One of the greatest things about the nursing profession is the sheer number of career options available. The hardest part is often deciding where to start. Whether you are a new graduate or have been in the profession for a few years, it can be helpful to map out where you want your career to go.
For example, do you enjoy research? KHSC offers opportunities far beyond bedside care, including nursing research across surgical, medical, obstetrics and gynecology, ambulatory, orthopedic, intensive care, emergency, renal, neurological, oncology and cardiac specialties. These roles allow nurses to influence practice and improve patient outcomes within a tertiary care environment. If you are interested, take time to learn what qualifications and experience you need to move into a research position.
Perhaps you prefer caring for patients who require complex wound care, or you see yourself working in the operating room. Maybe you love teaching in a clinical setting, or you imagine yourself in a leadership role where you can shape policies that keep patients safe and improve outcomes. Critical care, oncology, education, quality improvement, leadership, research and advanced practice roles all exist within one organization. There are so many possibilities.
Take time to think about which career paths will make you happy and keep you engaged. Then research the steps needed to move into those roles. Talk to nurses who are already doing the work you aspire to do. Ask about the pros and cons. Find out what they might have done differently if they had the chance. These conversations can help guide your decision-making.
Speak with nurses who have worked for many years and ask how they chose their paths. Their insight can be invaluable as you consider your own direction.
When you are happy in your work and feel that your role aligns with your strengths and interests, both you and your colleagues benefit. It truly is a win-win situation.
To learn more about career opportunities at KHSC, please visit kingstonhsc.ca/working-and-volunteering.
Kathleen Boucher is a registered nurse with nearly five decades of experience in healthcare, an award-winning author, certified lifestyle coach, and certified stress and wellness consultant. Since beginning her nursing career in 1977, she has been a passionate advocate for both patient care and the wellbeing of healthcare professionals. She is the author of Healing Canadian Healthcare: Ideas to Improve Nursing Enrolment & Retention, written in response to the critical nursing shortage facing Canada and the global healthcare community.
