How To Lighten and Brighten Your Career Options

Do you have a dream of working flexible hours, expanding your nursing career, and opening a new chapter in your life? At this moment, there are many affordable and accessible programs to expand your healthcare career options.

Perhaps in earlier years, you got your certification as an RN. You may have believed that this would be a great way to explore the world, support yourself, and care for people. Whether you’ve worked as an RN recently or it’s been some time, this initial motivation to care for people is still part of your core truth.

As we head into summer, it’s a great time to lighten up and live our full potential. The cold days of winter are history. And, it’s not just the weather that kept us covered up, wrapped in sweaters, and having another cup of tea. For many women, our scope of what was possible was limited – much like living year-round in a thick winter coat. We may have restricted our thinking about what’s possible. We might have held ourselves back from seeking out an advanced career.

Well, let’s use this time of summer to lighten all that up. Here are a few tips to get you started for a lighter and brighter future.

Lighten Up Your Day

It may not seem earth-shattering, but lightening up physically can help lighten the mood, lighten the load on our bodies, and lighten up what seems possible. If you’re looking for some simple ways to lighten up, here’s a starter list.

• Lighten the room and turn on the lights.
• Lighten the whole space – open the curtains, raise the blinds.
• Lighten up clutter – clear out that unruly pile under the stairs.
• Lighten up clothes – wear lighter fabrics and brighter colors.
• Lighten up meals — eat summer produce.

Living lighter in summer is a natural urge. For instance, if you’re looking to have lighter meals, plan some healthy summer dinners. Eat outside with friends and family. Have a picnic in a park or beach. Enjoy the warmer weather, while eating more fresh produce. Try a new fruit or vegetable from a farm stand. Explore different cuisines for familiar cooling foods such as cucumbers, yogurt, and melons. 

By lightening up your meals and your approach, you’re building a new habit for summer. As you’re lightening up, you’ll be well on your way to having a summer beach body and spirit. 

Brighten Up Your Options

If you’ve been feeling in the dark about how to advance your career, turn on the lights. An advanced degree opens doors that can help you get a higher salary, work in a variety of specialties, and pursue leadership positions. Consider what appeals to you most. This may include exciting options such as:

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

This role enables you to work fully autonomously in many states, and prescribe medication in 50 states. You’ll be able to provide preventative care, diagnose and treat people for medical conditions.

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

CNMs can offer comprehensive treatment for women, including managing childbirth. They can provide annual health exams, prenatal care, and assist in family planning.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

A CNS can provide direct patient care, patient and staff education, and manage leadership initiatives. If your passion includes working within a larger organizational context, this may appeal to you.

Nurse Faculty

Nursing educators understand the unique challenges and rewards of nursing. If you want to leverage your personal experience to help students, this can be a direct way to help individuals and advance the field of nursing. There are many new affordable and accessible programs to further your education. Perhaps you’ve heard about a special program for RNs, called BSN to DNP. This is a special bridge program that accelerates how quickly you can get your Doctor of Nursing Practice certification.

These programs make it possible to fast-track your education. You’ll find all kinds of options such as full-time, part-time, in-person, online, and hybrid programs to match your specific preferences.

A Lighter and Brighter Future

Earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) opens up lighter and brighter horizons. You may find yourself walking forward to new opportunities, better pay, and more flexibility. If you’ve been looking for job security and a field that is expected to grow, this is it. The need for nurse practitioners is expected to grow 45% between 2019 and 2029. In addition, nurse practitioners on average earn closer to $115,800 compared to RN salary of $73,000.

Keep this in mind as you find the best way forward in your career.