New Nurse Practitioners and Nurses

Welcome to nursing! It is some of the hardest work you will ever do. It is also some of the most rewarding and fulfilling work you will ever experience. Our profession offers stability, longevity, and brings honor to you and your family. We learn the true meaning of humanity and mortality in a very short period of time. We change lives each and every day; on and off the clock. When you take an oath, you make a commitment to service. You commit to serving your fellow neighbor, friend and foe. You commit to working with people who have diverse and divergent opinions, values, and beliefs. You commit to caring for people who have diverse and divergent opinions, values, and beliefs as well. They will come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, prejudices, and regions of the world. You will never have to explain your job and yet, always have to explain your contributions, education, and training. You will hear things that you are not prepared for and witness things you will never want to forget.

We are nurses. We care for the whole person and their whole support system. We work on a team with interdisciplinary members that includes physicians, physician associates, clinical technicians, medical assistants, secretaries, pharmacists, social workers, case managers, office managers, accountants, navigators, chaplains, security officers, guardians, medical science liaisons, environmental services, therapists, nutritionists, informatics, researchers, scientific leaders, policy makers, students, patients, and caregivers to name a few. We are part of a team and a system that works together to do more than we could ever do on our own. The system may be difficult to identify and present complex barriers to simple operations. It may also make you feel like your efforts don’t matter. But be rest assured, you are bigger than the system. Furthermore, when we come together, we illicit lasting change that shapes our profession and improves access to care for millions of people.

The Future of Nursing                                                          ‍

As a nurse, we are the eyes and ears of the entire healthcare system, from the clinical arena to the executive suite. As a nurse practitioner, we are not just the hearts and souls of our patients, we are gatekeepers to the next generation, policy initiatives, community partners, and innovation. These roles will not change, but the future of nursing will continue to evolve. Our country is becoming older, more multicultural, multilingual, global, and automated. The demand for quality, accessible, transparent, and compassionate care is at an all-time high with no signs of slowing down. Healthcare is one of the top 5 industries in the country. Companies like Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft have entered the field while many healthcare professionals are leaving it. Here, in the United States, we spend the most of our gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare, yet have the poorest health outcomes.

Nurses are traveling more, starting businesses, and taking on new leadership roles outside of the clinical setting. We’re contributing to policy changes on Capitol Hill and helping build artificial intelligence algorithms at your favorite tech company. We’re working more remotely and finding greater job satisfaction with more flexibility and autonomy. We’re creating digital content and increasing access to education and diverse healthcare professionals at the speed of light to an international audience and getting compensated to do so.

We remain the most trusted profession and the largest segment of the healthcare workforce.You made an excellent choice joining this movement, but don’t stop here.

You are More than Just a Nurse

As you build your practice and learn the system, keep your eyes and ears open. Every time you identify a problem and a solution, recognize that you have a potential business idea. You can keep the idea for yourself and build a business or brand around it, or you can pitch it and sell it to the right buyer for the right price. Healthcare is a dynamic field with constant change and room for improvement. We’re always looking to make healthcare more:

·     Accessible

·     Affordable

·     Efficient

·     Effective

·     Equitable

·     Patient-centered

·     Safe

·     Timely

Key people you can target to address these aims are:

·     Caregivers

·     Clinicians

·     Community partners

·     Designers

·     Educators

·     Engineers

·     Patients

·     Policymakers

·     Stakeholders

·     Storytellers

·     Students

Your greatest asset will not be your ability to place a catheter or implement a new initiative. Your greatest asset will always be your relationship with patients. Your ability to understand human behavior and emotion. Your ability to advocate for people who have no capacity or no will power. Your greatest asset will always be the ability to bring humanity back into the conversation.

You Shouldn’t Try to Do this Alone

Mentorship is key to fast tracking your success and spending your time and money wisely. There are a number of ways to find a mentor and to optimize that relationship. One way to find a mentor directly and indirectly, is to join a local and national organization. I created the Your Nurse Mentorship Match e-book to help you identify a strategy to find a mentor, initiate the conversation in-person or online, pitch why you're worth investing in, and gain a full understanding of what you're signing up for before you invest any more time or money. Visit the Virtual Preceptor Co. shop to download your copy today. I wrote an article about the Your Nurse Mentorship e-book to share how you can repurpose the questions in the book to find a preceptor, write a personal statement, apply for a scholarship, and prepare for your next job interview here.

I recommend joining organizations that align with your goals and your identity, not just for their name recognition or to add to your resume. Being a licensed professional comes with a price tag, so make sure the price of membership is worth the benefits. Similarly, I encourage organizations to ensure they are offering more than just an affiliation. I’ll write about how organizations can provide low cost, high value benefits in an upcoming article, be sure to subscribe so you will be notified once that article is published. In addition to joining your local NP association, nurses’ organization, or Board of Nursing, below are some national organizations you may find interesting.

New nurse practitioners and nurses, welcome to healthcare, I think you’ll like it here, as long YOU define what here means.

National Organizations

American Assembly for Men in Nursing

American Association for Men in Nursing

American Association of Aesthetic Medicine & Surgery

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

American College of Nurse-Midwives

American Holistic Nurses Association

American Medical Informatics Association

American Nurses Association

American Nurses Credentialing Center

American Nursing Informatics Association

American Psychiatric Nurses Association

Asian American | Pacific Islander Nurses Association, Inc.

Columbia Beauty Club

Dermatology Nurses’ Association

Diversity in Dermatology

DNPs of Color

Emergency Nurses Association

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

International Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Nurses

National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association

National Association of Hispanic Nurses

National Black Nurses Association

National Nurses in Business Association

Nursing Beyond Borders

Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc.

Society of Dermatology Nurse Practitioners

Society of Nurse Scientists Innovators Entrepreneurs & Leaders

The Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals & Their Allies

The National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition

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Kimberly Madison, DNP, AGPCNP-BC

I specialize in increasing access to dermatology education and clinical training for aspiring and practicing nurse practitioners. I’m a nurse practitioner with a passion for writing, entrepreneurship, education, and mentorship. I created this blog to share my journey as source of motivation and as a blueprint as you embark on your journey.  I invite you to view the mission and vision statement on the homepage to see how we can best partner to make our dreams align.

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