| The nursing industry is on the rise in the 21st | | | | most? Do you interact best with medical and |
| century, creating a wide variety of options for | | | | surgical patients? Do you have the confidence and |
| any qualified registered nurses (RNs). If you've | | | | strength necessary to deal with psychiatric |
| finished nursing school, the hard part is over, and | | | | patients? Perhaps you prefer working with |
| now it's time to determine what sort of nursing | | | | outpatient visitors rather than those with |
| position best suits your skills and personality. Any | | | | long-term needs. There are also options that allow |
| further required preparation will be taught on the | | | | you to work with children, special needs patients, |
| job, so administer this quick self-assessment test | | | | or the elderly either in nursing homes or through |
| to get your job search off in the right direction. | | | | homecare jobs. |
| 1. Is location important to you? There are | | | | 4. What employee benefits are most valuable to |
| healthcare positions available in virtually every city | | | | you? Do you need a position that offers |
| across the country, so you have some flexibility | | | | comprehensive health insurance, or can you get |
| as to where you begin your career. Deciding on a | | | | coverage through your spouse? Public and private |
| geographical region will narrow down the search a | | | | healthcare facilities are able to offer different |
| great deal. If you already have a home and are | | | | staff benefits. Are you continuing your education? |
| looking to stay local, consider what kind of | | | | If so, you may want to look for a job that will |
| commute you are willing to make to work each | | | | reimburse you for tuition and work with you to |
| day. Factor in transportation, gas prices, and the | | | | ensure that shifts don't conflict with your class |
| value of your time. If instead you are looking for | | | | schedule. |
| a change, you can look into relocating. | | | | Hopefully taking some time to think about the |
| 2. How do you feel about shift work? If you have | | | | answers to these four questions will allowed you |
| your heart set on a standard 9am-5pm job, your | | | | to focus in on the exact kind of homecare jobs |
| best bet is pursuing hospital administration, | | | | that will fulfill your career goals. When in doubt, |
| consultation, or clinic work. Homecare jobs and | | | | talk to other employees to get a sense of what |
| nursing positions at larger hospitals or medical | | | | they like most about the positions they hold, and |
| consultation facilities usually require you to work in | | | | what areas they feel could use some |
| shifts, including evenings and weekends. You might | | | | improvement. This will also help you sort out any |
| find that late shifts work well with your lifestyle, | | | | discrepancies between how a job sounds on |
| or that you prefer working 3 or 4 long shifts and | | | | paper and how that position translates into real |
| having the rest of the week off. In any case, you | | | | life. You are ready to take on a long-term, |
| can prioritize your job search by the hours you | | | | successful nursing career, so make sure to find |
| are willing to work. | | | | the perfect niche before you start to settle in. |
| 3. What type of clinical nursing interests you the | | | | |