Question:
Dear Donna,
Is it common to see job-hopping in the nursing profession? The reason I ask is because I don?t stay at a job for long ? perhaps a year or two. I am finding that I cannot find the right type of nursing for me. It makes me think that nursing is not the right profession for me. How can I know if it is or isn?t?
Margie
Dear Donna replies:
Dear Margie,
Americans change jobs more often these days than ever before. There is a whole segment of the population that changes jobs every one or two years. That doesn?t mean that you?re in the wrong profession. It either means that you?re still exploring your options or you?re going after the wrong jobs. Some nurses aimlessly go from job to job without giving much thought to what they enjoy doing and what they?re good at. Read the article ?How to Find Your Forte? at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/target.html.
I suspect that you need to broaden your horizons. I don?t know what type of positions you?ve held in the past, but if they have been primarily hospital positions, maybe you should start considering nontraditional options. Do that by getting out to career fairs in your area and speaking with non-hospital employers and nursing agencies that offer nontraditional options. Read ?Spreading Your Wings: Career Alternatives for Nurses? at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/spreading.html and ?How to Get the Most Out of Attending a Career Fair? at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/fair.html. See what events are coming up in your area at http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Expo.
You should also consider attending one of my upcoming Career Alternatives for Nurses(R) seminars. See where I?ll be at http://www.dcardillo.com/events.html. The program is also available in a home study version at http://www.nurse.com/ce/CD6 and http://www.nurse.com/ce/DVD1. The program will help you to identify transferable skills, fully explore your options, learn to effectively market yourself, and feel great about yourself and nursing.
Start getting yourself out there to learn more about yourself, your profession, and your options in nursing. There is literally something for everyone.
Best wishes,
Donna
Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, well-known career guru, is Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek?s ?Dear Donna? and author of Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional. To ask Donna your question, go to www.nurse.com/asktheexperts/deardonna. Find a ?Dear Donna? seminar near you: Call (800) 866-0919 or visit http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.
