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EDITOR'S
NOTE |
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April
26, 1999
I often hear readers talking about their careers in health care, and I’ve noticed patterns that seem to lead to frustration and dead ends. Health care is still a great place to be working. But success takes the right combination of attitude and action. Here’s what I’ve seen as the most common mistakes people make and the quickest ways to derail your career: 1. Think small and short term. When you’re considering your career, just think about the next six to 12 months. Don’t think long-term. Why get a bachelor’s degree if an AA degree pays the same at the very start? Avoid seeing your career as an investment. 2. Don’t speak up for yourself. If there are problems or issues at work—and there always are—find someone else to express your concerns. When things don’t go your way, consider yourself a victim of the system. 3. Overspecialize. Learn one set of skills extremely well, but don’t consider how they can be applied in related—or even in seemingly unrelated—areas. Avoid cross-training opportunities. Tell yourself it’s impossible to use your skills outside of your immediate specialty. 4. Don’t join anything. Who has time for professional organizations anyway? Avoid becoming a member of any group related to your career. If you do join, avoid participating in a meaningful way or contributing your time or resources. 5. Stop learning. Once you’ve earned your license, consider your education over. Just sign up for the required educational programs to keep your license current. Don’t stretch, don’t seek to learn anything outside of your particular specialty. As for higher education, dismiss it as expensive and time-consuming. 6. Don’t volunteer for anything. Avoid committees and task forces at work like the plague. Tell yourself you’re too busy and too tired to contribute anything. Let everyone else solve the problems. Look to your boss to resolve all the issues. 7. Stop focusing on the patient. There are so many other concerns in health care today: policies and procedures, state and federal requirements, and the daily demands of the workplace. Don’t see each patient as central to your work. Blame your attitude on the fast pace. 8. Let your sense of personal mission slide. Don’t pause to consider what made you go into this work in the first place. Tell yourself it’s just a job, that health care is no longer a special calling. 9. Act like a mechanic instead of a gardener. Treat your day like working on an assembly line. Don’t try to nurture patients and colleagues. 10. Stop playing. When you’re off work, don’t indulge yourself. Avoid taking long walks with the people you care about, spending a day at the park, taking a bike ride with friends, going on a great trip, pursuing a hobby you enjoy. Get entirely caught up in work and chores. Don’t eat right. And develop a sleep deficit. The good news, of course, is that you don’t have to make these mistakes. Just being aware of the pitfalls of this kind of thinking can save you. Talk to people who are leading successful careers in health care and see what’s worked for them. Barbara
Bronson Gray, MN, RN |
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