Many mid-career professionals desire career change and new experiences, and nurses are no exception.
Just this past week, I spoke with a nurse who is looking for change, but she's not exactly sure what she wants. Deep down, she knows that change is inevitable, and she wants to proactively meet it head-on rather than wait for it to find her.
Desiring change
A mid-career nurse may feel himself or herself becoming somewhat restless, "antsy" for something new but clueless about what that something might be. At times, we intuit that we need novel experiences that can renew our commitment to the nursing profession. At other times, there may be a gnawing in our gut that we have to move on. But to where?
Change is said to be the only constant in the universe. Changes in your career trajectory can sometimes be quite welcome, even if they're somewhat scary.
From whence comes the desire for change?
The desire for change has myriad causes. This desire may be born of compassion fatigue, burnout, overwork, the effects of a toxic workplace, or ineffective or abusive management. The experience of bullying or harassment may also spark the need for change.
Meanwhile, some mid-career nurses may find themselves examining their career history, choosing a new career path for reasons not related to burnout, stress or the actual work environment.
Mid-career nurses may desire work that is less physically taxing (as in a switch from acute care to management), work that is more intellectually challenging (as in a transition to research), or perhaps a change of patient population (like the geriatric specialist who decides he'd like to work in pediatrics).
Professionally speaking, we can feel pigeonholed or "in a rut," and we can feel a deep desire for fresh experience bubbling to the surface. As we age and enter mid-career, we may wish to fulfill unexpressed dreams, or an old professional passion may resurface.
Mid-career nurses may have adult children who are now independent, and this change in lifestyle can foster the desire to pursue career avenues that have been on the back-burner. Nurses with grown children may feel free to return to school, seek special certifications, become a travel nurse or move to another part of the country. Divorce, the death of an elderly parent or other relationship changes may also catalyze a mid-career shift.
Identify your desires
If you've dreamed of working in another specialty, this may be enough to energize a mid-career change. If you've always wanted to own a business, nurse entrepreneurship may be a viable option when, for instance, you inherit money that you can invest in a new venture.
You may not know what you want, but you may know deep down that something has to give. At times like these, there are many potential resources for support, including career coaches, counselors or seminars, webinars and workshops focused on career change and advancement.
If you have identified intriguing areas of interest, make contact with specialists in those particular fields to schedule an informational interview. If you meet someone online who is involved in a practice area that you're keen to explore, make a date for a phone or Skype call.
If you have a local contact that works in a professional capacity that piques your interest, offer to buy them breakfast so that you can "pick her brain" and learn from her expertise. Few people will turn down a free meal and the chance to talk about themselves.
Ripe for change
Mid-career change is not inevitable, but it can jump-start a lackluster career, re-energizing your love of nursing and your professional trajectory.
However you identify and act upon your desires, the mid-career nurse is ripe for change at this important professional juncture. Whether you desire a position that is less physically demanding, or simply want to work with a new patient population, change can be exciting.
The mid-career nurse has many choices at his or her disposal, and this ripeness for change makes it clear that the world of nursing can indeed be your own (professional) oyster.
