3 Ways to Reduce the Risk of a Mid-Career Meltdown

May 30th, 2014

After working for years in the same field, a sense of drudgery and negativity can begin to take over your daily attitude. This attitude can lead to a mid-career meltdown as you realize this may not be the exact path you always wanted or you are not fulfilling the dreams you had at the start of your career.  It is safe to say that it happens to everyone at some point or another in their professional life. Maybe you see a coworker who seems fulfilled or a family member who has changed jobs and claims to have a new lease on life. Sometimes a drastic change will work but for most in the healthcare field, you’ve worked too hard to reach this point to just throw it all away.

3 Ways to Reduce

the Risk of a Mid-Career Meltdown

  1. Increase your education. You’ve heard the saying, “if you don’t like it, change it” and that applies to your professional life as well as in your personal life. As a nurse, you can choose to work in a certain area of specialty and for many nurses, this is an area in which they are truly passionate such as pediatrics, labor and delivery, or a variety of other departments but these take advanced education and training. Maybe you don’t need to change your career but rather find an area that feeds your passion and is part of the reason you became a nurse.
  2. Network with others in your field. Sometimes when a nurse feels isolated at work, they can begin to feel depressed. After all, day in and day out with people who are sick can wear on your emotions and sometimes losing a patient can be difficult to process without the help of others who understand. Your non-nurse family and friends won’t understand yet you need to have the ability to vent and talk about work with those who understand. As you network, you may even see how other facilities operate and realize yours is better or worse and you can make an educated choice to change locations or change your attitude.
  3. Do your best to improve. You may not be able to change your entire department but what if you made an effort with your immediate team?  The workplace can change and the results can be positive for your career. When the time comes around for a team leader position or other leadership option, you could be considered due to the changes you implemented. Your career can take an upward turn when you decide to stop being complacent and work on improving your surroundings.

Your career starts and ends with you and your attitude. While it’s normal to feel frustrated with the professional direction of your life, it is up to you to change it. It could something as simple as asking for a schedule change or something more complex such as transferring to another facility, but whatever you decide to do, meltdowns will not help your career and you should take the necessary steps to reduce the possibility.

How Will the Affordable Care Act Impact Nurses?

May 23rd, 2014

All the hype surrounding the Affordable Care Act and the changes it has brought to the healthcare field have made providers worry about the effects it will have on their jobs, paychecks, and even their job security. The nursing field has always had a demand for qualified professionals but now with the ACA in effect, this demand has increased and nursing staff are in short supply. The negativity that is presented regarding this new healthcare bill is responsible for a lot of uncertainty within the medical field but in reality, there are positive aspects to the bill as well.

As a nurse, here are some of the possible impacts to your field that you may experience:

  • Nurses will be working outside of the hospitals and within the community. One of the core elements of the ACA is to increase wellness and preventative care, which means providing care to those who need it before something more serious happens and to go to the patients who need help. Nurses will visit their patients and try to help those with chronic conditions not progress in a negative way. Smaller medical offices will be taking the forefront in care and guiding the public to a healthier lifestyle in order to avoid the major illnesses.
  • Specialty nurses will be in high demand. The ACA is now providing money to support the development of nurse practitioners and for most nurses, the cost for further education was a deterrent but now, it doesn’t have to be.  A nurse who wishes to train in a specialty field won’t have to experience lost wages due to the downtime and upon completion, they will be heavily recruited.
  • Overall care is being improved. The majority of nurses work in the field because they care about others and want to help them and will go out of their way to ensure quality care is provided. These nurses are rarely compensated extra for their long hours and excellent care but with the ACA, a pay for performance program will compensate providers based on the patient outcomes, instead of the patient volume. This means a nurse can work with a patient until they have recovered or achieved their desired results.
  • The aging population is being embraced. Patients over 65 used to be dropped by their providers but now the opposite is happening and these older patients are being treated again. Doctors and hospitals are now able to train and specialize in geriatric care instead of running away from it.

The ACA has changed healthcare in many ways and for the nursing community, it carries a mixed reaction of positive and negative aspects. As the bill takes full effect and the changes remain fluid, learning how it can improve your field should be a priority to your facility. Rather than focusing on the negative or the problems it will bring, make it a point to learn the good it brings to the medical field and as with any new legislature, make it work in your favor instead of fighting the changes.

Looking for a Nursing Position? Start Networking

May 16th, 2014

As with most careers, obtaining a position in the nursing field is based not only on skills and education but also timing. Being in the right place at the right time to be placed into the position you really want is about who you know and your network.  Top-notch medical facilities rarely have a need to advertise for their open positions as they have an established candidate base from which to pull, and sometimes they will hire internally from their existing staff or request referrals from within the teams. If you know someone at the facility, there is a strong chance you will hear about the open position but if not, the position may be filled within a short amount of time and with no outside advertising.

As a healthcare professional, you may not think of networking as an important part of your job. It is a common misconception to assume networking is only critical for jobs in sales or marketing but every professional should have a personal network that they continuously grow and manage.

4 Ways to Ensure You Have the Necessary Connections in Your Industry

  1. Social media.
    More than just for personal connections, social media can connect you to others in your field without the awkward mixers and business functions. Healthcare professionals usually have sporadic schedules so making time to meet others in a physical setting can be difficult but connecting online is fast and easy. Use sites like LinkedIn and search specifically for those in your field with whom to connect.
  2. Stand out.
    While you are at your job, go above and beyond what is asked of you to be noticed. Stellar employees stand out and networks are put into place as your name begins to be recognized and you are referred to better positions within the organization. You may be asked to join other teams on special projects and your network will grow quickly. Don’t turn down the chance to make a lateral move within your field to learn more as a nursing professional as well as increase your network.
  3. Be nice.
    This may sound simple but those in the nursing field should be friendly to their co-workers. Not only to increase their network but also to be a more effective healthcare provider. As your fellow team members become friends rather than just acquaintances, they will be more likely to alert you to a better position or be available as a resource for a recommendation.
  4. Help others.
    When you help others network and achieve a new position, you are paying it forward and they are more likely to remember you if something comes up that would be a good fit for you. Giving to others is a great feeling and it can increase not only confidence but also your network.

Networking is not difficult when you work with people on a daily basis such as in the field of nursing. You have a continuous opportunity to make a positive impression and change lives, which is something people don’t forget quickly. As a nurse, you should make the effort to maintain a network of professional references and friends so you have the chance to move up in your career as the opportunities arise.

Looking to Grow Your Network?
Contact our team of professionals today for more information on the benefits of partnering with our team when applying for a job in San Antonio.

3 Ways a Career Mentor can Assist your Allied Health Career

May 9th, 2014

Regardless of where you are in your medical career, you can always learn and become a more efficient provider.  In the healthcare industry, there are ways to daily ways to improve, so you can consistently ensure each patient has the best possible outcome for their needs. The healthcare field is ever changing and without support and knowledge, you may feel lost or even be on the receiving end of misguided career advice.  A career mentor is someone who can guide you through tough choices and be the sounding board you need when faced with difficulties in your professional life. Sometimes your family or co-workers won’t understand your work conflicts, or you simply cannot discuss sensitive issues with them as they are too close to the situation. Having an objective mentor you can call will make a big difference in your future career choices.

How Can a Mentor
Assist Your Career Growth?

An objective third party may seem more like a personal benefit and not one that will help your career but this type of mentor for your professional life is different than just a friend. Choosing a mentor who is familiar with your field and even an authority of their own in the field can prove to be beneficial. If you are contemplating working with a career mentor, here are three ways a mentor can help you in your career:

  1. Knowledge resource.
    A mentor should have more experience in the job field and more years in the industry than your average co-worker. Their knowledge stems from more education and real life situations, with an emphasis on the day-to-day decisions that are made in the healthcare industry. Your career can be improved through their knowledge of new procedures and trends within the industry and you can become a stronger provider, possibly leading to better positions in the field.  You can always learn about your field and possibly through their varied viewpoints, you will become better educated.
  2. Honest opinions.
    Criticism can be hurtful but what if you could hear something constructive about your career from someone you know and trust? Honesty is critical to the foundation of a mentor relationship and this person can give you career insight so you can improve, not just to be mean. Think of your mentor as holding up a mirror to your career and you are able to see the flaws and problems clearly in order to change accordingly. It is not done to belittle you but rather reveal your shortcomings in the spirit of improvement.
  3. Safe zone.
    How many times have you resisted the urge to vent about your job to co-workers or even your family to avoid causing more problems? A career mentor will listen to the problems and offer advice. You may feel on the verge of leaving a medical facility due to mismanagement or other internal problems, only to get the advice from your mentor to stick it out. The mentor can help you decide if it is time to move on or make a lateral career move based on the information you provide, which can be as detailed as you want to share. After all, they are usually not involved with your organization.

Looking for Employment in San Antonio?
Contact the expert allied health recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce Corporation today for more information!

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