When you started off in the world of nursing, you probably wanted to make a change, and you wanted to make a difference to those lives that you touched and impacted every day on the wards and units. There comes a time when change is necessary within your career to ensure that you reach your full potential. Moving from a more hands-on approach into a less physical but still mentally demanding and draining role is something that is within your sights and within your reach. A leadership position within nursing will allow you to make a change and impact at all levels.
The Right Time To Push
You may be questioning when the right time to move on from a physical nursing position is, and the answer is simple: when you feel that you are no longer having an impact or difference on the frontline. Quite often, you can keep working tirelessly, not seeing an impact or improvement, and this can quickly get you down. To stop these thoughts and feelings from affecting the reasons that you got into nursing, you need to make a change. When you feel that your voice can no longer be heard or listened to, then it is time to upskill focus on education and focus on getting a prominent position of power that can influence others and ultimately tackle problem areas within nursing.
Why You Must Become A Leader
You must become a leader because leaders are heard, their presence is felt, and their ideas and thoughts are listened to. Nurses working on the frontline within wards and specialist units often have valuable feedback and contributions to make that would positively impact the nursing industry and sector; however, their thoughts and ideas are not often listened to simply because they are not in a position of power. As you have directly seen what is happening, you are in a good position to emphasize and sympathize. Voices that are often left unheard need you; they need you as a leader, someone that is a reasonable and strong leader at the forefront to take responsibility for change, growth, and development.
What Makes An Effective Leader
Just being a leader is no good. You must be a leader that truly represents and reflects how nurses feel. An effective leader is one who inspires change and leads from the front, ensuring that nobody with a valid thought, opinion, or view is left behind. A leader who gets results and has an impact will focus on others just as much as their own self-improvement and self-development. Educated leaders are strong and powerful, so increasing your levels of education and awareness will always be a positive step in the right direction. To become a leader that is listened to and respected, you must have relevant qualifications, experience, and knowledge behind you. It is very difficult to expect others to listen to you and to respect you if you have no real experience or knowledge about the nursing industry and healthcare sector.
Returning To Studying
When it comes to studying dnp leadership programs online you must choose the right program and the right provider. Your professional reputation and integrity are on the line, so it is important that you study a well-recognized leadership program. It can feel a bit daunting returning to studying no matter how long a break you have had, but studying for a respected qualification that will get you noticed and listened to within the industry is a must. Returning to studying can leave you feeling like a mixed bag of emotions. Often it can be hard to make sense of what you are thinking and feeling, and therefore it is always good to have a strong support network behind you. A good network that provides you with support and guidance in times of need is what you need, whether your support network helps you juggle your chores, or they just provide a listening ear returning to studying does not have to be a negative experience when you have positive people and influences around you.
The Benefits Of Learning And Studying Online
When you study online, there are benefits and advantages to be had that you will not get from campus-based learning. For example, you can get more free time to yourself. You are not racing around trying to attend physical classes, and as a result, you will notice a difference in your stress levels. Attending classes and lectures on campus can be hard to balance alongside your job, but online studying offers you a greater deal of flexibility which will help you achieve that positive work/life balance. Many medical professionals attend online courses to get PALS certified for example, so doing a DNP program this way should not be news.
Achieving Your Qualification And Focusing On The future
After you have completed all the necessary units, then you will be awarded your well-earned qualification, which will set you on the road to leadership. Once you have achieved your leadership qualification, you next have to decide what type of role or position you want to start applying for. With your qualification behind you, you can potentially become a Chief Nursing Executive or Officer. As a chief nursing executive, you will be able to speak to, inform and influence decision-makers and stakeholders both internally and externally. As soon as you have achieved your qualification, you must set about focusing on the future, more specifically focusing on what you want to achieve within the nursing industry. Landing a position with power and clout will allow you to implement those frontline changes and amendments, which will directly affect how nursing and care is provided.
Influencing Decision Makers And Making Change A Reality
Of course, stakeholders, decision-makers, and those within positions of power and influence may not always be the easiest to convince or persuade. To ensure that you get the results you desire and that you make a change, you must harness all those social skills and people skills that you learned while working on the frontline as a nurse. Being able to talk and communicate with people at all levels will help you to become a well-rounded, valued, and appreciated leader.