Question:
Dear Donna,
I would like to know how to get into nursing jobs like phone triage, case management, risk management, and infection control. I don?t know of a good program to get certified or where to go, and employers are asking for experience in these fields. Where do I get the experience? My back is not doing well, and that is why I am interested in getting off the floor. I heard that there are some jobs a nurse can even do right out of her home. Please help me. I am the only one with an income and would love to stay in nursing.
Patricia
Dear Donna replies:
Dear Patricia,
You have plenty of options to stay in nursing while either working from home or working in nontraditional specialties, such as the ones you mention above and others. And you do not need to be certified in anything to get started. Besides, legitimate certification is only available to those who have gained considerable knowledge and experience in the specialty, so this is not even an option for you at this phase.
To break into a new specialty as well as to transition into nontraditional areas of nursing, you may need to learn to market yourself in new ways and new places. Read ?Corporate Makeover? at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/makeover.html and ?Ten Steps to a Successful Job Search? at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/tensteps.html for more ideas.
You need to start doing some informational interviewing (http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/thescoop.html) with nurses currently working in the above and other specialties. Read ?How to Change Specialties? at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/changespecial.html. You also need to get out regularly to Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek Career Fairs (http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Expo), related association meetings, etc. Networking can be a great way to explore options and to find and get a job.
I strongly urge you to read The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses. In it you will find all the detailed information, sample forms, and motivation you need to move forward. Find out more at www.nurse.com/ce/7250.
My 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 and The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career. Information about the books is available at http://www.nurse.com/CE/7010 and http://www.nurse.com/CE/7250, respectively. To ask Donna your question, go to http://www.nurse.com/asktheexperts/deardonna. Find a ?Dear Donna? seminar near you: Call (800) 866-0919 or visit http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.
