Nurses are one of the most valuable assets of the healthcare sector. They are found in every healthcare facility due to the crucial tasks they carry out each day. From providing optimal patient care and assisting doctors to manage healthcare facilities, nurses perform numerous important tasks. It’s safe to say that nurses are the backbone of the healthcare sector. Therefore, nurses must improve their professional abilities and keep the healthcare sector progressing.
More importantly, following work practices that lead to enhanced job performance is essential for the success of every nurse’s career. Career development opportunities only arise for those showing impressive improvements. You can’t risk being left behind in your job, losing all progress. Even if you’re an experienced nurse, you should know there’s always room for improvement. So, to help you progress in your career, here are four work practices to improve professional expertise.
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1. Continue Education
Regardless of your occupation, learning is a lifelong process. Over time, new nursing practices, patient treatments, and other skills are introduced in the healthcare world. As a result, nurses need to continue their education to update their knowledge and skills of healthcare. Without doing so, you will continue to follow ancient nursing practices and treatments, putting patients as well as your job at great risk. It’s not surprising that many healthcare facilities make it mandatory for nurses to continue education to maintain their certification and nursing license. With updated knowledge and an efficient set of skills, you will take care of every patient effectively while reducing your workload to a minimum, leading to maximum job performance. Moreover, you will be more confident in your nursing practices, increasing professional expertise with advanced education.
However, it’s essential to choose the right course to continue your education as a nurse. Many nursing courses are quite redundant and not that effective. Pursuing a master of science in nursing is a great option, as it’s a highly recognized degree that can significantly improve job performance. You also have the option of pursuing this course online to enjoy the benefits of distance learning. So, make sure to enroll in an MSN online program and reach your full potential as a nurse.
2. Get a Mentor
Starting a career as a nurse can be challenging, as several tasks are new to you. Even experienced nurses can have trouble carrying out an excessive number of tasks each day. It can lead to reduced confidence, motivation, and in worse cases, burnout, affecting the overall job performance. However, getting a mentor is an excellent solution to this problem. Mentors guide nurses through their careers, helping them understand the complexities, improving their job performance. Nurse mentors teach many concepts and tasks that are not taught at college. If you’re suffering declining job performance, you can ask an experienced nurse to mentor you. However, many healthcare facilities offer specialized mentorship programs for each nurse.
With a mentor at your back, your chances of making errors will significantly reduce, as there will always be someone to teach you the right thing. As a result, patient outcomes will be better, and you will gain more confidence in your skills and knowledge. Mentors also develop leadership skills in their mentees, which will further increase job performance. Most importantly, you will stay motivated to continue your career with a mentor, maintaining your passion for the job. As a result, your job satisfaction will increase, which is a major factor determining professional expertise.
3. Keep Yourself Healthy
While caring for others, nurses often forget to care for themselves. Nursing indeed requires excellent efforts and excessive work. However, it’s crucial to keep yourself healthy to continue your career efficiently. The work of a nurse requires great physical and mental health, as there are numerous tasks to perform. Working through sleepless nights and not taking breaks between work is a harmful work practice that will get you nowhere in your career. Gradually, you will start to lose the motivation to work due to experiencing burnout, depression, and harmful physical conditions.
Therefore, it’s essential to pay attention to your mental and physical health throughout your nursing career for maximum job performance. Make sure to follow a balanced diet and not deprive your body of the essential nutrients it needs, even if you have a lot of work. Furthermore, it’s necessary to get rest in the form of sleep, whenever you have the chance. Sleep is critical when it comes to maintaining mental health.
4. Minimize Distractions
Distractions can hinder your progress in the workplace, preventing you from reaching your full potential. For example, being distracted by smartphones may delay patient care, showing poor work performance. The smallest distractions may lead to significant mistakes that are detrimental to your job performance. More importantly, distractions are becoming increasingly common in the modern world, largely due to the internet. It’s essential to be aware of distractions around you and stop yourself from being attracted to them.
Turn off your smartphone during work hours or use the “do not disturb” mode to silence notifications to minimize distraction. You can then check your phone between regular intervals, allowing you to work efficiently without distractions. Moreover, you can also reduce your time spent talking with your colleagues about things unrelated to work.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a recruit or an experienced nurse, it’s essential to follow better work practices, such as those mentioned above, to improve professional expertise and progress in your career. Otherwise, you would not only be putting your job at risk but also the people you treat and care for. The healthcare sector is dependent on your job performance as a nurse.
