Tips for Transitioning To a New Nursing Specialty
Throughout your time as a nurse, you’ve learned how to work well with change. Still, despite how common it is for nurses to change specialties, taking on a new role can feel daunting. Below are tips that will help you prepare for a smooth transition into a new specialty.
Evaluate the Situation
Before you fill new shoes, ask yourself why you’re in need of a change. Consider the following questions:
- Do you feel you’re no longer growing in your nursing specialty? How would you like to grow elsewhere?
- Do you need to take a step back from a high-stress unit, such as the emergency room, and try a role that works at a different pace?
- Do you see yourself excelling in your job with a change of environment, such as working in a doctor’s office rather than a hospital setting?
Once you perform your self-evaluation, research the different nursing specialties you’re interested in and learn which positions can fit your needs. When you gain insight from industry publications, journals, and blogs, you can better understand a new role and how to get there. You may even find furthering your education is the next best step to take to reach your goals.
Learn from Your Relationships
As you research, keep your colleagues in mind as a source of help and guidance. Recall your needs from your self-evaluation, and if your colleagues are comfortable answering your role-related questions, learn all you can from the people on the job. Furthermore, you can ask to shadow your fellow nurses in the units you’re interested in to help gain more realistic insight of a new specialty.
Prepare for a Timely Transition
In most circumstances, the best time to take on a new role is when you’ve worked long enough to become an expert in your original role but not so much where you experience a title or pay demotion in the transition. However, while timely transitions are ideal, your personal circumstances are part of the equation, too, so always account for needs, prioritize your goals, and make the change when you’re ready.
Know that You Have Support
HealthCare Support can help talented, passionate healthcare professionals transition to a new nursing specialty and find the perfect long-term or short-term job. Our professional network is vast, and our dedicated team can help place you in the ideal situation for your career. To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.