From the Editor
The new year is a good time to take a look around you, appreciate the things that are working well, and see if there are some changes you’d like to make.
In that spirit, here are tips for approaching a job shift . . . plus medical news and NIFA news. Happy New Year!
But just because you can find a job doesn’t mean you’ve found one that makes your heart sing.
That’s the cue for many to start surfing the plethora of Internet
job boards for a better position. But according to my friend
“I’m not saying don’t use all the tools available,” Lyn says. “By all means, comb through what’s out there. But do it with a plan. Craft a strategy as if you were the marketing manager of your own product launch – with yourself as the product.”
That means, according to Lyn, sitting down and asking yourself some questions, like what attributes and experience do you have that others with your training don’t have? What specific places would you like to work, and what specific job title are you seeking? How can you get the attention of the person with the power to hire you? And what problems does that person or company have that you can answer or solve?
At the very least, such a process helps you eliminate jobs that look interesting but aren’t really right for you. A well-thought-out personal marketing campaign can put you in the enviable position of being able to cherry-pick your next job.
Since you are the product, you need to ascertain your value before launching your job campaign. Once you have cherry-picked your next job “be prepared,” says Jeremy Gofton, NIFA’s RNFA Program Director, “many nurses are too willing to accept the first offer from employers.
“By being prepared and knowing your value (in your market) in advance, there is a greater chance you will be able to get the rate you feel you deserve,” he says. “Don’t be intimidated. Well-qualified nurses are hard to find, so you’re in the driver’s seat. You can’t lose what you don’t have – so, go for it!”
At the request of several members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Governmental Accountability Office will conduct a nationwide study to examine the link between care provided at outpatient clinics and the spread of infectious diseases.
Read more here.
Just e-mail a photo along with the following particulars: Name, city & state, credentials, current student or graduate (if graduate, what year?), current job, recent accomplishments, and a quote (a piece of wisdom you’ve learned on the job, something you tell yourself to keep your sense of humor on the job, or any observation about life in the OR that your colleagues might find interesting or helpful.)
If you’re bashful about writing or just too busy, we’ll be happy to help you hone your words – or send us a phone number and we’ll gladly ask you these questions by phone.
Send to
[email protected]. Thank you!Because we believe strongly that all nurses working in surgery should support and be members of the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), during the month of January, all new RNFA enrollments will automatically receive a one-year membership in the AORN from NIFA – FREE!