Jen Busse, RN, MPH, is an intern at the Center for Health, Media and Policy at Hunter College in New York City and is currently pursuing her MSN as a family nurse practitioner at Columbia University. This is her second post about studying to be an NP. Her first was “An NP Prepares: When Normal is Better Than Fine.”
While we watch schools of nursing significantly increasing class sizes in a stalled economy, students are still being told that new nurses should “have no trouble” securing jobs upon graduating. Advancing our careers won’t be an issue either, we’re told.
We new nurses, in masses, are then sent out to fend for ourselves. Many schools of nursing lack career services help for students—possibly due to the myth of the “nursing shortage.”
Well, I’m here to tell you, from the evidence gathered in my own laborious, and mostly fruitless, job search, that archaic ideas about the ease of finding a position as a nurse are dead wrong. What we really want to do is to take care of patients, not spend years of our lives searching for an opportunity to do so.
So in steps the nurse mentor—if you’re lucky.
Unfortunately, career mentorship for many new and experienced nurses is rare, creating difficulties in securing a job or advancing one’s career. Without role models, it’s difficult to feel motivated or to gain confidence in your abilities. A seasoned professional or trusted peer is crucial in providing helpful advice, guidance, and inspiration. Nurse mentors offer protégés their knowledge and wisdom, in the process creating a legacy for future generations through the creation of new nurse leaders.
I was incredibly fortunate to find two women, both important nurse leaders, Barbara Glickstein and Diana Mason (bios here). They helped to pull me out of my despair of joblessness, when I had all but abandoned my hopes of working in nursing, and have helped to guide me to what I now see as a promising future in this field. They’ve helped me build my confidence, especially through writing about health-related issues, and shown me that I do have something special to offer to the field of nursing. Read the rest of this entry ?
Florida International University (FIU) is only a short drive from downtown Miami. Since I was going to be in town for two conferences (see my previous post on the CNL conference), I thought I would schedule a visit with Divina Grossman, an AJN editorial board member who is the vice president for engagement at FIU (that is, she’s responsible for developing and expanding community partnerships). Unfortunately, Dr. Grossman, formerly the dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS), was out of town, but I accepted an invitation to visit the school and meet with the interim dean and faculty members. Read the rest of this entry ?
