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5 Things Nurses Should Be Doing To Get Promoted

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By Rozzette Cabrera, R.N.

One of the most common reasons why nurses feel burnt out is the lack of challenge in their job. If work starts to feel more like a routine, they begin to lose their passion and sense of purpose. These things can lead to their lack of quality care, resignation and even change in career.

If you’re feeling stuck at work, here are some of the things you can do to boost your chances of landing a promotion.

1. Get back to school

If you want to be successful in your career, you have to be more competitive. You have to make the institution or hospital know why you’re a good fit to take a higher position. One of the best ways to do that is to get a higher degree. Getting certifications help as well.

Learning is a never ending process. You should be learning new things every day.
Learning is a never ending process. You should be learning new things every day.

Going back to school won’t only add glitter to your resume; it’s also an opportunity for you to learn a newer set of skills or enhance what you already know. It’s also a good chance for you to find a specialty that you’re really passionate about.

2. Hone your communication skills

As you move up, you’ll need to be more articulate and expressive. Nurturing good communication skills can help you deal with people better, whether they’re your co-nurses, patients or even doctors.

“Having great communication skills is critical if you’ll be handling a managerial role.”

Having great communication skills is critical if you’ll be handling a managerial role. You should be able to give instructions and explanations as precise and clear as possible. If you rattle at the thought of speaking with other people, it can make you look less credible.

To improve your speaking skills, you can try practicing in front of the mirror daily. It can also help if you can volunteer to speak in volunteer organizations or conduct health teachings in the community. It’s also a nice idea if you constantly read.

“Speaking in public was one of my greatest fears. I once turned down a promotion that involved handling a committee because of that. A few months after, I realized that it’s an essential factor if you want to get a better position as a nurse. I worked hard to be a better public speaker and because of that, I was offered a much bigger role. It was the start of my success as a nurse,” a 6-year chief nurse shared.

3. Don’t step on your co-workers

No matter how hungry you are for a promotion, do not let it get in the way of your ability to become a valuable team player. The health care industry doesn’t work with just one or two people; it relies on a group of people with different specialties to function effectively and safely.

“When we consider a nurse for promotion, we always look way beyond their skills and performance. We also consider how well they socialize with the people around them. Basically, you wouldn’t want to promote a nurse to lead a group which she finds hard to work with or the other way around,” a nurse supervisor admitted.

4. Get more involved

Take more roles as much as possible. You can join or even volunteer to lead one of your hospital’s fun events. If you’ve never assumed a charge nurse position, now is probably the right time to do so. If you’ve never experienced what it’s like to take a bigger role, you’ll have a hard time adjusting to the positioned once you’re already there.

Aside from that, you should also be more involved with your patients’ treatment plans. It’s not enough that you administer what their doctors order; you should also know the reasons why they were ordered in the first place.

If you are having doubts, do not be afraid to ask and clarify. Not all doctors are grumpy and will respond to your inquiries in a cranky way. In fact, there are doctors who feel more at ease knowing that their nurses actually care for their patients. These doctors can also send out recommendations for promotions.

5. Be diligent

To get promoted, you should be able to showcase more than the great credentials you have on your resume; you also have to set an example.
To get promoted, you should be able to showcase more than the great credentials you have on your resume; you also have to set an example.

As much as possible, always arrive early for work. Make sure that you submit papers on time and avoid making excuses whenever you can’t deliver. You shouldn’t need constant checking if you’re aiming to get a higher position. Keep in mind that hospitals need assets and not liabilities.

What do you do to advance in your career? What other ideas you can share? 

Rozzette Cabrera is a registered nurse pursuing her childhood dream of becoming a professional writer. She spent a few years putting her profession into practice until she decided to take her chances with freelance writing over a year ago. Her life has never been the same since then.

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