No Upward Mobility

VTsquach · Jun 27, 2016

At a year in I think you are way overthinking this. Work at this position until you feel like you have nothing more to learn from it, then move on to something else that interests you.

Psychcns · Jun 27, 2016

It sounds like you want more challenge. If you want challenge at work it sounds like you are getting ready for a change. If you want challenge in your life, whatever that might be for you, you may like a supportive work environment.

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Jun 27, 2016

I probably wouldn't leave a job I loved for some vague idea of advancement. I'd need to have a specific goal in mind and see the move as a stepping stone toward that goal.

pixiestudent2 · Jun 28, 2016

What kind of advancement are you looking for if not management?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 28, 2016

It all depends on what you want in the way of advancement. Do you want to be a charge nurse? Or a manager? Or CNO? Having a measurable goal is the first step in determining how you'll proceed. It sounds to me like you haven't really formulated one, so you may do well to continue where you are for the time being, learning new things and getting certifications in different areas. In the meantime, you can research the various career paths and think about what kind of "advancement" might suit you. For some, a lateral move to another department is a good way to keep things fresh and interesting; but if you wish to ascend a specific clinical ladder, you'll want a BSN or preferably an MSN. The days when a nurse could go from the floor directly into management with an ADN/ASN/AAS are long gone.

Wishing you the very best in your endeavors.

motor_mouth, MSN, RN · Jun 28, 2016

At a year in I think you are way overthinking this. Work at this position until you feel like you have nothing more to learn from it, then move on to something else that interests you.

I don't think it's ever too early to plan for the future and work to get there.

It sounds like you want more challenge. If you want challenge at work it sounds like you are getting ready for a change. If you want challenge in your life, whatever that might be for you, you may like a supportive work environment.

I guess I didn't think of the environment as not being supportive, but I see that now that you've pointed it out. We've had more than one person leave after getting a higher degree, be that a BSN or higher.

I probably wouldn't leave a job I loved for some vague idea of advancement. I'd need to have a specific goal in mind and see the move as a stepping stone toward that goal.

Absolutely.

What kind of advancement are you looking for if not management?

Maybe not advancement per se, but opportunities to be on committees, which could then serve as stepping stones to a more specific role, such as quality improvement.

It all depends on what you want in the way of advancement. Do you want to be a charge nurse? Or a manager? Or CNO? Having a measurable goal is the first step in determining how you'll proceed. It sounds to me like you haven't really formulated one, so you may do well to continue where you are for the time being, learning new things and getting certifications in different areas. In the meantime, you can research the various career paths and think about what kind of "advancement" might suit you. For some, a lateral move to another department is a good way to keep things fresh and interesting; but if you wish to ascend a specific clinical ladder, you'll want a BSN or preferably an MSN. The days when a nurse could go from the floor directly into management with an ADN/ASN/AAS are long gone.
Wishing you the very best in your endeavors.

I'd like to eventually use the Clinical Nurse Leader degree I went to school for. I have only worked in the medical field since graduating from undergrad (BA in psych) and have always liked the idea of finding the best way to fix the various issues that are common (staffing, turnover, falls, pressure wounds, etc.) That was why I did the CNL program in the first place.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jun 28, 2016

What did you expect? You are working for the man. You get a pittance "raise" to keep on doing so.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 30, 2016

So you have a CNL degree? Then you are educationally qualified for a lot of possible roles -- you may just be "too new" to see them all yet. Start by getting involved in committees, etc. and pay attention to who the other nurses are in your facility. Are there people in Staff Development? Quality Improvement? Infection Control? Case Management? Discharge Planning? People coordinating specific programs for targeted patient groups? Diabetes Educators? etc. Start getting to know those people and learn the lay of the land in regards to those types of positions. You have an MSN that might be acceptable for some of those jobs when they become available. Once you get a year or two of clinical experience, you might be a good candidate for some of them.

NOADLS · Jun 30, 2016

This is one of the big problems with this profession. If you want to move up, you need more education or a load of experience. You don't move up through "stellar performance." Performance is very hard, if not impossible to link to profitability. Nurses are treated as expenses. Some managers who aren't even nurses are considered to be bigger pieces than nurses because of their ability to design and implement budgets that save money despite making this field a lot harder to provide effectively in.

If you bill per patient like a physician, you are likely to get hefty raises for volume instead of quality. This isn't what most of you want to hear, but at some point, you'll have to face reality.

motor_mouth, MSN, RN · Jul 1, 2016

So you have a CNL degree? Then you are educationally qualified for a lot of possible roles -- you may just be "too new" to see them all yet. Start by getting involved in committees, etc. and pay attention to who the other nurses are in your facility. Are there people in Staff Development? Quality Improvement? Infection Control? Case Management? Discharge Planning? People coordinating specific programs for targeted patient groups? Diabetes Educators? etc. Start getting to know those people and learn the lay of the land in regards to those types of positions. You have an MSN that might be acceptable for some of those jobs when they become available. Once you get a year or two of clinical experience, you might be a good candidate for some of them.

I've let my supervisor know that I'm interested in being on a committee she sent an email about. She acknowledge me but that's the last I heard of it. I'll follow up soon if I don't hear anything back. I'll also ask what other committees are available.

We do have a lot of the positions you mentioned, with quality improvement being the one I'm most interested in. Those people are not looked upon too kindly unfortunately. Apparently a lot of them don't have floor experience yet make all the rules.

Thanks for all the feedback.

CecileSF · Jul 6, 2016

This is similar to the place I've worked at: no clinical ladder, no committees, no masters level positions. Just focus on your duties and your job as a nurse. Management/leadership RNs also do not stay long in our hospital. Seniority and yearly pay raises is the only way you can go "upward". Some hospitals I've been at had at least chances for nurses to be on committees and make improvements to pt care and the hospital, the extra hours doing this comes with bonuses. Because of the lack of upward mobility I don't plan on staying at this place very long. For some nurses who really like bedside and want the same position, this is great. But for others who want to go a different direction, you have to go to another facility. Go to a place where you can reach your goals, all others are stepping stones. Everybody has a different idea where they want to be in their career, some enjoy staying put some enjoy trying new jobs.