It’s no secret that working as a professional nurse is challenging. It is also not a secret that it is an incredibly rewarding career – both financially and emotionally. Add the growing demand for professional nurses, especially those with an interest in nutrition, and you have the perfect career opportunity to get into.
The healthcare industry is expanding rapidly and the job growth in nursing remains at around 15%. Experts believe this level of growth will continue for several more years, which is why there is no better time to earn a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree from reputable universities like Rutgers University Online to develop your nursing career. The following skills are particularly essential for anyone working in healthcare.
Critical thinking
Nursing programs at Rutgers and other universities are mainly designed to develop students’ ability to think critically and solve problems. Critical thinking is an essential skill for nurses because working as a nurse means facing – and solving – challenges on a regular basis.
When you know how to understand the situation you’re facing, find viable solutions, and solve the problem quickly, you have what it takes to deliver the best treatments to patients. You will be a part of improving healthcare for more people.
Time management
Time management is another essential skill to have as a nurse, and it is a skill that you can also master while completing the RN to BSN program at Rutgers University (or the school of your choice). As a nurse, you face packed work hours almost every day. The high demand for healthcare services puts more pressure on doctors and nurses to be efficient with their time.
Ability to adapt
As part of the improvements being implemented across the healthcare industry, nurses now need to adapt to new equipment, new workflows, and new sets of challenges on a regular basis. Having that ability to adapt quickly and learn new things is a key ingredient to have if you want to be a good nurse.
When the medical institution implements Electronic Medical Record or EMR, you are required to use the system right away as a part of the workflow. The same can be said for new gadgets and technologies.
Commitment and persistence
As mentioned before, there will be times when you face challenges you find too difficult to solve. Based on the experiences of other, more senior nurses, the true problem lies not in the challenges being too big, but in the lack of commitment to see things through.
Be persistent. There are no problems that you cannot solve when you keep trying to find the best solution.
Attention to detail
Last but certainly not least, you need to be meticulous with details to be a good nurse. There are procedures to follow, treatments to deliver in the right way and time, and other details to attend to as part of your everyday activities. Good attention to detail is a must if you want to succeed in this field.
So, are you ready to take the first step towards a career in nursing? Develop these skills and you will be a fantastic nurse that excels in everything you do.
How to combine nursing with nutrition
If you’ve found this site, then you likely already have an interest in nutritional medicine. You can combine a career in nursing with your interest in nutrition in a number of roles. These include working in primary care advising patients in a general practice setting, or working in hospitals. You can even work in luxury spas and clinics around the world helping people to improve their health and weight using your unique combination of nursing and nutrition skills.
Nutrition plays an important role in the management of patients in just about every medical and surgical speciality from Gastroenterology, Oncology and Cardiology, to Paediatrics, Endocrinology and Rheumatology. Specific job roles that combine nursing with an interest in nutrition include:
- Nutrition Nurse Advisor
- Paediatric Nurse Advisor in Nutrition
- Clinical Nurse Nutrition Specialist
- Nurse Nutrition Practitioner
- Nurse Consultant in Clinical Nutrition
- Senior clinical Nurse Specialist
A number of universities offer continuing professional development (CPD) programs in Nutrition which you can fit in around your nursing studies or career.
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