Keith Carlson

In the course of your nursing career, you need allies who can help you elevate and advance your journey as a professional nurse. Allies are easier to come by than you think, but so many nurses don't think strategically about this important aspect of nursing career development

Along these same lines, is your career driven by something akin to the Puritan Work Ethic, or are you driven by fear, whether it be fear of not having enough, fear of losing status, or simply fear of being without work? On other days, work may feel like a total slog, a chore to complete as quickly as possible, with your blinders fully in place so that you go through your day without much sense of connection or purpose. Even though it's no fun to survive those difficult workdays that feel like they'll never end, if the majority of your work life is positive, growthful, and adding meaning to your life, you're on the right track. Even though it's no fun to survive those difficult workdays that feel like they'll never end, if the majority of your work life is positive, growthful, and adding meaning to your life, you're on the right track.

Meanwhile, while we may or may not be enjoying our slog through the details, we also need to periodically take a step back and consider the big picture, which is often referred to as "."The big picture of our career and professional trajectory doesn't necessarily eschew things like resumes and job applications, but it considers the broader agenda, including short- and long-term considerations. Meanwhile, the person who's "big picture-friendly" is happy to daydream about the future, making plans that won't come to fruition because he or she is unwilling to dig into the details, those things that need to happen on the ground in order for the potential plan for the future to move forward. Without my creative side waking up and smelling the roses, I wouldn't be a freelance nurse writer, a professional nurse podcaster, a Board Certified Nurse Coach, or a public speaker at nursing conferences. So, nurses, free your mind, allow yourself to consider the 10,000-foot view, and enjoy the potential expansiveness that you experience, even if you have to tolerate some career vertigo along the way.----------Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is the Board Certified Nurse Coach behind NurseKeith.com and the well-known nursing blog, Digital Doorway.

So, if you need to alter your nutrition as you age and change, doesn't it follow that you would also need to alter your career's nutrition in the same manner? When you're fresh out of nursing school, you're like a sponge; there's so much you haven't yet experienced; every catheterization, blood draw, and central line dressing change has the potential to be a revelation. Your career's nutritional needs will change, just like your body will crave different types of foods at different stages of development. Burnout and compassion fatigue don't just happen in a vacuum; if you can keep your career nutrition healthy, consume the right professional diet, and immerse yourself in a professional environment that truly feeds your soul, you're on the path to a healthy, well-fed, and satisfying nursing career.