Do you feel like you’ve hit a career slump? The job description of working as a nurse practitioner in a patient facing roll can look pretty much the same week after week, year after year. So, at times, it is necessary to take intentional action to combat career boredom. If you’ve hit a nurse practitioner career slump, here are a few ways to reenergize your nurse practitioner practice.
1. Precept a Nurse Practitioner Student
Teaching a nurse practitioner student will remind you how far you’ve come as an experienced NP. Not only will you appreciate the progress you’ve made, the enthusiasm nurse practitioner students have towards advancing their own careers will bleed over into yours as well. Precepting a student requires additional effort on your part, but it just might be what you need to freshen up your day to day routine.
2. Learn Something New
If you’ve worked in the same setting as a nurse practitioner for a long period of time, you’ve grown comfortable in your roll. Your skill set has advanced to match the responsibilities of your job, and you can perform without the need for additional learning. Although you may feel comfortable in your clinical skill set and knowledge, there’s always something new to learn in medicine. Challenge yourself to grow clinically by attending a continuing education conference, seminar, or skills session. Then, apply your newfound know how to your practice.
3. Get Involved in the Business
Healthcare is a business and there may be ways you can get involved in your company on a managerial or administrative level. Alternately, learning new procedures or clinical skills may allow you to contribute to your company financially. Helping your practice generate revenue outside of your current role presents an opportunity to grow your own income and give your job a new look. Getting involved in administrative role expands your responsibilities balancing your commitment to patient care.
4. Switch Up Your Schedule
Routine is comforting, but can also leave you in a rut. If your job offers alternate scheduling options, consider adjusting the days or hours you work. A schedule reset can give you the chance to pursue personal interests, work with different team members in your practice, or treat a new subset of patients. Occasional change keeps you on your toes.
5. Ask for Feedback
As an established nurse practitioner, you may receive very little feedback from your boss. So, ask for it. Seeking out ways you can improve challenges you to meet new metrics. Pursuing goals and striving to meet and exceed expectations gives new motivation to day to day activities that often seem tedious.
6. Join Professional Organizations
Working as a nurse practitioner isn’t limited to the site where you practice. Joining a professional organization keeps you connected to the NP community as a whole. Observing the work other nurse practitioners are doing will help ignite passion for your own career. Professional organizations also offer opportunities for NPs to take on leadership and advocacy roles outside of the workplace, another way to get out of a rut.
Career slump? How do you plan to reenergize your practice?
You Might Also Like: 7 Steps to Finding Your Clinical Passion