Sam’s Success Tips

So you’re a nursing student? Congrats! Get ready to begin the journey of a lifetime and say goodbye to free time (kinda kidding). You are (or will be) busy, tired, and probably a little overwhelmed to say the least- and that is OKAY! 

This degree is not for the weak. What’s that saying I heard over and over again in nursing school? If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. It sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. It isn’t easy. You have chosen this field for a reason. If you don’t know your reason yet, you will figure it out soon enough. When you figure out your reason, it will make you want to be successful!

I find that students are a little bit confused when I ask them what it means to be a successful nurse. To be honest, it’s a trick question. Everyone has their own definition of success. However, you want to be in a position to set yourself up to be informed and competent. Here are some tips I wish I had known when I was in school that will help you be at the top of your game! This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are the tips I most often give to my students. 

1. Join a professional organization!

Back in the day, it used to be an expectation for nurses to join a professional organization. It is not encouraged as much these days, and it is such a shame. These organizations are AMAZING resources for new (and experienced) nurses, and they provide so many learning opportunities! 

What is a professional organization? These organizations are professionals who belong to a certain subspecialty in nursing. They provide educational resources, practice change information, continuing education credits, and so much more. Many of these organizations have student memberships at a discounted price! I HIGHLY recommend you join the organization that interests you while you are in nursing school!

Here are some of the organizations available! If your specialty isn’t here, don’t worry! Just Google “Nursing organizations for ______.” 

Emergency Nurses Association	www.ena.org
American Association of Critical Care Nurses	aacn.org
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses	aann.org
Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses	amsn.org
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses	aorn.org
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses	awhonn.org

2. NEVER stop learning, and don’t join the resistance to practice change!

Nursing is constantly evolving as new research becomes available. New research brings new perspectives and ideas and treatment plans. You must be flexible in your practice and be open to changing the way you practice. Nurses are not the only professionals who deal with changes. 

What happens when school districts change curricula? Teachers learn about the changes and implement them into their classrooms. 

The tax code just changed. What do tax accountants do? They dig into the changes and equip themselves with the newest guidelines to best serve their clients. 

You see, to be successful, you need to be up to date with the newest research. You want to be educated and passionate about your field! 

How do you do this?

• Subscribe to nursing journals! Remember all of those professional organizations? Most of them have journals that highlight research, practice changes, drug information, wellness tips, etc. I am subscribed to several journals, and I love reading the articles that interest me. Most even offer continuing education credits that you will need to renew your nursing license! For instance, the Emergency Nurses Association offers the Journal of Emergency Nursing. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses offers Critical Care Nurse. (These are two of my favorites)
• Brush up on things that confuse you! I still do this to this day. I keep a list of topics that I want to know more about or want to find clarification for, and I watch YouTube videos in my free time to brush up on them! YouTube is a great resource for education. There are so many nurse educators who offer free content. Take advantage of it! For example, I may run into an instance when a patient is not oxygenating well and hear the providers talking about the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve and think, “I remember hearing about that in school, but I need to brush up on it.” I will add it to my list and watch a video about it later!
• Purchase handbooks of care! Most professional organizations will have a published handbook on diagnoses and the gold standard of care for each diagnosis. Buy it and keep it in your backpack for a resource. I have the emergency nursing handbook from the ENA, and I take it to work with me for quick references!

3. Become board certified in your specialty!

Did you know that after becoming a licensed nurse, you are able to obtain a board certification in your specialty? I recommend that you sit for a certification after working in your specialty for a year or so! 

Most professional organizations offer board certification and review courses! Becoming board certified looks excellent on a resume and shows that you are the best of the best in your area of expertise. It also helps give you confidence that you know your stuff!

Below are some certifications for different specialties. If you don’t see your specialty here, don’t fret. Google it!

Emergency Nursing	Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
Critical Care	Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)Adult Pediatric Neonatal Cardiac Medicine (CMC)Cardiac Surgery (CSC)
Neuroscience	Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN)
Medical Surgical	Medical Surgical Nursing Certification (MEDSURG-BC)
Women’s Health	Inpatient Obstetric Nursing Certification (RNC-OB)Electronic Fetal Monitoring Certification (C-EFM)Maternal Newborn Nursing Certification (RNC-MNN)Lactation Consultant Certification (IBCLC)
Surgical Nursing	Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)

These are not all of my success tips, but these are the most frequent success tips that I give to students regarding their future careers. I am always happy to answer any questions you may have about any of these tips! Good luck in your nursing journey! You are the next generation of empowered nurses!