1001 Opportunities in Nursing
Welcome to the AdventHealth Graduate Nurse Education Series.
In this series, we will feature a weekly post that highlights topics of interest to the Graduate Nurse. Included will be interviews with actual Nurse Residents at AdventHealth hospitals.
While you were completing your nursing program, your clinical experiences probably occurred in a hospital. You may have been fortunate enough to have exposure to an emergency department, an operating room, or obstetrical care. You probably spent most of your time in general medical-surgical units, progressive care units, or intermediate care units. These experiences illustrate the fact that there are many different practice areas available to a registered nurse.
Your first position as a nurse will provide numerous learning opportunities, whether it is in a medical-surgical unit, a specialty area such as oncology, or in an intensive care unit. Since hospitals provide patient care 24 hours a day, units work in shifts. Shifts are predominantly 12 hours in duration, but some areas work 8 hours. During this initial experience, you will have opportunities to interact with other clinical practice areas that may interest you later in your career. Some of these areas may include operating rooms, cardiac cath labs, emergency departments, pediatrics, and many others. If you are ready to move outside of acute care, you can explore areas such as hospice, home health, behavioral health, and other areas that may not be hospital-based. As you choose your first place of employment, consider a system with a wide range of opportunities that will allow you to grow.
During your career, you may be interested in exploring different nursing roles. Some examples you might not have thought of are Informatics, Leadership, Research, Nursing Education, and Advanced Practice. These roles require minimum levels of education, ranging from Bachelor to Doctorate level degrees. Working for a large health system like AdventHealth provides you with opportunities to progress into these roles. We believe investing in your professional growth supports excellence in patient care.
If you have a proclivity for technology and want to be involved in the processes surrounding our electronic health record, there are jobs in that area as well. The Electronic Health Record tells the patient's story. Analysts in Nursing Informatics can specialize in inpatient care, operating rooms, pharmacy, and emergency departments. Clinical informatics specialists assist with system-change education and communication, electronic health record troubleshooting, and facilitating larger-scale system upgrades or changes. AdventHealth information technology opportunities are perfect for life-long learners who enjoy technology.
As a new graduate, becoming a leader in nursing may be the furthest thing from your mind. But, before you know it, you will be acquiring skills, knowledge, and organization abilities. Soon, those newer to the profession will ask for your opinion on best practices.
There are a host of leadership opportunities in nursing, including Charge Nurse, Assistant Nurse Manager, Nurse Manager, Nursing Supervisor, Director of Nursing, and Chief Nursing Officer. Your nurse leaders may notice your potential and encourage you to try precepting or being a relief charge for a few hours. If this sparks a level of excitement for you, plan to work in a hospital system that provides both the opportunity and the training to help you grow into the best leader you can be.
AdventHealth has well-developed tracks for Nursing Leadership and supports participation in Nursing Leadership Organizations.
Have you always been curious about the why or the impact of an intervention? If so, you might be interested in participating in nursing research. At AdventHealth, there is ample opportunity to participate in nursing research studies that add to the body of evidence that directs best practice.
If sharing your clinical knowledge and skills to help fellow nurses learn and grow appeals to you, you will want to position yourself in a health care system where there are education and professional development roles available.
Some nurses know from the beginning of their career that they will want to pursue an Advanced Practice Role. Others move in that direction later in their career. There are four recognized advanced practice roles: Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and Clinical Nurse Specialist.
There are several patient populations that APRNs can specialize in. They include Family/Individual Across Lifespan, Adult-Gerontology, Neonatology, Pediatrics, Women's Health/Gender-Related, and Psychiatric-Mental Health. If you see an APRN role in your future, look for locations with the patient population you are interested in. AdventHealth supports all of these areas and has job opportunities for these roles.
Many other nursing roles exist that are of great importance but are not always thought of initially. Nursing is a profession where you can explore many different ways to make a difference in the health and wellness of a patient population — both physically and spiritually. Your workplace should have a clear vision as to the philosophy of care provided to patients.
At AdventHealth, our nurses care for patients holistically — body, mind, and spirit. And we are all guided by our mission, Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ. We're here to support your exploration of the 1001 opportunities in nursing. Welcome to the profession of nursing.
We are up to any challenge.
