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the newer nurses are fresh blood for the bully/lion/predator; they are unsure of themselves, need to ask questions, and are vulnerable to being singled out and stalked by the bully and her minions.<br />
<br />
If the members of the nursing herd try to stay out of the bully's way -- or actually support her in being the bully -- what does that mean for the newer nurses? It generally means that they are kept on the outside of the circle of protection and safety, left to fend for themselves against the nurse predator.<br />
<br />
If you think of the nurses on the unit as a herd, the young are left on the outside to fend for themselves, and the elders are, for the most part, held in the center, cushioned against the attacks of the predator/bully; however, an elder nurse can also be deemed weak by the "herd"and thus ostracized to the fringes. <br />
<br />
The calculus of this situation is untenable and unhealthy, with certain nurses receiving the short end of the stick; vulnerable novice nurses need feeding, nurturing, and support, not the feeling of being thrown to the lion(s).<br />
<br />
<b>Extending the Circle of Safety</b><br />
<br />
In order to counteract a situation that lends itself to the burnout and attrition of newer nurses (as well as those seasoned nurses who are for some reason vulnerable to bullies), the circle of safety needs to extend its protection to everyone. Rather than leaving more vulnerable colleagues to be picked off the edge by predators and bullies, the circle closes around those who need its reassuring sanctuary, whether they be older, younger, or somewhere in between.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://healthyworkforceinstitute.com" target="_blank">Dr. Renee Thompson,</a> one of the world's foremost experts on nurse bullying and incivility in the healthcare workplace, has documented and communicated the subtleties and vicissitudes of this scourge through books, blog posts, articles, podcasts, keynote speeches, videos, social media, and the powerful work of the faculty of her <a href="https://healthyworkforceinstitute.com" target="_blank">Healthy Workforce Institute</a>. As Dr. Thompson informs us, we must learn to speak up in the face of bullying, and to protect those members of our team who are susceptible to a form of professional predation that sends many a nurse running for the exit, often leaving the profession altogether.<br />
<br />
We must reject the old adage that nurses eat our young; rather, we can choose to create and embrace a new paradigm where nurses nurture and empower their young instead.<br />
<br />
This isn't rocket science, but we nurses need to learn the skills that will help us to bully-proof ourselves, speak up in the face of bullying, end nurse predation, and enclose our colleagues in a circle of safety that keeps the lions on the outside and the vulnerable protected from harm. <br />
<br />
We can make different choices, and it's our daily decision regarding which path we will take. I implore you to extend the circle of safety, protect the vulnerable, and bring a sense of community and symbiotic togetherness to your corner of the nursing world. <div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><p style="font-family: Times;">-----<br /></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s1600/Keith.LoRes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></p><div style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at <a href="http://nursekeith.com/">NurseKeith.com</a>.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-86572596137098497152022-11-14T08:36:00.001-05:002022-12-14T21:33:00.906-05:00Nursing Career Change and the SoulWhen a nurse needs a career change, the reasons can be myriad and multifaceted. However, when we only reach for the money or for career "advancement", we may miss a golden opportunity for a different kind of personal and professional blossoming to take place.<br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>We nurses change the course of our careers based on many factors, one of which may be money or advancement. This is all well and good, but based on my beliefs about the soul work of evolving as a nurse and a human being, money and career development are only parts of a much more intricate puzzle.<br />
<br />
The soul work of nursing is that which lies deep within you — it's the desire to serve, to give back, to contribute, to tend to others. Sometimes that soul work trumps salary and recognition. It just does. And sometimes that just has to be okay for a time.<br />
<br />
<b>What Calls You? </b><br />
<br />
Sometimes, a move from one form of nursing to another may feel like a lateral move rather than a vertical one, but there are times when lateral moves make sense due to a calling that runs deeper than the call of your bank account.<br />
<br />
It's often said that nursing is more of a "calling" than a profession, and this may very well be true for many of us. And what "calls" us from one form of nursing to another may be the work we need to do on a deeper soul level, the level at which we fulfill our larger life's mission.<br />
<br />
Perhaps you've been working with adults for years but feel that spending time with children is now essential for your personal development. You don't understand it and you want to question it, but the magnetic pull towards this new aspect of your life as a nurse has more power than you realize and is simply undeniable. And if you honor that magnetism, you never know what gifts may lay in store for you down that as yet unknown path.<br />
<br />
Or maybe you're just not feeling "right" anymore in your current position. You don't necessarily feel burned out, but it just doesn't feel like it used to. All of a sudden, a new position makes itself known, but you realize that it will amount to a cut in pay. Do you honor your desire and take the pay cut in anticipation of the gold that may be waiting within this new opportunity? Or do you turn your back simply because of the money?<br />
<br />
Your life circumstances may allow you to absorb the financial hit and explore this new career option, or perhaps not. But it's worth exploring how you feel in your gut and your heart, and to consider your options. <br />
<br />
<b>Multiple Bottom Lines</b><br />
<br />
Of course, if you have a family, children or other dependents, your financial bottom line must sometimes take precedence over your desires. However, we can also flip that statement around and see that there are many bottom lines: spiritual, physical, psychic, financial, mental, and emotional. <br />
<br />
A few more dollars per hour can sometimes seem like it will make the difference for you and your family, and that may be true on a certain level. But what about your spiritual health and mental health? What "tax" will you pay for that slight increase in pay? What will the toll be, and will you be able to pay it day after day? Look at career change from a multifaceted perspective and the decision may become more clear. <br />
<br />
<b>Weighing Your Options, Caring For Your Soul</b><br />
<br />
Reality — especially financial reality — can feel weighty when making career decisions. And let's acknowledge that there are other realities as well, and sometimes those realities (like the psychoemotional or spiritual) also need to be honored, weighed, and figured into the equation. We must also remember that when we think there are only two paths from which to choose, there are more often than not more choices than we immediately perceive.<br />
<br />
So, if a career change is in your sights, examine it closely, weigh it all, do the math, and allow your heart, gut, and mind to guide you. Allowing only one of those important aspects of yourself to steer the entire ship without heeding the wisdom of the others may not yield the results you deserve. <br />
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Career change is exciting and sometimes scary. Use all of your faculties to plot a path, and make a choice that works for your soul, your career, your family, and who you truly want to be as a nurse.<div style="font-family: times;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><p style="font-family: Times;">-----<br /></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s1600/Keith.LoRes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></p><div style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at <a href="http://nursekeith.com/">NurseKeith.com</a>.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10246967.post-1461332411830784312022-11-07T18:10:00.001-05:002022-12-12T18:52:09.723-05:0010 Strategies for Feeding the Nurse's Inner LifeIn managing their careers and busy lives, nurses can be very focused on the "outer" aspects of life and work: family, chores, shopping, resumes, job-hunting, pursuing education, social media, etc. But how do we keep the nurse's inner life fed and watered? Let's explore ten strategies for cultivating that inner life and nurturing happiness, wellness, and personal/professional balance as 21st-century nurses with very full lives and careers to grow.<br /><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by A<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">tolu Bamwo on Nappy.co</span></td></tr>
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<h3>
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finding Your Inner Self</span></h3>
<span style="color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are many paths to finding your inner self, nurses. It's a very personal journey that can take you in many directions and in pursuit of myriad goals and activities. The operative point is that this is about nurturing your inner light, your creative spark, and the need for balance in a time in history when balance can be most difficult to achieve.</span><br />
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21st-century life can be overwhelming and highly distracting. It's almost like our entire culture has ADHD. How many people use the excuse of being "too busy" to call, visit, or check in with dear friends and family? How often do we use social media, television, movies, or other things to distract us from what's most important? <br />
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I don't even use the word "busy" anymore because people use it as a way to cop out of doing important things that keep them connected with others. Can we really always be so addicted to busy-ness that we neglect our relationships and allow them to whither on the vine?<br />
This process is all about finding what lights you up and creating a means by which you can change the tenor of your life in the interest of:<br />
<ul>
<li>Having more fun</li>
<li>Being more creative</li>
<li>Enjoying the small things</li>
<li>Engaging the right side of your brain</li>
<li>Finding more happiness and joy</li>
<li>Having a healthier overall lifestyle and workstyle</li>
<li>Consciously doing things that balance out the stressors of an often intense career in nursing and healthcare<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ld09AWjezVEHQTxsg5yzECbVuaoDEs0mS8vNag0XGrM-iuWZW_OiHsNTdyniP_Wkp8_AtnH6Wda0Dfq2a92eY48Mabr6UpiwGpPju-mD70ikSWUEJyvvtCOWW72kbbD_4spl/s1600/Photo+by+Robin+Joshua+on+Unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Zero in on your goals" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ld09AWjezVEHQTxsg5yzECbVuaoDEs0mS8vNag0XGrM-iuWZW_OiHsNTdyniP_Wkp8_AtnH6Wda0Dfq2a92eY48Mabr6UpiwGpPju-mD70ikSWUEJyvvtCOWW72kbbD_4spl/s400/Photo+by+Robin+Joshua+on+Unsplash.jpg" title="Zero in on your goals" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Robin Joshua on Unsplash.com</td></tr>
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<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Making It Happen: My 10 Strategies
</h3><div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">In order to home in on the goal of being more authentically in touch with who you are and what can bring you happiness and balance, there are plenty of strategies for doing so. The choice is yours as to what you do and what your goals actually are. The operative word here is balance: what can you initiate in your life in order to create a way of being that's more easeful, growthful, and joyful while also assuring that your career gets what it needs?</div>
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<em>Strategy #1: Remember your spiritual life.</em> You may have a favorite place of worship that you can choose to return to. It may be a church, dojo, mosque, or synagogue, or perhaps you attend an alternative church or spiritual meeting; in fact, your "church" may be the cathedral of nature, as it is for my wife, and often for me.<br />
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Faith leaders can often be sources of great support. If you have a faith leader in your life, reach out when you need them. I also have friends whose fellow congregants are a source of much succor. Meanwhile, some people prefer to just have a private prayer or meditation practice at home.<br />
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<em>Strategy #2: Get your body moving on a regular basis.</em> Movement is essential, and the old adage is true: move it or lose it. Muscular atrophy is for real, folks, and if you want to enter old age with the ability to get up off the floor without calling 911, then make sure those glutes, abs, legs, and arms are good and strong, even into your advanced years, (You'll just have to work at it more to accomplish the task as we lose muscle tone, testosterone, and other essential aspects of our strength and agility as we age).<br />
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Your exercise regimen can be formal (classes in yoga, Nia, Zumba, etc.), or it can be something you cobble together yourself. The secret is consistency, quality, and doing something that prevents you from getting bored, which may mean switching it up from time to time. (And if yoga classes are partially a spiritual experience for you, as it can be for some practitioners, it may also fulfill some of your spiritual yearnings at the same time. Some yoga studios are more fitness oriented, and others are very spiritually based -- choose wisely.)<br />
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Strategy #3: <em>Remember your creative self!</em> Creativity is something that can truly get lost when life is exceptionally full. Some people may only think of creativity as doing art, music, or dance, but your form of creativity may be baking, yoga, knitting, needlepoint, writing, gardening, or anything else that can help get you into the right side of your brain. What's your creative outlet? If you don't have one, what could it be?<br />
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<em>Strategy #4: Engage with a counselor or therapist. </em>Sometimes we need extra short- or long-term emotional and psychological support. I'm a big advocate of psychotherapy and counseling (as long-time listeners and readers already know), and I've taken advantage of such services and relationships throughout my adult life.<br />
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<em>Strategy #5: Seek out pleasure and leisure.</em> Pleasant experiences help us to relax and get out of our heads. Pleasure is defined by the person experiencing it: some people like roller coasters or rock-climbing (not me!), while others prefer sex, reading, listening to music, strolls in nature, or going to the theater or movies. It's really up to you, but just make sure you get some, whatever it is!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLO0cbXZdzeUuLsdItsQgaZlOY5Dr2M4joURuep_j5IR2e8WittlD-hBI_kerxMl07V5ub6dDrOGJpWfDhN9s2FzphC3QMOcJkZrVuq4xjoMFCFBPDHmGFWzSL8aLmQcBzI82X/s1600/Photo+by+Nathan+Dumlao+on+Unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Time is of the essence" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLO0cbXZdzeUuLsdItsQgaZlOY5Dr2M4joURuep_j5IR2e8WittlD-hBI_kerxMl07V5ub6dDrOGJpWfDhN9s2FzphC3QMOcJkZrVuq4xjoMFCFBPDHmGFWzSL8aLmQcBzI82X/s400/Photo+by+Nathan+Dumlao+on+Unsplash.jpg" title="Time is of the essence" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash.com</td></tr>
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<em>Strategy #6: Use nature as a source of healing for a soul in need of peace. </em>Nature can fulfill our need for spiritual upliftment (strategy #1) and for exercise and movement (strategy #2). If you're a nature-oriented person, there are so many things you do to connect with nature, including but not limited to hiking; canoeing or boating; skiing; camping; swimming; the list goes on and on. And remember that studies have shown that even just having greenery outside your windows and inside your house provides psycho-emotional healing and a relaxation response.<br />
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<em>Strategy #7: Hire a coach. </em>At its core, coaching differs from psychotherapy and counseling in that it doesn't involve the treatment of pathology or prescribing of psychological solutions, per se. Rather, it focuses on goal-setting and other techniques for finding fulfillment in life and/or career. There are, of course, overlaps between coaching and therapy, but a good coach knows their scope of practice and when it's best to refer you out. There are life coaches, spiritual coaches, relationship coaches, business coaches, career coaches (like me!), and many others sprouting up all the time.<br />
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S<em>trategy #8: Get some rest, for crying out loud.</em> Rest and sleep are what help our cells to recuperate and our brains to recharge. Not sleeping well is a specific health issue, and for those nurses working night shift, getting your sleep hygiene in order to paramount. As for rest, I'm a big proponent of naps, so consider how to get more rest each week despite the "noise" and responsibilities in your life.<br />
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<em>Strategy #9: Be a polymath. </em><a aria-label="Strategy #9: Be a polymath. Episode 76 was all about nurse polymaths, (opens in a new tab)" href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/episode-76" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Episode 76</a> was all about nurse polymaths, and I sincerely believe that polymathism is good for you, your brain, and your ability to have a life not completely caught up in just work and home.<br />
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For myself, some of my polymathism comes to bear in terms of how and what I read. This past summer, I bought myself a Kindle, mostly because I'm tired of trying to get rid of the books that pile up around the house. Books are heavy to cart around, aren't they? I've found that I can really dig through a lot of books using my Kindle, and the variety of books on offer makes my reading list pretty varied and fun. The books I've most recently read include:<br />
<ul>
<li><em>The Twelve Rooms of the Nile </em>by Enid Shomer (fictionalized account of Florence Nightingale's journey to Egypt))</li>
<li><em>Beneath a Scarlet Sky </em>by Mark T. Sullivan (fictionalized history)<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
Do you notice that none of the books mentioned above have anything to do with podcasting, nursing, healthcare, writing, or business? While I do read books (and articles, blog posts, etc) on these subjects, I've been trying to make sure I keep my reading list diverse.<br />
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As for my other interests, I use my polymathism to cajole me to travel, look at art in museums or galleries, listen to all kinds of music, and attend various types of events in and around Santa Fe.<br />
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<em>Strategy #10: Honor yourself.</em> No kidding. As natural (and sometimes compulsive) caregivers, nurses spend so much time caring for others (in and out of the workplace) that they don't have the skill of tending to and honoring their own needs. This is where the rubber hits the road and how you'll truly move the needle in terms of your wellness, self-care, and sense of personal balance. You need to honor your time, energy, finances, relationships (to self and others), and every other aspect of your life.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Time is of the Essence</h3>
If you feel that time is your enemy, you need to reconfigure your relationship with time itself. Here's a strategy for doing just that: <br />
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Carry a pen and paper with you for 1-2 weeks and use 30-minute increments to record how you spend your time. You may be surprised that social media, Netflix, and other "time sucks" are taking up more time than you ever imagined. What if you cut your Facebook and Netflix time in half and devote that time to healthier and more nurturing activities.<br />
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While watching Netflix or playing on Instagram may be one of your habitual forms of leisure, it's very passive by nature. So, when you choose to do these things, be conscious that it's actually how you want to spend your time. If it feels like you're just filling time, then consider what else you could do that's more creative, fun, and actively engages the right side of your brain.<br />
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This list is not all-conclusive -- it's simply my best ten ideas. Do you have more? I'd love to know what they are!</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><p style="font-family: Times;">-----<br /></p><p style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s1600/Keith.LoRes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqnwvBLXFKq_HSbuhulfJb18zZ-IeGjkft-WL4Z4OYFjiItF14XRpwdcPSKWh4XMt2p-D4Lvv9NnA0aG3iDnMAlmwBscOffLhoPupzcfT6w61DMOzoxeG00T5UwOq8BDV6hes/s200/Keith.LoRes.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></p><div style="font-family: times;">Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board Certified Nurse Coach offering holistic career development for nurses and healthcare professionals. All things Nurse Keith can be found at <a href="http://nursekeith.com/">NurseKeith.com</a>.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">Keith is the host of <a href="https://nursekeithshow.libsyn.com/">The Nurse Keith Show</a>, his solo podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses. From 2012 until its sunset in 2017, Keith co-hosted RNFMRadio, a groundbreaking nursing podcast.</div><div style="font-family: times;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times;">A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century and Aspire to be Inspired: Creating a Nursing Career That Matters. He has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiBriefs News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, BlackDoctor.org, Diabetes Lifestyle, the ANA blog, NursingCE.com, American Nurse Today, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online and print publications.</div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, keynote speaker, online nurse personality, social media influencer, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known nurse entrepreneur. <br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Living in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Keith shares a magical life with his partner, </span><a href="http://thecircleandthedot.com" rel="noopener" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Shada McKenzie</a><span style="font-family: times;">, a gifted, empathic, and highly skilled traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot.</span></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;">
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Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03581947410641941224noreply@blogger.com0