You have passed your exam and you are ready to take the leap and begin your career as a nurse, helping people and assisting people in getting healthy.
No matter if you are an LPN RN, LPN BSN, or any nurse in between, before you jump into the hospital with images of saving the world in your head, you should consider the following.
Before you join an employer, make sure that they manifest a philosophy of critical that matches yours. Most likely, this will be something that emphasizes quality, safety, care and professional accountability.
You should find out if the company recognizes the value of the expertise a nurse has on clinical care quality and the health of patients.
As well, make sure your potential employer has a nursing executive level form of nursing that outlines the key responsibilities of the top nurse executive. Do not be afraid to request a job description. You should also find out who the top nursing voice in the organization is and what resources and functions fall under the nurse executive.
When you are looking for an employer, make sure they empower nurses to participate in decision-making of clinical care systems. Do nurses control decisions, have input into systems and environmental care and what is the specific patient population and nature of nursing care in the unit.
As a nurse, you will always want to continue learning and furthering your ability to react to new situations in a nursing environment. So it is important that the unit you work in demonstrates a professional development program for nurses.
If the employer has programs in place that are based on education, certification and advancement preparation, you will know you have found an employer who will take the advancement of you, and other nurses, very seriously.
You should ask a potential employer how the quality of patient care and safety is reviewed, who is involved and what nursing departments have interdisciplinary or leadership models.
Progress is important with any employer, and if the employer you are looking at does not use technological advances in clinical care and information systems, it may not be the right place for you. You need to make sure that the nurses have electronic access to health care knowledge and research results, as well as a practice setting for new equipment and patient care technology.
If you have taken the time to become a nurse, gone through the training and taken the exam, you are going to want to ensure that the employer you decide to work with follows the same values you do, ensures your advancement and makes sure its nurses stay in touch with new technology through specialized training.
With a nursing jobs shortage in effect in the United States, you have the pick of the litter in terms of an employer, so be picky and find the place that is right for you.
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