Tennessee Nurse - May 2022
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<strong>May</strong>, June, July <strong>2022</strong> <strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 23<br />
can be found in many settings such as ambulatory<br />
environments, surgery centers, hospitals, and<br />
even manufacturing and schools. Moreover,<br />
professional nurses are involved in MANY patient<br />
populations that span across the human life cycle<br />
from birth to death. Professional nurses take care<br />
of infant and pediatrics patients, women’s health<br />
needs, adolescents, and geriatrics populations.<br />
Consequently, nurses that are competent and have<br />
mastered skills for independent nursing practice<br />
are professional nurses, regardless of their nursing<br />
specialty. Building and strengthening one’s nursing<br />
career takes into account the professional nurse’s<br />
passion for human caring coupled with choosing the<br />
right nursing specialty.<br />
Conclusion<br />
Nursing is a special calling and a career for<br />
life where professional nurses exemplify the gift<br />
of healing and compassion for human caring. A<br />
new professional nurse may find themselves in a<br />
situation where the job is not a good fit. However,<br />
the nurse cannot leave the profession of nursing,<br />
rather they must explore other opportunities and<br />
areas within the nursing field. With the ability to<br />
build your career through mentoring and the vast<br />
amount of nursing specialty opportunities available,<br />
the professional nurse MUST remain optimistic,<br />
and hopeful in successfully landing the right job.<br />
Securing the right job will help to avoid the tragedy<br />
of losing a new professional nurse to a career<br />
outside of nursing.<br />
Although it can be challenging to find the right<br />
job, taking the necessary time to explore and gain<br />
more knowledge about all the wonderful and<br />
rewarding careers within the field of nursing is<br />
crucial for the new professional nurse. No matter<br />
your environment or specialty, the slow or fast work<br />
pace, patient acuity, or patient population, you<br />
are a professional nurse. You have developed the<br />
characteristics that make you qualified for the job.<br />
Thus, the new professional nurse must understand<br />
that its not, “are you fit for the job,” but “is the job<br />
the right fit for you?”<br />
References<br />
Baldwin, K. M., Sleutel, M., Urban, R. W., Wells, J. N., Behan,<br />
D., Walsh, J., & Newcomb, P. (2021). An exploration of new<br />
graduate nurses transition to specialty practice. Journal<br />
for <strong>Nurse</strong>s in Professional Development (37)2, 93-100. DOI:<br />
10.1097/NND.0000000000000695<br />
Innes, T., & Calleja, P. (2018). Transition support for new<br />
graduate and novice nurses in critical care settings: An<br />
integrative review of the literature. <strong>Nurse</strong> Education in<br />
Practice, 30, 62-72.<br />
Marshall, L. S. (2021). Take Charge of Your Nursing Career. Sigma<br />
Theta Tau.<br />
Nickitas, D. M. (2014). Mentorship in nursing: An interview with<br />
Connie Vance. Nursing Economics, 32(2), 65-69.<br />
Not the Right Job, What’s Next?<br />
Starting to lose sleep, feeling constantly<br />
on edge, and arriving way in advance before<br />
my shifts to look up my patients was what<br />
consumed me throughout my first job as<br />
a new professional nurse. Although I felt<br />
supported, I was not happy and could no<br />
longer enjoy my life outside of work. It<br />
was when I started to have panic attacks<br />
that I knew I needed to make a switch to<br />
another unit. It wasn’t an easy decision—it<br />
was tough. I had worked so hard to achieve<br />
what I thought was my “dream” job, but my<br />
intuition and the physical and emotional<br />
toll just wasn’t right. I felt like a failure, and<br />
I wanted it to work out so badly. Luckily,<br />
through discussions with mentors, I was<br />
inspired with confidence, and empowered<br />
to search for an area in nursing where I was<br />
meant to be. Taking care of yourself is very<br />
important and with there being so many<br />
opportunities as a nurse, it is okay to not feel<br />
okay, however at the same time I realized<br />
I can continue mastering skills, sharing my<br />
strengths, and ultimately fulfilling my passion<br />
and dream as a new professional nurse.<br />
RN to BSN 14 months<br />
100% Online for busy working RNs<br />
100% Online for busy working RNs<br />
■ New cohorts • New accepted cohorts each accepted January each and January August and August<br />
■ Full-time • technology Full-time technology support support<br />
■ See www.utc.edu/gateway • See for more for information more information<br />
www.utc.edu/gateway<br />
The The University of of <strong>Tennessee</strong> at at Chattanooga is an is an equal equal employment opportunity/affirmative action/Title<br />
VI/ opportunity/affirmative Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA action/Title institution. VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution.
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