Let’s say you’re ready to apply for a new nursing role. You’ve dusted off the old resume, found a couple of open roles in your area, and are ready to start the job hunt. But what exactly are the signs that a new role would be a good fit for you? Here are five things to look out for so your next nursing role is the best one yet.
1. Resources for Your Career
Whether you’re applying for a role in private practice or at a large hospital, you want to make sure that your supervisor and others in leadership positions are invested in your career. Signs that a potential employer will be invested in your career include:
They ask about your career goals during your interview
There’s an employer reimbursement program for continuing education
They can talk tangibly about the process of applying for leadership roles or specialized nursing roles at their facility
2. Resources for Your Well-Being
2.7 million nurses experienced burnout at some point over the last year and many nurses point to a lack of workplace resources as the reason why. When you’re looking for your next nursing role, consider if the employer cares about your well-being.
Here are some questions to ask during an interview to get a better picture:
How would you describe your team’s work/life balance?
Burnout is a big problem in the nursing industry right now. What are you doing to combat it?
What resources do you have for staff members who feel overwhelmed or stressed?
3. A Healthy Workplace
Since we spend half our waking hours at work, we might as well like the place we’re working and the people we work with. When looking for your next nursing role, consider if a workplace is healthy or not.
Often, the best way to determine this is to conduct informational interviews with contacts who already work there. Ask them questions about their workload, what they love about their job, and what they wish they could change. After talking to a couple of current employees, you should have a better idea if it's a healthy or toxic workplace.
4. A Good Staffing Situation
Many nursing teams are understaffed, which can lead to extra shifts, less time between shifts, and emotional exhaustion. When you’re looking for your next role, consider how well-staffed a team currently is.
If they aren’t well staffed, you can research how many roles they’re currently filling to see if they’re solving their staffing problem or just doing the bare minimum to keep the facility or hospital running.
5. Location, Location, Location
The signs that a workplace is right for you aren’t all work-related. Location matters too! Ideally, you should find a location that offers:
Your ideal environment. Do you want to live near nature, a city, or both?
Above-average pay
Lower-than-average cost of living
Some locations which might offer all 3 include Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina.
But these 3 location considerations are just starting points. If you’re looking to relocate, write down a list of all the ideal traits of your next location and research cities and areas with those traits.