Nurses relay information all day long. They talk to patients, to families, to physicians, to management, and to each other constantly to learn new things and to share what they know.
But if you find others constantly seeking you out for certain information – for instance do you have a special skill with computers that makes your unit run well or do you have extensive knowledge about a certain condition? If your colleagues come to you frequently, you might want to consider sharing your knowledge in a more formal way. Not only will you help others, but it’s a great career move that makes you more comfortable with public speaking, enhances your leadership, and helps educate others so they can also add to their knowledge.
How can you share your knowledge?
1. Host a Lunch Class at Work
Holding a lunchtime talk or seminar at work fills a dual purpose. You can help your colleagues and that benefits your organization overall. You can be very informal about it and just let people know you’d like to get together to talk about how to prevent falls in the elderly, for example. Or you can make it more formal and book a conference area or meeting room.
2. Bring Your Know-How to Your Community
People who don’t work in the medical industry are always looking for information from people who are. As a nurse, you have the authority to help people, and they know you’ll give them accurate information. Offer to host a talk at your local library or senior center about nutrition for babies or staying active as a senior.
3. Head Back to School
Offer to go into a school if your specialty is adolescent health or you have great advice to offer about managing stress the healthy way. No matter what your specialty as a nurse, you can bring your career advice to any level school to talk about what a nurse does, your typical day, and the training you need. This is a great way to encourage the next generation of nurses!
4. Mentor Your Younger Colleagues
Offer to help your new coworkers review for any exams or certifications. Hold a series of after-work review sessions for a group of new nurses. Even just a couple of hours showing them good study tips and techniques can help them succeed and helps you polish your mentorship skills.
No matter where you host your talk, prepare ahead of time so you can use your time efficiently. Have an outline of what you want to say and do a couple of run throughs. It’s a good idea to have a handout or two to give your attendees some information to bring home.
Have you ever thought about a career in nursing, but didn’t know how to get started? Or are you interested in nursing, but you aren’t sure if a nursing career is right for you?
If you’re like most people, then you probably don’t even know that there is a job out there that is perfect for you. It’s a job where you need little training, and can start working in a hospital within weeks. You work in a health care facility and perform tasks that keep elderly patients healthy and comfortable.
This job is called a Certified Nursing Assistant (or CNA, for short).
CNAs help patients by cleaning their beds, moving them around the room, washing them, and even helping with basic physical therapy. They don’t perform as demanding jobs like a more highly trained nurse, but their jobs are crucial to keeping elderly patients healthy and comfortable.
What are the benefits of a CNA job?
Because CNAs perform fewer jobs than a more highly trained nurse, they require much less training. More advanced nursing jobs, like RNs and LPNs, require up to 4 years of training and a college diploma. That’s a lot of time, and usually a lot of money, as well.
But CNA jobs usually require much less training.
In most cases, you can complete your CNA training within 4-8 weeks, and it only costs about $1,000. In most states, you can actually start working as a CNA without any training at all. If you like the job after you start working, you just get certified later!
For these reasons, many people try to get a CNA job before pursuing a job as an RN or LPN. Essentially, you can see if you like a job in health care before committing tens of thousands of dollars (and several years) to nursing school. Then, if you like the job, you can stay on as a CNA, or enroll in a nursing school to qualify as an RN/LPN in the future.
Of course, you don’t need to pursue a job as a more highly trained nurse once you get your CNA certification. In fact, many people prefer to remain a CNA because they enjoy caring for others, but don’t want all of the responsibility of a more highly trained nurse.
Should you become a CNA?
If you are looking to become a full-time RN or LPN, then starting as a CNA will give you a lot of practical experience. It’s a great stepping stone to start a long and happy career in health care! Becoming a CNA is a great choice for people who want to try a career in health care before committing to years of training and school. It is also a good job for people who want to make their living helping others.
Chris Salvato is a regular contributor to US CNA Classes Online, a website dedicated to helping people get all of the information necessary to start their career as a CNA, including a state-by-state directory of CNA classes.
According to the AACA, in 2022, 80% of nurses in the United States were white/caucasian. With nurse burnout already a problem nationwide, being a minority in the industry can create even more unique challenges. That includes things like racism from patients or co-workers, discrimination, and even economic hurdles depending on your background and where you grew up.
All nurses must care for themselves and infuse wellness into their daily work. However, it might be even more essential for minority nurses to integrate holistic approaches into their careers.
With that in mind, let’s explore the importance of a holistic approach in healthcare and provide actionable insights you can use to enhance patient well-being and improve overall nursing effectiveness.
What Is Holistic Nursing?
As a nurse, you may be tempted to scroll past the ideas of holistic healthcare practices. But, holistic practices have been used for centuries to help people look inward for physical and mental wellness. Holistic nursing combines Western medicinal practices alongside complementary and alternative care solutions. Holistic nurses go beyond the physical and physiological aspects of medicine and focus on the values and beliefs of their patients. Nurses who practice holistic care also hold themselves to an extremely high standard and lean into five core values of practice:
Holistic philosophy and education;
Holistic ethics, theories, and research;
Holistic self-care;
Holistic communication;
Holistic caring process.
Paying attention to a person’s entire being can make a big difference in how they feel, especially when in a compromising medical situation. It’s one reason more midwives are taking holistic approaches to pregnant women. A holistic nursing approach can also help to improve your entire department, especially if you’ve been struggling with issues as a minority nurse. When holistic practices are implemented, people will start to look at you as a whole person and value your well-being rather than focusing solely on race identity.
Planning Healthy Holistic Practices
If you want to integrate more holistic practices into your career, it starts by leading a more holistic lifestyle yourself. Changing lifestyle habits and career practices, as well as even influencing your department, can feel overwhelming at first. One of the best ways to start taking a holistic approach to your work and life is to set goals for yourself. SMART goals can keep you motivated and help you recognize when you’ve hit milestones and achievements. SMART goals are:
Specific;
Measurable;
Attainable;
Relevant;
Time-Bound.
For example, if you want to focus on specifics, ask yourself what you want to achieve with holistic practices. Why is it essential to make a change, and who will you involve?
You’ll be able to measure your goals through achievements. Maybe you’ll start to feel better, personally. Perhaps you’ll see a change in work culture or the challenges you typically face as a minority. You might even begin to see your patients differently, which can help you fight back against burnout and find more joy in your daily interactions.
As you set goals and develop a strategy for holistic approaches, keep in mind that holistic medicine doesn’t have to somehow diminish your medical knowledge. Rather, it should serve as a complementary approach beyond basic treatment. A holistic approach to healthcare can inspire you to integrate more holistic practices into your daily routine on and off the clock.
Holistic Practices That Can Make a Difference
When you look within to begin your holistic integration, it starts with self-care. Again, this is essential for all nurses. But, when you face some of the unique challenges of being a minority nurse, self-care becomes even more necessary to maintain your mental and physical well-being. Thankfully, these practices don’t require much extra time or effort. Integrate some of the following into your everyday routine:
Prioritizing sleep;
Eating a healthy diet;
Journaling;
Connecting with colleagues;
Deep breathing;
Showing self-compassion.
Daily affirmations can also make a difference, especially when you’re heading into a long shift or dealing with difficult co-workers. Say things like, “I choose to trust my skills and abilities,” or “I know I am a skilled and compassionate nurse.” It might take some time to get comfortable with affirmations, but they will go a long way in improving your overall mindset. When you are kind and compassionate with yourself, you’re more likely to pass on that care to your patients.
Practicing mindfulness is another excellent way to lead a more holistic life and career. Mindfulness can help you manage stress and anxiety and keep you focused on the present. You’ll be less tempted to think about something a patient or co-worker might have said that bothered you or worry about the “what ifs” of your next shift.
There is no question that being a minority nurse comes with a few obstacles. However, by integrating holistic approaches in your life and career, you can reduce personal stress, improve patient care, and change the course of your department and practice.
Kendra Coles, DNP, RNC-OB, C-EFM, NEA-BC, is a seasoned nursing leader with over 20 years of experience in the field. For 17 years, she has been dedicated to women’s services and has a wealth of knowledge in managing inpatient and outpatient obstetric care. She also has a knack for communication and team empowerment. Coles is known for optimizing performance and outcomes for obstetric and neonatal populations, achieved through fostering collaboration and building multidisciplinary teams.
Since 2019, Coles has been Director of Women’s & Children’s Services at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC). In this role, she oversees a team of 125 FTEs across various units, including Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, Pediatrics, and Special Care Nursery. Coles is responsible for strategic planning, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives and developing nurse leaders. She is committed to achieving organizational goals while maintaining fiscal responsibility and ensuring the highest quality and safety standards for patients and staff.
She’s highly skilled in change management and program development, which has been critical in introducing obstetric and newborn care services. Her expertise and leadership have made her a trusted figure in the field.
Coles’ contributions to the nursing field have earned her a spot in the Champions of Nursing Diversity Series 2024. This series highlights healthcare leaders who are prominent figures in their organizations and making significant changes in the nursing field.
Meet Kendra Coles, DNP, RNC-OB, C-EFM, NEA-BC, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at the UM BWMC.
Talk about your role in nursing.
As the Director of Nursing for Women’s and children’s services, my responsibilities include the operations of obstetrics, newborns, and pediatric care. In this role, I have the honor of impacting the care that women receive during pregnancy and delivery, a newborn’s early days of life, and sick children who require hospitalization. The role requires leading health initiatives such as hypertension and hemorrhage management, safe sleep, and pediatric respiratory illness management.
As a health equity leader and advocate, I have led initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and served on the Anne Arundel County Maternal Infant Health Task Force. I co-chair the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Council at UM BWMC and train other nursing teams in leadership, communication, and staff empowerment to optimize performance and patient outcomes.
How long have you worked in the nursing field?
I have over 26 years of nursing experience and have been a nursing leader for 20 years. My clinical experiences include caring for patients in Labor and Delivery, Mother, Baby, and Nursery. I also have expertise in the operations of inpatient and outpatient care.
Why did you become a nurse?
I became a nurse because I genuinely wanted to care for others. I was raised in a family of five kids and watched my mom always care for someone in the home or family. Nursing is a noble and humbling profession that allows interpersonal reward.
What are the most important attributes of today’s nursing leaders?
Resilience, compassion, innovation, and grace. Today’s nurse leaders must be resilient as they face daily changes in healthcare. Compassion is needed to care for the patients, but it is also required for the care of the staff caring for others. Nursing leaders must develop and embrace new technologies and advances in clinical practices in a rapidly evolving healthcare system. As the nursing leader supports innovation, it’s through grace that you allow forgiveness and create an environment where learning occurs for team members. Grace can also be given to patients who desire to improve their health status and may not always have the resources to make the healthiest choices. We offer our patients new opportunities to be informed and empowered in their care through grace.
What does being a nursing leader mean to you, and what are you most proud of?
As a nursing leader, my task is helping others to help others. Nursing leaders can ensure our patients have the best outcomes by leading a team of professionals to their highest potential and encouraging their growth as caregivers. Nursing leaders drive changes that change lives. I’m most proud of starting an obstetric program at UM BWMC in 2009 and participating in its ongoing growth to improve maternal and newborn care in Anne Arundel County.
Tell us about your career path and how you ascended to that role.
My nursing career started in 1997 at the University of Maryland Medical Center, the University of Maryland Medical Systems’ academic hospital in downtown Baltimore, serving in Labor & Delivery. I simultaneously worked at another hospital in the region in the Mother Baby Unit. I found myself excited about the nursing profession and joined a nursing agency where I took on a variety of nursing contracts caring for obstetric and newborn patients. My interest in leadership began as a charge nurse at UMMC and grew into a senior clinical nurse role. I was offered an opportunity for frontline leaders to obtain a Master of Science in Healthcare Leadership & Management. I completed my Master of Science in Nursing in 2009 as UM BWMC started recruiting for their new OB program leadership and staff. As a brand-new manager, I recruited a phenomenal team to open the Pascal Women’s Center. In 2018, following the retirement of the director at the time and a national recruitment effort, I was chosen to advance into the Director of Nursing role.
What is the most significant challenge facing nursing today?
The most significant challenge facing nursing is staffing shortages. Like many industries, especially health care, COVID-19 changed the workforce. Nurses experienced compassion fatigue, burnout, and difficulty finding work-life balance. They began to leave the bedside, searching for a less stressful environment or more profitable opportunities. Subsequently, the nursing shortage grew, and we continue to rebuild the nursing workforce.
As a nursing leader, how are you working to overcome this challenge?
Developing and introducing new nurses into the profession is an ongoing challenge. As a nurse leader, I have embraced programs such as the Academy of Clinical Essentials, an initiative developed and spearheaded by the UMMS Chief Executive Officer, which allows nursing students to partner alongside one of our experienced nurses and have early exposure to the art of nursing. We have modified our nursing preceptor program to enable our most experienced nurse to focus on a core group of new hires. We have customized our nurse residency program for the OB, Neonatal, and Pediatric specialties. We have integrated simulations as a core training component in team building and communication skills in high-risk situations. To help our teams address fatigue and burnout, we offer flexible staffing, relaxation rooms, and RISE support resources.
What nursing leader inspires you the most and why?
Rose L. Horton, MSM, RNC-OB, NEA-BC, FAAN, the Founder and CEO of #Notonmywatch Consulting Partners, inspires me. She is a Women & Infant health care executive leader at Emory Decatur Hospital, who believes nurses can change maternal morbidity and mortality. Horton called nurses to action by encouraging them to use their voices to support and advocate for others. She has been a strong influence for improving care during her tenure as the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) president and while serving on the Synova leadership Board of Directors. I’m really inspired by her dedication to raising awareness about issues compounding black maternal health and how she successfully advocates for change.
What inspirational message would you like to share with the next generation of nurses?
No matter how hard your shift may seem, never forget why you became a nurse. Take every opportunity to serve and care for someone else because you never know the difference you make.
When you earn a nursing degree — an ADN, BSN, MSN, or beyond — you signal to the world that you’re a professional who values education and advancing your career. Consistently reaching for increased expertise is a goal for individuals working in almost any discipline, and nurses are no exception.
Beyond your formal education, you have other opportunities to expand your knowledge, and certifications are one such avenue for demonstrating dedication to having the most up-to-date, evidence-based information possible in your area of nursing practice.
Why Get Certified?
If you haven’t yet pursued nursing certifications, now may be the time to consider the possibility. Certification can serve many purposes, each of which holds value for you and your career.
Validated commitment to mastery: Your potential capacity to grasp the subtleties of your chosen nursing specialty is limitless. There’s no end to how much you can learn by digging deeper and deeper into the nuances of a particular branch of nursing and the clinical judgment that comes with it. Many certification processes are no walk in the park, and if you want validation of being the best you can be, certification can accomplish that goal.
Enrich your marketability and earning potential: In the job market, you need every advantage to stand out from the crowd. Certification shows a potential employer that you’re serious about your career and have gone above and beyond. Being certified could be the thing that gets your resume noticed. You may also enjoy increased earning potential.
Augment your sense of pride and empowerment: Some nurses rest on their laurels, others keep learning, and your accomplishments say a lot about your ambition to be the best you can be. As you gain knowledge, skill, and expertise, you can be proud of who you’ve become, and having those extra letters after your name is something you earned by going the extra mile.
Other benefits of certification include the respect of your colleagues and the benefits experienced by patients in the care they receive.
Popular Certifications
There’s an enormous and growing list of certifications available to nurses. Remember that to sit for certification exams, you’ll need to have logged a certain amount of clinical experience in that specialty, so research is essential.
Here are a few popular certifications for your consideration:
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) can be attained through the American Heart Association, the Red Cross, and several other organizations.
Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)is available through the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN). Two years of emergency experience is recommended but not required.
Critical Care (CCRN) from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) is geared towards those working as intensive care and critical care nurses. There are specific clinical hour requirements in direct critical patient care before sitting for the exam: 1,750 hours during the previous two years, with 875 of those hours in the most recent year, or 2,000 hours in the last five years, with 144 of those hours in the most recent year.
Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) requires a minimum of 2,000 hours of adult oncology nursing practice (clinical, administration, education, research, or consultation) in the previous four years, two years of experience as an RN, and 10 hours of continuing education in oncology in the last three years.
Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) is a specialization that gives the successful applicant the tools to work with patients facing the challenges of life with diabetes. Applicants must have two years of RN experience, at least 1,000 hours providing diabetes care and education in the previous five years, with 20% of those hours in the most recent year.
At this point, it’s important to note that all areas of advanced nursing practice (family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, adult-gerontological nurse practitioner) are considered specialty certifications, and NPs trained in one area of practice can take an exam and receive post-graduate certification in another advanced practice discipline at their discretion.
Since many certifications require significant experience in the designated specialty to sit for the exam, some employers will support and pay their nurses to become certified once they have sufficient experience. Certain employers may even make pursuing certification within a set period a part of your contract.
Of course, paying for your certification and recertification is a significant benefit, although paying for the process yourself wouldn’t be the end of the world. Nothing stops you from getting the certification if you want to demonstrate your commitment and sharpen your expertise. Train yourself in the interest of your professional development and career.
The nursing certifications list is long, and you can decide what makes sense for you. The validation of your expertise that certification confers is real, as is the increased marketability. Certification is a powerful avenue to accomplishing that goal if you take pride in your nursing specialty and want to take your knowledge and skill as far as you can.
