By: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL

Change is hard. Making that change happen can be even harder, especially when it is happening in your nursing career. When preparing for your next job change, use these strategies to support your mental wellness and professional success:

Think about your strengths - When you think about your path forward, consider your strengths. Where can you use your strengths to elevate your experience, and where might you need to find help?
Focus on what you can control - Change can make you feel helpless. Consider what you can control to empower yourself. Ex: You cannot control whether you get a job offer or not, but you can create a strong job application with a resume compatible with ATS software.
Create a plan - Even if you are not a big planner, having an organized process on how to approach job applications can be helpful. Start with small steps to help create a path to job application success.
Find a mentor - Reach out to more experienced nurses to help advise you on how to best navigate the job application process.
Continue to take care of yourself - Keep up your normal self-care practices. It is easy to let those habits slip. As much as possible, remember to care for yourself especially as it relates to your mental health.
Assess and reassess - If you are not getting responses to your job applications, consider changing things up. Edit your resume or adjust the types of positions you are applying to.

About the Authors: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

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