8 Nursing Goals That Will Advance Your Future Career Path
Nursing is more than just a job, which you perhaps knew that when you signed up for it. It’s a calling, a career path where you make a genuine difference in the lives of others every single day.
As meaningful as it is, nursing is rewarding. Nurses rake in an average of $94,207 annually, plus overtime compensation, which can add around $12,000 to their earnings. Beyond financial rewards, nursing offers a world of opportunities for growth and advancement.
But with so many pathways and specializations to explore, how do you know which direction to head? And, perhaps more importantly, how do you set yourself up for success down the road? Having clear career goals will help you out.
Here, we’ll walk you through some nursing career goals that can help you advance and enrich your future in this incredibly rewarding field.
1. Earn Specialty Certifications
Increasingly, though, nurses are headed to specialties. Nurse practitioners are joining dermatology, cardiology, and other specialty practices. A recent feature of CBS News has revealed that. Nurses are diving deep into a particular area of care because it is one of the most fulfilling ways to grow.
Earning a specialty certification will deepen your knowledge, sharpen your skills, and gain recognition as an expert in your chosen area. And guess what? Specializing often comes with increased demand, higher pay, and more opportunities for leadership positions. Nursing offers a wide variety of specialties. Pediatrics, oncology, geriatrics, critical care, or public health—the possibilities are endless.
Take, for example, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA). These professionals are in high demand. It is also the highest-paid nursing job, offering the greatest autonomy level. These professionals rake in $238,334/year, on average. If you want to boost your income, consider specializing as a CRNA.
Don’t just pursue a certification in any specialty, however. Take time to reflect on which aspects of nursing you feel most passionate about. Once you figure out certifications that align with your interests, you can pursue advanced certifications or specialized training.
2. Earn a Postgraduate Degree
Further education can help you move forward and go further into your nursing career. Many nurses start their careers with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). That foundation provides essential knowledge and skills. But don’t stop there.
If you’re hungry for more knowledge and leadership opportunities, pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). You can become a nurse practitioner (NP), nurse educator, or clinical nurse leader. Not only do these positions offer greater responsibilities, but they also come with higher earning potential.
Nurse practitioners, for instance, earn an average salary of $128,104 annually. They can, however, pull in as high as $183,829 per year. Traditional on-campus programs are great for equipping yourself with the skills and experience required to prepare for advanced roles in the nursing sector. But they won’t be the right choice if you’re a busy professional.
Many universities allow nurses to acquire MSN degrees online. Enroll yourself in those universities. Education delivered online, as noted by Cleveland State University, provides greater flexibility in scheduling and completing didactic training than traditional face-to-face learning environments.
Online programs also allow you to balance work, studies, and personal life. That will make it easier to pursue advanced education while continuing to gain experience in the nursing field. Once you acquire an MSN, you can also consider pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) for further career advancement.
3. Seek Out a Leadership Role
For nurses who love the idea of shaping healthcare policies, leading teams, and mentoring others, a leadership position may be an ideal career goal. Stepping into a leadership role is not just about being in charge. Rather, it’s about guiding your team, influencing patient care, and creating a supportive work environment.
Nurse managers, directors of nursing, and other leadership positions offer a chance to make an impact on a broader scale. They influence how care is delivered and how nursing teams operate. Sure, a leadership role means more responsibility. But it also allows you to have a greater voice in improving patient outcomes, staffing decisions, and departmental efficiency.
To get started, seek opportunities to take on more responsibility in your current position. Volunteer to lead projects, mentor new nurses, or join committees focused on enhancing patient care. This will not only build your experience, but also demonstrate your commitment to your team and patients.
Enroll yourself in leadership training programs, such as those offered by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). They can help you develop the skills needed to succeed in a managerial role.
According to NurseJournal.org, all nurse leaders must be competent in leadership, communication, clinical care, and business and operational skills to succeed.
4. Improve Your Technical Skills
Healthcare technology is advancing at a rapid pace. Nurses need to stay up to date with the latest innovations. That will not only make their job easier, but also enhance patient care. Familiarity with EHRs can streamline patient care. Meanwhile, knowledge of new monitoring technologies can improve patient outcomes by providing more accurate, real-time data.
Smart IV pumps are also growing in popularity. Around 20 to 30 NHS hospitals are using smart pumps installed with dose error reduction software (DERS). Pharmacy researchers say these pumps can save hundreds of lives every year. These IV infusion devices are pre-programmed with safety alerts that notify staff about dangerous dosing mistakes.
DERS is intended to reduce medication errors and potentially harmful events. But the prevalence of these adverse events remains at a concerning level, at about 10%. This rate is similar to estimates before implementing such systems.
Adam Sutherland, the study’s lead researcher, and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital’s pediatric pharmacist, cites a lack of staff training in their use as one of the issues. Learning how to use this system will put you in a better position to prevent medication errors. That, ultimately, would lead to safer patient care and improved outcomes. Besides, you will gain an edge over your peers.
Nursing informatics is another fast-evolving field, says Stephen A. Ferrara, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners president. That means this area offers great potential for potential for career advancement. So, invest time in learning about analytics. That can open doors to specialized positions within healthcare organizations.
5. Sharpen Your Non-Clinical Skills
You’ve spent a lot of time perfecting your clinical skills. That’s great; clinical skills are essential for providing quality patient care. But non-clinical skills are equally important. They can significantly enhance your effectiveness in the workplace and improve patient care.
Communication, teamwork, and conflict management are a few non-clinical skills you must try to hone. Strong communication skills will allow you to explain complex medical information in a way that patients can understand. That will foster trust as well as encourage compliance with treatment plans.
Effective teamwork will allow you to collaborate seamlessly with other healthcare workers and provide the best care possible. Good time management, on the other hand, ensures that you can juggle multiple tasks efficiently. That way, you can deliver high-quality care without feeling overwhelmed.
Conflict management is another skill you must refine. Conflict is a part of the job—whether it’s with patients or coworkers. Handling them requires skill, patience, and experience, remarks Nurse.org. Indeed advises enrolling in a class or workshop hosted by conflict management experts. That can help you improve conflict management skills.
6. Focus on Patient Advocacy
Nurses have long been seen as the most trusted professionals in healthcare, and for good reason. These professionals are the ones who spend the most time with patients. They get to know them on a deeper level, ensuring they receive the best care possible.
Hence, if you have a passion for standing up for patients’ rights and ensuring they have access to the care they need, patient advocacy could be your calling. Patient advocacy is a component of healthcare that involves communicating, expressing, and highlighting a patient’s rights or desires.
In other words, it involves ensuring that patients understand their treatment options and have a voice in their care decisions. Plus, they receive equitable care regardless of their background or financial situation.
To advocate for patients, educate yourself on healthcare policies and patients' rights. While no certification is required to become a patient advocate, you can earn a Board Certified Patient Advocate credential. It would stand as a testament to your unwavering commitment to patient advocacy.
7. Learn and Explore Telehealth Options
The world of healthcare is changing. Telehealth is rapidly becoming an essential part of modern nursing. If you’re interested in being on the cutting edge of this shift, one of your career goals should be to learn as much as you can about telehealth.
Telehealth allows nurses to provide care remotely, which can expand access to healthcare for patients in underserved areas. Telehealth is transforming the career aspects of nurses, says NewsTalk 1290. Nurses who specialize in telemedicine can take up roles that were previously unavailable. Those include remote patient monitoring specialists, telehealth coordinators, and virtual care managers.
You can start by taking telehealth certification courses or seeking roles offering telemedicine options. Learning to work with digital health records, mobile health apps, and virtual patient interactions will make you more valuable as a nurse.
As a telehealth nurse, you can fetch higher compensation and have more job security than colleagues without this specialized knowledge.
8. Consider Global Nursing Opportunities
Nurses are in demand not only in the U.S., but also in the rest of the world. There is shortage of around 4.5 million nurses worldwide. This global demand presents an incredible opportunity for those interested in exploring nursing beyond their home country.
Working abroad will expose you to new challenges and enrich your career in unique ways. You can volunteer in underdeveloped countries or take part in disaster relief efforts. These will allow you to make a direct impact on vulnerable populations. Opportunities with international healthcare organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) or Doctors Without Borders also allow you to touch lives across borders.
Some countries even offer handsome salaries to nurses. Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Virgin Islands, and Australia are the top five countries where nurses are paid the highest salaries.
Apply for nursing jobs in these countries if you seek financial growth along with professional fulfillment. Nursing is a career filled with endless possibilities. You can advance and enrich your future in this ever-evolving field by setting clear, actionable goals.
Whether you decide to pursue advanced education or explore new areas like telehealth, each goal you set will bring you one step closer to a fulfilling and impactful career.
Don’t forget that your career journey is unique. So, it’s totally fine to change directions as your interests evolve. What’s important is that you keep moving forward, learning, growing, and staying passionate about the incredible work you do. The future of nursing is bright—and with the right goals in place, yours will be too!
