Success as a Nurse

There are many ways for a nurse to become successful. The hardest part of being a successful nurse may be that you don't understand what a successful nurse is. When you are licensed as a nurse, you have already become a successful person. The journey from passing the NCLEX, to the moment you realize you are a successful nurse may be easier than you think.

#1. Learn what success means to you.

Success is a complex word. It is a word that can be used and interpreted in many ways by different people. Some may think of success as a stance of how "well off" the person might be. Success may mean that the person is comfortable with where they are in life. When we are talking about your nursing career, success may mean something different to you than it does to another nurse. One nurse may think that in order to be successful he or she will need to work an insane amount of overtime to earn the most money possible. Another nurse may think of a certain position as successful, such as being a charge nurse. What you need to do is learn what your thought of success means to you.

One explanation of success comes from the motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar. Ziglar's view of success is that success is more of a journey rather than a set destination. Nursing offers a vast amount of choices and specialties with many areas of advancement within the nursing field. If you can understand that success is a positive journey that will continue throughout many years of your life, you will be able to start working on the next step of being successful as a nurse.

#2. Make Goals.

If you are able to understand what success is, you will now be able to start making real goals that you can work on. If you haven't got a clear vision of what you believe is a successful nurse, there is nowhere else to go except to stay where you are now. With goals, you have the flexibility to chart out your success in small and simple ways, and up to your big achievements. Goals for success may be to some the achievement of their success, but the goals will never stop if you view success as a journey.

It is an amazing accomplishment for a person to have the goal to become an RN or LPN, but once you have your license your success does not need to stop. The successful journey for a nurse can progress on to an ER nurse, a charge nurse, director of nurses, nurse practitioner, doctor of nursing practice! The beauty of the nursing world is that there are opportunities for growth dependent on your diligence and desire. If you have a goal to be an FNP you don't have to wait to be promoted by your boss, you go to school and work toward your next degree.

Your goals will be mile markers for your success. If you have a long term goal that is important to you and your career, that may not seem successful in someone else's eyes don't worry! You are reaching your mile stones at your pace, and if you reach your goals you are a success.

#3 Understand your weaknesses.

When you have ambition and impressive goals, you may find out during your career that you are a breathing human being that has weaknesses. The important concept here is to remember that you do not have to be weakness free to be a successful nurse. The trick is to learn from your weaknesses, and work hard to overcome them. The weaknesses that you have can become strengths if you consistently work on them. When you think of your goals, think of what obstacles you might have that will slow down your successful journey. Remember that success will have many mile markers. It is a success to graduate from high school, then to get accepted into college. It is a success to get into nursing school. It is a success to do well in nursing school and then pass your NCLEX. It is a success to work on human lives and bless others with your knowledge and skills. If you have weaknesses that possibly halt your success in your view, try to remember your successes that you have already had. You are already successful, and when you are working towards greatness, you continue to move forward and continue on your successful journey regardless of your weaknesses.

Key Points.

1. Learn what success is to you.

2. Make goals.

3. Understand your weaknesses.