There are many ways in which nurses can achieve success, and what that looks like is unique for each individual. And in a world where success is often measured by the amount of money you earn and the initials after your name, you can choose not to buy into that worldview to define your life in the way that feels right for you.
Choose Your Adventure
There are almost unlimited paths that a professional nurse can travel. In terms of nursing credentials, it can range from the level of a practical/vocational nurse to a doctor of nursing practice or PhD, but where we each end up is a matter of our own individual nursing DNA.
In this complex world of nursing careers with almost unlimited professional pathways, everyone chooses their adventure in terms of what works for them.
There’s no shame in being happy as an LPN or a nurse with an associate’s degree, despite the pressure that you may feel from others, including colleagues and family, to aim higher. Working as an LPN can be very satisfying, and no one can dictate what your professional journey should look like or what you should be willing to achieve.
Achievement is subjective and can vary from person to person. While some individuals are ambitious and driven to advance in their nursing careers, seeking higher degrees, additional certifications, and other significant professional goals, not everyone shares this aspiration, and that is entirely valid.
Whether your journey takes you in the direction of nurse entrepreneurship and business ownership, or into academia, research, or direct patient care in the clinical space, your definition of success and achievement is what matters most, not to mention how you feel about your place on the broad nursing spectrum.
What Lights You Up
To understand where you fall on the continuum of nursing achievement and success, it’s essential to understand what makes you tick. While helping patients get well is the quintessential nursing role that the average person on the street would recognize, that role doesn’t suit everyone, and there are plenty of other forks in the road that could take you far afield from direct patient care.
Some nurses love research, the scientific method, and working with data, and these individuals pursue careers in research-adjacent fields. Whether in the pharmaceutical industry, private firms, or in the academic arena, those drawn towards this type of work can find their place in time.
As mentioned above, an increasing number of nurses are drawn to self-employment and entrepreneurship, and for many of these individuals, not having a boss or a job to report to is their ideal definition of freedom. From coaching and podcasting to freelance writing and consulting, the path of being a businessperson isn’t always easy, especially in uncertain economic times. However, many nurses continue to pursue self-employment scenarios where they get to call the shots.
Most importantly, it all depends on what lights you up and draws your attention. There’s nothing wrong with being completely satisfied caring for patients in a nursing home, serving as a school nurse, or working in a grassroots inner-city community health center. And it’s equally impressive that some nurses want to earn their Doctor of Nursing Practice degree or otherwise take their education as far as it can go. It takes all kinds, and that’s actually what makes nursing so incredibly diverse.
The Many Colors of Nursing Success
The color of your nursing career success is going to be yours and yours alone. No one can tell what you can and cannot achieve, and no one has the right to dictate what a satisfying nursing career looks like. There are no universal answers, and your career path can be as individual as you are.
There are countless colors of nursing success within the tapestry of our profession, and how you weave your tapestry is entirely up to you. Finding your pathway to professional career satisfaction isn’t always easy. Still, you can find your way through the powers of focus, an open mind, and the knowledge that the nursing profession holds countless choices for you to explore.
Enjoy the journey of identifying your colors of what nursing success means to you, and build a career that fulfills you on the deepest level possible. The many colors of nursing success are all available to you, and you’ll eventually find the right combination of colors that holds the true key to your nursing career fulfillment.
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