After graduating from nursing school, you probably spent hours upon hours searching for the perfect job. You most likely attended several interviews and toured a lot of facilities. And finally, you found a position and were hired – congratulations!
But how do you know if the job you’ve found is a good one or just okay? Ultimately, only you can know that since everyone is different. But there are a few signs that can help you see if you’re on the right track or not. Here are the top 7 signs that you’ve found a great job.
You’re Excited About It
This may sound a little silly because most recent nursing grads will be excited about finding any job, but if you find yourself feeling a bit more enthusiasm for this particular position, it’s a sign that it’s a good fit. And that’s the key – not every job will be the perfect one for every nurse, so it’s important to note how you feel specifically about the position you’ve just landed. Even if not everything about it is perfect on paper, having positive feelings about it means you made the right choice.
Growth Opportunities
Nursing is an ever-changing field, as we must keep up with new developments in technology, science, and treatment. It is crucial that a good nursing position encourages employees to continue their learning and stay current on the latest nursing developments. Ideally, a facility will offer nurses training or courses, though some larger hospitals will reimburse nurses for tuition if they are going back to school to further their education and perhaps earn a higher degree.
Other Nurses Love It
You can tell a lot about a position by asking current employees how they feel. It’s a good idea before taking a position to ask the employer about nurse satisfaction. What do they love about it? Are there any common complaints they’ve heard? It’s even better if you can ask the nurses themselves, since you’re likely to get an open and honest response. One thing to pay special attention to here are the amenities and benefits that are offered to nurses. Are they enough to make up for the unusual scheduling? Do they keep nurses happy with perks to help them through long shifts? Find out what other nurses have to say about working there. If they love it, you probably will too.
Low Turnover
Turnover is the rate at which employees leave and must be replaced. If a location has high turnover, that means that nurses are leaving at a much higher rate than in other facilities. With high turnover, there is most likely an underlying reason why nurses are leaving so much.
If you’ve found a great job, you’ll see that most nurses have been working there for a long time. You may be the first new nurse in a really long time. Don’t be intimidated by the experience surrounding you; the fact that no one leaves the place is a good sign that it’s a great place to work and no one wants to leave.
They Value Work/Life Balance
As you probably noticed in nursing school, nursing is not a career that truly facilitates a good work/life balance. There is so much to learn, and you often have to make personal sacrifices in order to study and work. In nursing school, you might not have had the thriving social life that you enjoyed before.
However, a great job will help you establish a good work/life balance. They will refrain from asking you to work multiple long shifts at a time and will respect your decision to decline taking up an extra shift if you simply cannot do it. This is a critical part of a good job. Many facilities will do their best to get everything out of you that they can, to whatever detriment it causes you. But a great job will understand that the more balance you have in life, the better an employee you will be.
It Aligns with Your Values
Because nursing is a career of such a personal nature, it’s important to make sure that your new job at a hospital or clinic respects your values and beliefs. In an ideal world, the plan of the workplace will align with what you hold close to your heart. If your facility values profit over patients, and you strongly believe it should be the other way around, there’s a good chance that this won’t be the right fit for you. Before accepting any position, make sure to review the mission statement and professional vision of the facility.
It Just Feels Right
This one is a bit hard to explain since feelings are pretty subjective. But that’s the beauty of finding the right position; if it feels good for you, it’s probably right for you. The same position might not be right for every nurse. Don’t worry about finding the “perfect” job that looks amazing on paper. Instead, you should feel good about working there.
If you notice everything falling into place, or that you’re able to have fun at work and enjoy your coworkers, or even that you’re able to go home and not feel stressed out, chances are you’ve found the greatest nursing job possible.