How to get the most out of your nursing career
I’ll let you in on a secret. When I was a second-year student veterinary nurse, I handed in my notice. No, I’m not joking - I had decided nursing wasn’t for me. I had around six months left of my training and I didn’t think I could do it anymore. I was working in a hospital which just wasn’t the right fit for me and I felt stuck, with no idea what to do next. I knew I loved nursing, but I felt I just couldn’t work at my best in that environment.
We’ve all had moments in practice where we’ve felt unsure which direction to take next, right? Where we’ve felt like we had so much more to give? So many more ways we can make a difference to our patients? So much more we want to learn?
I hear you, because (as you now know) I’ve been there. I’m proud that I didn’t let those feelings rob me of my nursing career back then - and with more and more nurses considering leaving the profession, I want to help you get as much from your career as possible.
I’ve found that there are three key areas to really feeling satisfied with what you do and like you’re making a difference to your patients and clients - and I’m here to share them with you.
PS. If you want to learn even more about how to do more with your patients and use more of your nursing skills, make sure you sign up to my free webinar here.
My Journey
I began nursing at 17 years old. Originally I wanted to be a vet until I spent time in practice learning exactly what veterinary nurses did. Those weeks of work experience changed everything for me, and I diligently sent hundreds of copies of my CV to veterinary practices, hoping one would have a student veterinary nurse vacancy. Shortly after, I was lucky enough to secure a position at a local clinic, and I arrived in my stripey tunic, shiny new stethoscope and notebook in tow, overwhelmed but ready to learn.
Throughout my training, I was wracked with self-doubt and a need to prove myself - something which I know now was the start of a pretty major battle with impostor syndrome. I progressed through my portfolio (the NPL wasn’t a thing back then…) and first-year exams, excited to move onto my final year of training.
But that final year wasn’t what I thought it would be. A mix of my impostor syndrome, team dynamics and personalities, and the stresses of veterinary life in general meant that I didn’t feel that the clinic was the right fit for me anymore. Feeling completely stuck and desperately unhappy, I handed my notice in, believing that the only way to be happy was to leave the profession.
Thanks to an amazing and inspirational colleague at a local branch practice, I got the support I needed and continued my training (despite missing a few months of college). After qualifying, I knew I needed to experience different practices, learn more about the opportunities out there for us nurses, and continue to learn and grow. I knew I wanted to give the best care to my patients I possibly could, which led me into referral practice and to complete the RCVS advanced nursing diploma. From here, I learnt more about caring for medical patients and realised I was especially passionate about this area of practice. This led me to a position as a senior medical nurse in a multidisciplinary referral centre and the rest, they say, is history.
There were three key things I knew I needed to do in order to turn things around. They were:
#1: Finding the right practice
Finding the right clinic for you is a key part of a healthy and successful career. To find the right clinic, you need to get out there and experience different types of practice. How do you know if first opinion or referral practice is the right fit for you? By experiencing them.
Trial days are a great option before committing to a permanent position. If the clinic you’re applying for doesn’t routinely offer one at interview, why not ask for one? Alternatively, consider taking on a short-term locum position at a clinic before starting there permanently.
When spending time at the clinic, speak to as many people as you can, get a feel for people’s personalities and the practice culture before making decisions regarding a permanent role.
#2: Embracing your niche
Is there a specific area of practice which lights you up? Do you love medical nursing like me? Is anaesthesia your thing? Do your practice struggle to get you out of the operating theatre? Or do you love consults?
Whatever it is, embrace your niche. By dedicating more of your time to a specific area, the entire practice benefits. Not only do you spend more time doing something you’re passionate about, but your patients and clients get better care, your team benefit from your knowledge, and the practice grows a team of passionate individuals who get to use their skills. Everyone wins.
#3: Always learning
So you’re loving life in practice and you’ve found your niche. What next? Well, when I was at that point I decided I wanted to learn more. I knew I loved medical nursing and I had found a fantastic role supporting the medicine team in a new hospital, but I wanted more. I started looking into different CPD sessions and courses I could complete in medical nursing. I wanted to elevate my nursing skills, learn more, and give better care to my patients. I eventually found out about the VTS certification, the only way to formally specialise in a specific area of practice. Despite feeling overwhelmed by the application and examination process, I began reading up on different conditions, writing up case logs and learning more. I loved finding out more and more about the problems our patients come in with, and how I could help them by planning their nursing care.
You don’t have to undertake a huge certificate or spend all hours studying to learn more about your area of interest. You can do this by:
Listening to podcasts
Watching webinars
Attending practical workshops
Organising case discussions with your colleagues
Organising a journal club
Teaching a skill or particular topic to your colleagues
Volunteering to talk at a client information evening
Mentoring student nurses
Reading journal articles
Completing self-assessment questions (these accompany a lot of nursing textbooks!)
And much more.
So there you have it! If you’re feeling stuck, consider which area of practice lights you up the most, and try to spend more time embracing that niche. A great way to do that is to learn more about a topic, either by undertaking formal CPD or by organising your own sessions in practice! And if you are feeling like a change of practice environment is what you need, spend some time getting to know the clinic and team, to make sure it’s the right fit for you.
