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September 28, 2024 21 mins

Is your nursing career not progressing as quickly as you'd hoped? Discover practical strategies to accelerate your career growth, even while managing the demands of work and life. 

Say goodbye to the mindset of blaming "they" for career stagnation. Instead, embrace a proactive approach to advancement with our expert advice designed to keep you focused and motivated.

We'll explore the importance of experimenting with different positions, even if it means enduring short job stints. 

Hear the inspirational journey of a nurse who faced multiple rejections before landing her dream director position, underscoring the power of patience and perseverance. 

Equip yourself with the tools to take control of your career, explore new opportunities, and trust that every experience, even the missed chances, is a stepping stone to your ultimate success.

Key Takeaways:

  • Stop letting “they” hold you back: Understand how to shift your mindset and take control of your career path.
  • Balancing growth with daily work: Strategies for managing time while working long shifts and handling personal responsibilities.
  • Clarify your career goals: How to build the right skill sets to reduce overwhelm and move forward confidently.
  • Maximize your time: Discover time-saving activities like quick webinars, professional organizations, and mentorship programs.
  • Take a risk: Why taking calculated risks is essential to career growth, and how to embrace new opportunities fearlessly.

Want to continue the conversation? Send me a text right here.

Ready to take the next step in your nursing career with confidence?
The Nursing Growth Starter Guide gives you proven strategies to move past uncertainty and advance with clarity.

Grab your free guide today! Click Here


Join me for a **1:1 Nurse Career Clarity Coaching Call**—a 1:1 coaching session where we’ll get you unstuck and find clarity to make the next move in your career.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
About a month ago, I surveyed my email list to ask
them what they wanted most tosave money or to save time in
growing their careers.
The majority said save time.
I was a little bit shocked thatthey said that it really

(00:21):
doesn't take a whole lot ofmoney to grow your career, but
it takes a lot of time.
Sometimes you have to wait onthe right opportunities.
In many cases, you're not doingwhat you need to do on your end
to work on things to grow yourcareer things to grow your

(00:49):
career.
In this podcast, I want toaddress a few reasons why your
career growth may be goingslower than you want it to go,
and I'll also give you some tipson how you can turn those slow
growth things around.
Hopefully you're not guilty ofthese things, but if you are,
you're going to learn today thatthere are some things that you
can do to change it.
Are you feeling stuck in yourcurrent clinical environment?

(01:14):
Do you want to make a change inyour nursing career but not
sure what to do next, exhausted,burnt out and maybe even ready
for different leadership?
I'm Bonnie Meadows, a boardcertified clinical nurse
specialist, influential leader,career coach and well-being
coach, being in the nursing andhealthcare profession since

(01:35):
2004,.
I have felt stuck and unsureabout what was next for me.
I wanted to be fulfilled in mypurpose, to have a voice at the
table and to be a resource forothers.
I kept telling myself I wantedmore, but didn't have the
direction I needed, until Ifound Clarity and Career Growth

(01:55):
Strategies for ExperiencedNurses Like Me.
In this podcast, you will findsimple, tactical steps that
allow you to gain the clarityyou need, solutions for how to
grow even without supportiveleadership, and guidelines for
setting boundaries at work, sothat you can grow purposefully
in your career as a nurse with agraduate degree who makes a

(02:19):
huge impact in the profession.
So get ready to trade yourscrubs for yoga pants, pop in
those earbuds and let's chat.
Your career can go as slow oras fast as you want it to grow.
It's just important to reallytake a focused approach to
growing your career.
Whether it be fast or slow,both need a very focused

(02:42):
approach.
I really want you to understandthat you are in control of your
career growth.
No one is holding you back, butyou.
I used to always listen to DJKhaled.
It was a few years ago.
It might have even been beforeCOVID, but he was growing in his
popularity and if you've everlistened to him before, he

(03:07):
really talks positively.
At that point in time, he wasreally motivationally speaking
to people saying go and dowhatever it is that you've been
called to do, and stop listeningto they.
And so what he meant about theywas we're always saying, oh
well, they this and they saidthis and they said that, and

(03:30):
they won't let me, just inregular life.
And he's like stop listening tothey.
Who are these?
They?
People Forget they because theyhave nothing to do with you.
They have nothing to do withyou.
And so I want to really addressthat elephant in the room,

(03:50):
because one of the things I hearmost from nurses who want to
grow, especially in leadership,is they won't let me grow, they
won't let me do this, they won'thire me for this, they won't
hire me for that.
And that is probably partiallytrue.
If you applied for somethingand they decided not to hire you

(04:13):
, then, yes, I could see why youwould have that perception
about them.
But what are you going to do tomove them out of the way and
make them a non-factor?
There are a few tactics that Iwill give you that will help you
to move they out of the way,put you in the forefront and

(04:36):
help you to speed along yourprocess for growing your career.
So let's jump into number one,the common challenge of
balancing your career growthwith your day-to-day work.
If you are working at thebedside in the hospital, working
three days a week, 12-hourshifts, unless you have like a

(05:00):
lot going on outside of work,there's really not an excuse.
Like a lot going on outside ofwork, there's really not an
excuse.
I will say that there arepeople who are dealing with
burnout, exhaustion.
They just really don't feellike they have time for
professional development.
But you really have to makeyour professional development,

(05:24):
your job search, those thingsthat will help prepare you for
promotion a priority and breakthem down to the smallest thing.
But you might be justoverwhelmed because you haven't
narrowed your focus.
So what I really want you to dowith this challenge of balancing
career growth with your dailyactivities and this goes for

(05:49):
both those who are working threedays a week, 12-hour shifts and
those who are working five daysa week or maybe four days a
week determine your focus.
Like that is the first thingthat we need to do If we are
really just trying to search forwhatever jobs are out there.
I just want to move away fromthe bedside and you've not

(06:09):
narrowed down to what are theskills that I want to cultivate
and develop, then you're goingto feel like it's overwhelming,
it's daunting.
I don't have time for this.
You don't need hours in a dayto make progress, you just need
small strategic steps.
So, for example I'm just goingto put me in this particular

(06:33):
example I am growing a business.
I am preparing to take the seatas president of my state nurses
association.
As president of my state nursesassociation, and what my state
does from a support perspective,it is very robust.
Once I step into that seat, Iwill become exponentially busier

(06:56):
than I am now.
So you've got those two thingsbuilding a business, stepping
into a role as president, thingsbuilding a business stepping
into a role as president.
Thank God, my job is flexible.
However, I still want to begood at my job.
I have to stay on top of things,even when it comes to my job
and engaging in the work that Ineed to do.

(07:16):
Then I have a four-year-old, Ihave a husband, I have family
that I need to visit and then Iactually sing at church.
I haven't done it in a whilejust because I've been juggling
all of the things, but that'ssomething that I want to get
re-engaged in.
I will say that there are somethings that I've looked at in my

(07:39):
life and I've said I need totake some things off of my plate
, but the one thing that Iactually do need to step into is
doing more professionaldevelopment.
I do go to conferences, butthere are some things that I
want to do on a regular basis,and so I've determined what my
focus is Read an article a weekand watch one webinar a month

(08:03):
Just small steps like that, andso I think that step.
That ties into my point numbertwo.
Another reason why you'regrowing slow is because you're
spinning your wheels, trying todo everything.
You've really got to determineyour focus and then clarify your
career goals to streamline yourpath.

(08:24):
Once you get narrow in yourpath, then you're good to go,
and it doesn't have to bepinpoint what direction, what
skill set do I want to build up?
It's as easy as do I want to beclinical or do I not want to be
clinical?
And that's not usually a harddecision to make when you're
leaving from the bedside orsometimes even stepping back and

(08:48):
deciding okay, I know what Idon't want.
I don't want to be clinicalanymore.
Even if someone questions youand you after you've made that
decision, you got to be okaywith it.
If you step out there and decideyou want to come back to the
clinical setting, you can.
But you've got to narrow downyour focus so that you can save

(09:12):
time and energy when you'relooking for whatever you want to
do next.
People will always try to talkyou out of what they think you
should be doing or talk you intowhat they think you should be
doing when you know in yourheart of hearts what you're
really feeling pulled and calledto, so stay focused on that.
Feeling pulled and called to,so stay focused on that.

(09:32):
But when you're spinning yourwheels, trying everything,
testing out this little thingand that little thing, even in
projects at work, it leads toexhaustion, doubts about your
ability to do the work, loss ofpassion for the work because
you're just doing too much.
So figure out the skill set youwant to develop.
Clarify your goals, even ifthey are wide-ranging.

(09:54):
Just go in that route.
Because of my experience, thereare many directions that I could
go.
There are many things that I amgood at.
I know my worth.
I know my value, I'm confident,but I'm not cocky.
Sometimes even that can make myhead spin, but I always come

(10:16):
back to what do I not want?
Sometimes it's also looking atwhat other things do I want to
grow, even outside of work, andso that helps me narrow my focus
.
Get clear on your goal, even ifit's a role.
At this point in time, and manyof you are focused on a role

(10:39):
and I'm trying to shift you awayfrom focusing on a role and
really focusing on your skillsets.
But eventually I would love todig into some good goal-setting
techniques to help youprioritize and align your career
aspirations.
Number three you're not takingadvantage of practical
time-saving activities for busynurses, such as quick webinars,

(11:06):
joining a professionalorganization, finding a
mentorship program and getting acareer coach, even getting a
career coach who understands thenursing industry, which would
be me.
After 20 years, I understandthe industry.
The one thing I love talkingabout and digging into is the

(11:26):
nursing workforce and helpingpeople build their careers
Problem solving, helping them toreally figure out what is that
skill set that they need tobuild.
Where do they find joy in whatthey're looking for?
So if you're looking for anindividualized plan, stay tuned

(11:49):
for the next couple of episodes.
I will have something availablefor you very soon.
The next point, which I believeis point number four, is you
don't take time to reflect onyour work and where you want to
go next.
You can't understand and seewhere your career might take you
and what doors are cracked thatyou should probably push open

(12:13):
because you've not taken amoment to just reflect.
I want you to go somewhere, getquiet and make note of, keep a
journal of just those thingsthat are swirling around in your
mind.
Look back on your last coupleof years of work what's brought

(12:34):
you joy and what have you notliked, sometimes even your last
couple of weeks of work, whathas brought you joy and what has
not brought you joy.
And if you're in a toxicsituation, go somewhere,
visualize, sit down, take thosepeople out of the situation.
If those people weren't there,would you still like the work or

(12:55):
what would be missing?
Also, take time to make aportfolio of your work.
In one of my upcoming episodes,I'm going to talk about the
difference between a resume, aCV, and a portfolio.
And if you are an ambitiousnurse, which I believe you are.
If you're listening to thispodcast, you should be keeping a

(13:16):
record of your work in aportfolio so that you can use it
to either reference foryourself or to hand someone,
which would level you up when itcomes to the resume and
interview process.

(13:36):
Reason number five is you'restaying stuck because you don't
want to take a risk.
Yes, I've asked you todetermine your focus, because
that is important, but even onceyou determine your focus, it
could still be wide.
You need to then break it downand start applying to jobs
within that net and take a risk,because you won't know what you

(13:59):
like and what you don't likeuntil you test out a few jobs.
And so I hear somebody askingthe question well, people won't
hire me if I've only been in ajob for a year or two years.
The industry has changed.
It is important for you to bewhere your light can shine,

(14:22):
where you can work in your zoneof genius, where you do your
best work.
But you're not going to findthat out, and sometimes you
might be that person who, well,anywhere I go, I do my best work
Because you're pushing through,but you might not like it.
You shouldn't be there if youdon't like the work.
Even if you don't love it, youshould at least like it.
If you don't like it, then youknow it's time to go.

(14:46):
Don't push through.
Just know it's time to go.
It's okay.
Those quick job in it and I'mback out of it.
They help you to make yourdecisions quicker, and I'm not.
I don't always advocate for jobhopping, but sometimes there are
periods in your career whereyou do need to job hop so that

(15:08):
you can figure out what is thebest move for you.
I don't like it when peoplestay somewhere and they are
completely miserable, because Iknow that there are other
options out there.
You don't want to believe mewhen I say so, but I know there

(15:29):
are options.
Don't ever tell yourself thatthere's not an option.
It might be a little true.
It might take some nuances toget there, but there are other
options.
For example, I just recentlycoached and I'll probably talk
about her several times becauseshe's just done a phenomenal job
in her career growth.
I've been coaching a nurse whohas their DNP and she was in a

(15:55):
role that required a master'sdegree.
She was a clinical nursespecialist.
She was working in the hospital, looking to grow, and her next
step was to become a director.
The CNS role prepares you to bea director.
Honestly, the CRNA role doesthe NP role does the certified

(16:15):
nurse, midwife, like all of us,you're in leadership positions.
The difference between thedifference between the CNS role
and all of those other roles isthat we already come with
project management and programmanagement experience, because
that's what we learn in ourdegree programs, and so I was
preparing her for severalinterviews.

(16:37):
She got further in theinterview than most people
thought that she would becauseshe prepared well.
I prepared her for thoseinterviews because she was
stepping out of a very narrowspecialty and going very broad,
and so we talked through thosethings that that she needed to

(16:59):
do in order to market herself,present herself as not being
just in that market of thatspecialty, but her knowledge
base being broader than that.
That particular job she did notget, but she was the top two of
the candidates.
From there she had gottenoffered another job, but she was

(17:24):
going to have to take a pay cutand she was making good money.
She didn't feel like it wasgoing to help her to grow.
Not that it was a bad role,because it was an excellent role
, but again she had a narrowedfocus, she had determined her
focus, she decided she was goingto wait and she waited and then

(17:45):
something else became availableand she got hired into that
director role.
So I say all of that to saysometimes, even when we need to
wait, it's okay, but it isalways important to at least
step out and take a risk.

(18:05):
Sometimes we don't even applyfor the job because we think as
if we've already gotten it andso we're like, yeah, I'm just
not going to apply for it.
Well, you don't even know ifyou're going to get the job, so
feel free to explore jobs.
Even know if you're going toget the job, so feel free to
explore jobs.
Nursing is different.
This is a different industryfrom what it used to be.

(18:27):
People do look at your resumesand they might see two years or
a year and a half.
I've got several times on myresume where it's just a year
and a half.
I've built up my skills towhere they are now.
People appreciate that andthey're like, okay, this might
be something different for her,she might stay a little bit
longer.
Take the risk.

(18:48):
Here's my last tip, and it'sactually a bonus tip, just a
reminder no one is holding youback from growing your career
when you've not been hired for aposition.
It's likely there's apercentage to where they need to
change their hiring practices.
Absolutely, there is a strongpercentage of that.
But then there's a strongpercentage of they already know

(19:11):
who they want.
It's not that they haveterrible hiring practices.
They have someone in their ownarea that they want to grow.
You can't be mad at that,because they sometimes want to
promote from within, but theyhad to open it up to other
candidates.
Just remember no one can takeanything from you.

(19:32):
In some cases you didn't getthe job because that's probably
not a good match for you, butyou're trying to force it.
Just understand and trust thatif you didn't get it, it's okay,
because you don't know what'sbehind closed doors.
It could be a mess.
It could be toxic you don'tknow that.

(19:52):
Or it could be a manager thatyou really wasn't going to vibe
with in the first place, but youdidn't know that because they
put up a good front in theinterview.
No one can take anything fromyou.
So I need you to take thatcontrol out of that leader's
hand and put it back in yourpocket.
Every person can save timegrowing their careers by

(20:16):
determining their career goalsand focusing early to make
strategic decisions.
Take small steps, take a risk.
It's okay, it won't belife-crushing.
It won't be career-ending.
If that's the one thing thatends your career, that wasn't in

(20:37):
anyone's control.
So until next time, I hope thatyou start to look at your
career and start to speed upthat process so that you can get
to your next step in yourcareer.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
If so, would you take 30seconds and share it with

(21:00):
another nurse who may be unsureof where to go next in their
career or maybe need some careerclarity?
Also, please leave a quickreview for the show on Apple
podcast.
It brings me so much joy and somuch encouragement to know this
podcast is helping you.
Now go get the career you wantand not the one you settle for,

(21:22):
and I'll meet you back here nextThursday for another episode.
See you soon.
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