Question:
Hi Donna,
You picked as top hot roles in nursing positions such as wellness coach and holistic nurse. I am very interested in both of those areas, but there are no job offers for those titles. I have been checking in the Los Angeles area, and there is nothing. How do I go about to becoming employed as either? The jobs I?ve seen for wellness nurses are jobs in skilled nursing facilities. They have little to do with the teaching or counseling.
Interested In Wellness Coaching
Dear Donna replies:
Dear Interested In Wellness Coaching,
The vast majority of jobs never appear in the classified ads whether online or in print. Yet this is the most commonly used method by many to find openings. The most effective way to uncover opportunities is by networking, which also is known as word of mouth. Before I get into that, let me explain what most wellness nurses do and where they work.
The title ?wellness nurse? is used in many ways and places. You have discovered one, which is more like a house nurse in many assisted living and independent living facilities. In the article "Nursing ? a new paradigm" (www.Nurse.com/Cardillo/Nursing-A-New-Paradigm), I refer to nurse coaches who typically work for an insurance company, corporate wellness company or medical home. These nurses do wellness assessments and provide related education and coaching. Some nurse wellness coaches are self-employed.
The specialty of holistic nursing has some overlap but is broader and may include the use of healing modalities such as Reiki, massage therapy and even meditation and yoga. These nurses work in many healthcare settings, both inpatient and outpatient, in wellness and holistic centers, and some also are self-employed.
I suggest you start by contacting the American Holistic Nurses Association (www.ahna.org). Find out if there is a chapter or regional group in your area and get a contact name. Reach out to that person and find out about meetings and events so you can attend. Start doing some informational interviewing with nurses working in the specialty. Read the article, ?The scoop on informational interviewing? (www.Nurse.com/Cardillo/Interviewing) to get the most out of such interviews.
You should do the same with the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nurses (www.aaacn.org). You will find nurses working in various wellness settings in both of these associations.
You might want to attend my Career Alternatives for Nurses seminar to learn more about these and other trending opportunities as well as how to find openings and get hired (http://www.nurse.com/events/ce-seminars).
In addition to the above advice and reading, search online for the types of employers I mention. Contact them directly about the above opportunities. You don?t have to wait until a classified ad pops up somewhere to make this connection. You have to be more proactive in your job search.
Best wishes,
Donna
