47// How to Align Your Nursing Career with Your Goals (Instead of Just a Paycheck) (Replay)

This podcast was one of the top 10 podcast episodes of 2024. I am bringing it back as a replay for your enjoyment as I work on new episodes for 2025. 

This week's episode peels back the layers of why embracing a career mindset in nursing benefits personal growth and improves the nursing profession. 

We also discuss the impact of a career-focused approach on workplace morale and patient care. Actionable advice is provided for those currently stuck in a job-focused mindset and who want to change to a career-focused mindset. 

We explore how to evolve our roles beyond the daily hustle of nursing and into a pathway that instills pride, direction, and a voice that resonates within the healthcare community. 

This episode is for you if you're ready to transform your perspective and propel your nursing job into a meaningful nursing career.

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Join me for a **1:1 Nurse Career Clarity Coaching Call**—a 1:1 coaching session where we’ll get you unstuck and find clarity to make the next move in your career.

Transcript

2:12

I'm teasing out the difference between a job versus a career. And I'm going to talk about the differences between. Being in a mindset of being in a child mode. Um, versus being a career minded nurse. There is a difference between the two. There are things that we do on where on a chop path. We might not even know that that's what we're doing. Versus when we're on a career path. And you might be even starting to think. Okay. Like, what would that look like? I'm going to jump into that in this episode. I'm also going to just kind of talk about some things that you can do to take action. If you are. Currently in a job mode and you need to switch your mindset to more of a career mode because you realize that. Being in the job mode might be hurting you And so I want you to understand these two paths and then be empowered about making a decision to be on one path versus another. Are you feeling stuck in your current clinical environment? Do you want to make a change in your nursing career but not sure what to do next? Exhausted, burnt out, and maybe even ready for different leadership? I'm Bonnie Meadows, a board certified nurse. Clinical Nurse Specialist, Influential Leader, Career Coach, and Well Being Coach. Being in the nursing and healthcare profession since 2004, I have felt stuck and unsure about what was next for me. I wanted to be fulfilled in my purpose, to have a voice at the table. And to be a resource for others, I kept telling myself I wanted more, but didn't have the direction I needed until I found clarity and career growth strategies for experienced nurses like me. In this podcast, you will find. Simple tactical steps that allow you to gain the clarity you need, solutions for how to grow even without supportive leadership, and guidelines for setting boundaries at work so that you can grow purposefully in your career as a nurse with a graduate degree who makes a huge impact in the profession. So get ready to trade your scrubs for yoga pants. Pop in those earbuds and let's chat. I have a quick story. About. When I was a nurse aid. When we didn't call ourselves health care texts. At that point in time, we were. A nurse aid. And I was working in the hospital. I was, um, in nursing school, working night shift I y'all out. I'm one of those people who I love night shift, like it worked the best for my. Life while I was in nursing school. And so I would work the 11 to seven shift, maybe about 20 hours a week. 15 to 20 hours a week. And, um, there was one particular night and I was in the float pool. So there was one particular night and I was working on a surgical unit. And. I was talking to a nurse who. Was she was working there and somehow, or another, we at Katten on the conversation of me being in nursing school. And she started going off about, I just don't know why anybody would want to sign up to be a nurse. And I was shocked. And I was like, why. Why are you here? And that was probably the first time that I had just really developed that mentality of when people start like really complaining bad about work. My first thought is why are you here making everyone else miserable? And that's what she was doing. And so I would put her in a place of you are. On you are. Job minded. You're really just here. Ticket the paycheck. Because why else would you be here? Like why, why would you put yourself through that misery? Of showing up every day. Now, some people don't know how to work themselves out of the misery. I'm one of those people I've learned to work myself out of misery. Like I don't. I don't. I don't stay long. Once I've realized I'm miserable. I develop my exit plan at that point. But why. And then why would you discourage others? Nursing is such a great profession. It is needed. Why would you discourage another person? And so that really got me in the mindset of. Really thinking about nursing as a career versus nursing as a job. And there there's so much talk today about it being a gig profession. Um, and how, yes, we want flexibility as nurses. Yes. We want flexibility in our hours and our time. But I will tell you that many times when you do hop around like that, and I'm not what I'm not doing is bashing anyone for hopping around in order to. Get their piece in order to gain, you know, the flexibility and the autonomy that they desire for their life. But it kind of, it puts you in that place of. Making others think that you're really just about the job now. There are some. Who really care about nursing? You just want the flexibility. And I applaud you and I'm thankful for you. Um, For pushing us as a profession because we need to be pushed. We needed to be pushed. Um, but the question is how long are you staying in it and what is your plan in it? Y'all know, I'm all about a plan. Um, so I'm just going to talk through. A few things. A few key points. What are those things that stand out the, say that your job minded versus career-minded. Um, so one thing. That distinguishes a job minded nurse from a career minded nurse. Is your intention. What is your intention in the work? And the intentions set versus what set, whether you are long-term focused or whether you're short-term focused. So for example, You can have the intention. Too. Be in one role and have the intention to get out of another role and go into another job. That might be just a little bit more simple than what you are already doing. But. You have a long-term focus either you are in school. Or you're looking for the next job. But you had to get out of that last job in order to really get clear. On how to make a plan. And so you get into another job. You're really there just to do the job. You're not there to grow your career in that. Particular space. So say you go from being an NP, then you go back to working at the bedside because you decided you didn't want to be in a nurse practitioner anymore. And so you go back to working at the bedside, but you're really only there. To figure out what your next is. You're still career-minded. You just had to go from one job to another. But your intention is. I'm more than likely not going to be here in this space for long, but I needed a reprieve in order to figure out what my next step is. And so your purpose for working a job, if you are job minded is really just to your intention. Is to get money. Now everybody's intention for working is to get money, but your primary intention. Is to get money versus your primary intention being. I want to make an impact and I'm gaining skills in order to. Grow in my career. And tap into what is the next level of where I want to go in my growth and advancement as a nurse. And so. In your career, you're still, you know, support yourself. Um, but you also work towards reaching your goals and ambitions when you are career minded. And when choosing a career, you base your decision. Have a job based on your talents and your passions. Versus. Basing it on. Oh, well, they make that type of money. So I want to, I want to go for that job because it gets paid a lot. Okay, well, but is it part of your plan? Is it your intention to grow in that area? Because we know more money, more problems. And so. The politics get a little thicker and you just got to be able to recognize if this is that thing that you, if this is that area, that specialty, that, that work, that you want to put your muscle into. In order to grow. So two. Your goals. And. Pretty much jobs for focus on short term goals, careers focus on long term goals. So if your job minded you're focused on a short-term goal. I need to make money. Or. I need to do whatever. When you are career minded, you're focused on long-term goals. So. For example. When you are. Job minded. You will more than likely unless you are. Oh, The intention of, I'm still trying to find my specialty. When you are job minded, your short term goal. Is to. Either your short term goal is money or it's flexibility in time. So you're going to pretty much just work wherever. You want to work wherever? Wherever. And. There's no. Intentionality to where you're working, where you're gaining skills, what skills you're gaining. Versus when you are career minded, your goals are long-term. So you look at jobs, even if you are sliding into a job that is. More, so something that is an in-between. Why you figure out what your next step is? You tend to. Be more intentional and your, your longterm. So you're thinking, okay, I'm still gaining skills. I'm still staying on top of my skills. And I can still speak to the work that I did in this particular job. And how it will apply to what I want to do next. Like, it's still got to apply. Number three. Kind of goes back to goals and intention. And it's when you're job minded and when you're career minded, you're thinking about where you're learning the skills. And your continued education. So goes back to the skills are connecting. So your main intent. Again, are we a job is either Tom or flexible money or flexibility and more than likely it's money. Sometimes your main intent of the job is. And some, somebody would say was always money. Like I want to have the freedom that, that that's money, um, and that's time. So you want to have the freedom and the flexibility. To be able to focus on. Maybe a side business, or you want to folk that has nothing to do with nursing. But this job is fueling. Your funds. For you to help build this business or for you to help. Um, volunteer in some type of way, or for you to take care of your kids. Your job binded. And that's okay. Just show up and do your work. Be the best you, you can be. So I digress. When you are career minded. Where you learn your skills and what skills you're learning in, what job makes a difference. And you're very intentional about. Going to jobs. That will help you to gain the skills. Where you want to go longterm. Those skills. Translate into more of a career. And can translate into other parts of your career. You also understand that you need continued education. With those skills. So as a career minded nursery, you don't mind. When someone says, oh, we need education on this. So we need education on that. You're not the first one. That's like. We always have education on something. Like, I don't have time for that. No, that's not your complaint. You're like, okay. All right, give me the skills. Bring it on. When I was working at the bedside. Uh, I've always been, career-minded very intentional about. Um, what I did. And so. When my nurse manager would ask me, not that I said yes to everything, but when they asked me to do certain things or when I saw certain things, Or certain activities that. They needed a volunteer for. I knew. I was very intentional about, okay. Is that skill. Going to help me in the longterm. Now you can't predict the future. But you'd know those general skills that we'll be able to help you in the longterm. Be a project management skills, leading a team. Developing education. Like I was asked, my husband would say I was collected and chips. And so I, in my mind would always think, oh, that's a good resume building. Let me do that. Ooh, that's a good resume builder. Let me do that. And so you are. Intentional about where you're learning your skills when you are career minded, when you're job minded, you're just like, I got these skills. And I can use them here. Versus when you're career minded, you're thinking. Okay, well, What skills can I also gain? While I'm in this place. I was talking to a nurse who. Was getting her DNP. And she was working in a hospital. But she needed a change. Like she was working in the hospital. And she was working in a role for a long period of time, but she needed a change. And so I saw her at a conference and we were talking and, you know, I was asking her, so what are you up to now to the. Um, And she said, oh, well, I'm doing this. And I was like, so are you going to kind of do that? Long-term I was like, oh. And she was like, I asked her if she was going to do that long-term or what she was going to do with it. And she was like, ah, I don't know how long I'm going to stay. I said, oh, so you're dibbling and dabbling. She said, yes. Cause right now it works for. My. Flexibility. And I'm able to make money in order to finish school. But. In the meantime, she knew what skills she wants at the table. And she knew what skills she could pick up. From that particular job, it was still an intentional move. And she picked up some strong skills from that job. And she saw the possibilities in the company in which she worked, or if not in that company, in the industry. And so she was still looking to expand her skills in the industry, but she needed a role that was a little bit more flexible. And so I. I want to just encourage you, even if you are in a space of. I don't know what I want to do next. So I'm going to just going to S. I'm just going to find a job where I know it's just a little bit easier. And I know I'll have some time to really think about how to map out my career plan, go with it. One key difference between the mindset of having a job versus a career, is that the jobs give you the paycheck, whereas the careers gave you experience and exposure. You might even consider it a form of a life education. So for example, When management. Becomes your career goal. Your goals are completely different. Versus. I'm deciding. Your. Your goals are completely different. Your goals are more long-term. Versus very short-term goals. And I'm not even saying the staying at the bedside and deciding that you are going to be a nurse at the bedside and expand your skills. It's a short term goal. It's not. It's. And it's it. Doesn't make you a job minded nurse. It makes you a very intentional nurse. To dig in where you are. Grow where you are. Mentor where you are develop the nurses who are coming in because you know that you're going to stay there long term. Management is as decent I can tolerate what's going on. I like it here. I'm going to stay. You can still grow. You can still be a growth minded type of person. So. Why is it important to really know this. So jobs and careers are interconnected. As a lifetime of jobs makes up the career. You choose. So even if you're like, yeah, I don't. Now more than likely. If you're listening to this podcast, you are career minded. You probably just need to make some tweaks. But even if you're piecing together jobs, by the time you get about 20 years in, you've made a career, something. If you're still. In nursing. It, it just, it's just. It does it, doesn't tell a story. But you've made a career of something. But no one will be able to really, not that that matters. That anyone can tell a story from. Your work. You tell the story. But everyone can work towards a career trajectory in nursing and it doesn't always have to be management. It doesn't always have to be you're the SVP of this, that, and the other. It doesn't doesn't have to be that. Uh, career minded nurse elevates the profession and gives you confidence. That your voice matters. It helps you to make more ownership. It helps you to take more ownership of your work environment. Because you're invested in it. That's why I say. Even if you're deciding to stay as a bedside nurse, you're taking ownership of that environment. And that is a part of growth. To make the work environment better. You can pat yourself on the back. And say we're the best unit because of dah, dah, dah. this is why you should work here. Like, there's just some things that you can really be proud of because you've taken ownership of where you work. Career paths and career mindedness. Provides more meaning and purpose. So if that's what you're looking for. Then you need to check yourself as to if you are job. Minded or are you career minded? Because career mindedness. Helps you to make sure that you are staying locked in. On finding your meaning. And your purpose. And working towards that. So, how do you develop a career mindset? If you know what career path you want to pursue. Figure out the expertise and the experience. That you need to get there and that sometimes you don't know that. And you're going to have to ask. Or you're going to have to test some things out. So that goes back to the nurse who was getting their DNP and they were now in a pivot in their career. She now has to test some things out. To see what works best for her. She was testing out. She saw some positions that would be great for her going forward in her career. She's you sometimes you have to dibble and dabble. That's why I tell people like sometimes your next step. Especially when you're coming out of a position. That is. More, so a salary position and you're making a change to something else or you're wanting to grow into something else. And you don't know what that next thing is. Sometimes you got to land softly somewhere else in order to get clarity about what you really want. And so. When you're developing a career mindset, you need to work towards determining which skills will benefit your career. The most. Look at successful professionals in your industry, reach out to them. If you can. And ask for their advice. Yeah, people want to tell their story. Because most people are amazed at where they've, how far they've come. And, and not that they. Like most of them. They've come that far because they've been intentional. But the majority want to tell their story. Those who don't want to take you under their wings and tell you their story. And say I did it. You can do it too. They're just selfish bull. I said it. There's your selfish. This selfish. And their ego is getting in their way. So you move on from them. If they don't want to help, if they don't want to tell you this, if they don't want to take time. Now not, oh, I don't have time today. But if they're just always avoiding you and they're not wanting to tell you their story of how they got where they are. They're selfish. Their ego is in a way. And they're thinking that you're going to take their position. So move on from them. Get a mentor. Or hire career coach. So. Seek out a mentor. Or two with an upper level position or experience that you desire in your field. So that's different from asking someone for advice. Versus a mentor and a career coach. They're a little bit more longterm. That can be short term. The career coach, they both can be the career coach can be short-term or long-term. The mentor is a little bit more longterm because they have seen. How you've walked through your career. You're getting a little bit more deeper with them. They're understanding your story. And they're also helping you to pace through and make decisions on. What. You need to do next. And so in order to get career-minded shift from job mindedness to career mindedness, You need to find a mentor. If you want more episodes on mentors and mentors versus the word sponsor comes up a lot. Um, well, let me know. Let me know. I could definitely put that together. Um, cause I like talking about mentorship and there's not enough of it in nursing. We have way more bullying and lateral violence than we do mentorship in nursing. And that's one of my passions also, and that's one of the things that I like to change. I also at an ask that mentor, if they would consider supporting and advising you. Professionally. So that you can ask. Specific questions. And think about topics to discuss. So it's an ongoing conversation with mentors and with coaches and with career coaches, it's an ongoing conversation. It could be again, a short-term conversation with a coach, even with a mentor. That's it. They, they ebb and flow. And then expand your network. Yeah, I'll networking has taken my career so far. And I realized at a point that I was networking, it didn't realize I was networking. I'll tell you more about that later. But I can't say enough about networking and expanding your network. So that means going in person to workshops, not hiding anymore. Going in person and online to workshops, going to conferences, going to seminars, going to social events. Those are great places to meet other professionals in your field, introduce yourself and get to know other people in what other people do so that you can hear like what other people do. And you're like, huh? I didn't realize that was a thing. You'll be surprised. At how many times you will say, I didn't realize you could do that. So to wrap up. Job minded versus career minded. What is it? It's about your intentions. It's about your goals. It's about where you learn your skills and what education. Do you want to get as to whether your job minded versus your career minded? I remember that key difference between the mindset of having a job versus pursuing a career. Is the jobs, give you the paychecks, whereas careers give you the experience and the exposure. Why is this important? Because jobs and careers are interconnected as a lifetime. Time of jobs makes up the career. You choose. Career paths. Provide more meaning and purpose. And a career-minded nurse elevates the profession of nursing and health care. How do you develop it? Continued learning. Continue developing. Figure out what expertise and experience you need to get there. So they, you know, that comes back to that. Self-awareness. Get a mentor or hire a career coach. And expand your network. If you want more information. You found a topic or a piece that I talked about and you want to dive in a little bit further. Email me, let me know. Um, what you would like to hear more of. I'd love to hear from more from you all. Um, and if you found this information valuable, make sure you leave a five-star review. So that this podcast can get out to more people. And to so that I will be able to read them and know what you'd like to hear of more also. Um, so there are two places that you can, you can do that. You can either send me an email or you can, um, You can leave a review and then leave that information in a review. Thanks. Y'all. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. If so, would you take 30 seconds and share it with another nurse who may be unsure of where to go next in their career, or maybe need some career clarity? Also, please leave a quick review for the show on Apple podcast. It brings me so much joy and so much encouragement to know this podcast is helping you. Now go get the career you want and not the one you settle for. And I'll meet you back here next Thursday for another episode. See you soon!