Beginning a new career or job is thrilling. There’s the excitement of the job search, interview phase, and career negotiations. After accepting a new job offer, there’s orientation and meeting your new team.
Eventually, your new role will begin to feel comfortable. For many, this is a good thing. It is absolutely okay to stay in a role you enjoy and feel good in. However, for others, this signals a time to seek out new growth opportunities. If you feel like your career is plateauing, here are five strategies to help you push your career forward!
Seek Additional Training or Certifications
If it feels like your career is at a standstill, explore additional training opportunities or certifications if you don’t already hold them. For example, maybe you work in the operating room (OR) as an operating room nurse. You could study and sit for the certified perioperative nurse (CNOR) certification exam.
Several healthcare institutions will pay for at least one initial certification. So, if you don’t hold any certifications yet, this could be a great way to advance your career. Depending on where you work, some facilities will also increase your pay if you hold certifications.
If you already hold a certification in your field, or your employer won’t help fund a certification, consider a local conference or training. Your employer may have education funds allocated to continuing education that you can use to attend a conference. If there’s a conference you’re interested in, reach out to your supervisor or manager to see if you can attend through work.
Explore Leadership Opportunities
If you want to pursue a leadership role, familiarize yourself with the experience requirements. For example, maybe there are shift lead opportunities you could take on. Or, if you have enough experience, you could consider applying for a supervisor or managerial position.
If you don’t feel ready to take the jump into a leadership role yet but are interested in leadership opportunities, consider leading smaller initiatives. You could be a preceptor to new hires or take the lead on a unit project.
Consider a New Position
If you’re struggling to break out of a plateau in your current work environment, and don’t have room or support for growth in your current role, consider switching to a different department or healthcare organization.
Different areas in a hospital can feel like entirely different workplaces. So instead of leaving an organization entirely, see if there is a different unit or department you could switch to.
If you’re looking for a new environment entirely, consider discreetly seeing what’s available at other workplaces. This can be a little challenging to navigate when it comes time to check references or verify your current employment. Make sure to have a plan to maintain your current workplace relationships. Even if you’re unhappy in your current role, burning bridges can have negative consequences later on.
Pursue Advanced Education
Several opportunities exist for advancing your education. For example, if you work in a clinical role, such as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN), you could pursue nursing degrees as far as they will take you. Opportunities exist to receive an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, a nursing leadership degree, a doctoral degree, or a nurse practitioner certification.
Similar options for degree advancement exist in other fields, and there is always the opportunity to explore the business and administrative side of healthcare, too. Work experience in healthcare combined with a business degree can be a great combination for those pursuing healthcare administration.
Work as a Contract Healthcare Worker
If you feel stuck and need a new environment, consider a position as a contract healthcare worker! These positions often come with higher pay and other job perks.
Contract working is also a great way to build your skill set, explore new workplace environments, and even see other parts of the country if you want to travel. Assignments can be short-term, or in many instances, you can stagger them back to back for a longer period of time. Some individuals pursue healthcare contract work for a short period of time, and others do it as a full-time career!
Are you looking for a contract healthcare position?
365 Healthcare Contract Services is a nationwide healthcare contract staffing company that genuinely cares about its employees. If contract staffing is something you’re interested in, check out their open positions and apply today! Not ready to take the leap? Their recruiters are ready to answer any questions and help you through the process. Contact them with any questions, and they’ll help you through the application process if you decide to give contract healthcare staffing a try.
