Your nursing skills are an invaluable asset. Learn how to harness them for your next step.
This post was first published on my Medium blog—follow me there for the most up-to-date entries!
If you’re a nurse wondering whether you can keep doing this for another five, ten, or twenty years… you’re not broken or burned. You’re not stuck. You’re probably just stalled.
I’ve been there too.
I didn’t have a dramatic moment where I collapsed in tears or stormed out of a shift. I didn’t wait until I was full-blown burned out. Instead, I just started noticing that I was… checked out. I was still showing up, still competent, still caring. But I had this growing awareness that I couldn’t do just this forever. I loved taking care of people, but I needed something more — some type of growth, direction, meaning beyond the routines I knew inside and out.
It took me a while to admit it. Even longer to act on it.
But when I finally did, everything started to change.
Why it feels like you’re stuck
There are a few reasons it feels like there’s no way forward — even though there is.
Nursing trains you for clinical excellence, not career evolution
In nursing school, I learned how to save lives, prioritize well under pressure, and think fast. But no one taught me how to map out my next chapter. Sound familiar? If you don’t want to go into management (ugh, I tried that, and it’s not for me!), what’s left?
That silence — the gap between what you’re trained to do and what you could do — makes it easy to assume there aren’t any options for a career change for nurses.
You’ve internalized the idea that bedside care is your identity
We don’t just work as nurses. We become nurses. After more than 50 years, I still have nursing in my DNA. And for a lot of us, it feels like if we step away from clinical care, we’re walking away from our purpose. But here’s the truth: you’re not betraying nursing by evolving. You’re expanding it.
You don’t recognize the value of what you’re already doing
Just last week, I was talking to a nurse who blew me away. I told her she had an incredible ability to hear what people weren’t saying, to sense when something deeper was going on, and to explore that space with compassion — but never in a style that felt invasive.
She smiled and said, “I was just a floor nurse before this.”
Ooh. My “halt” hand flew out. I said, “You weren’t just a floor nurse. There is no such thing.”
That nurse had honed exceptional communication and emotional intelligence in her prior role. She didn’t realize how valuable those skills really were — probably because no one had ever reflected them back to her.
I’ve seen this again and again. Nurses who lead committees, orient new staff, rewrite protocols, troubleshoot broken processes — yet still don’t consider themselves leaders. You’ve probably done far more than your job title suggests. You’re a fixer, a thinker, a communicator, a planner. You solve high-stakes problems in real time with limited resources and emotional chaos all around you.
Did you just highlight one of those sentences? I’m not surprised. Because suddenly, you realized you’re all of those things.
Until now, your work has become second nature, so you assumed it didn’t count. That it’s just “part of the job.”
What if it’s the most valuable part?
You’re not “just a nurse”
We throw that phrase around — “just a nurse” — like it’s a shrug. But look at what you do:
- You translate complexity for families in crisis.
- You calm chaos with one sentence.
- You teach, advocate, organize, coordinate, and lead.
There is nothing “just” about that.
The roles beyond bedside care — consulting, education, innovation — need your lived experience. And so do the patients and systems that depend on them. You can parlay your skills into a career change for nurses.
What helped me start moving again
My answers didn’t come after some big inspirational moment. My realization grew from something much quieter: I started journaling.
Not pages and pages. Just a few honest sentences at the end of a shift. A question here, a half-formed idea there. Over time, I noticed patterns. Things I was drawn to. Things I was tired of. I didn’t even realize I was finding clarity — until I had it.
Journaling helps create clarity and momentum
Studies (such as Pennebaker, J.W. & Beall, S.K. (1986), King, L.A. (2001), and Ullrich & Lutgendorf (2002)) show that expressive writing can improve both mental clarity and decision-making. These aren’t secondary summaries. They’re peer-reviewed research studies on why writing things down helps people move forward — especially those navigating a career change for nurses. (And don’t be tempted to scoff at how old those studies are. Who will fund those studies these days?)
You don’t need a fancy notebook. A $1 spiral is fine. But if you want something a little more elegant and structured, here are three options nurses often love:
- Plain journal notebook: If you want to just write with no structure, you might like the Paperage. I like it because it has a hard cover and 160 thick pages that minimize bleeding and pagination, it’s available in multiple colors, and it’s reasonably priced.
- Bullet journal: Combines task tracking, reflection, and notes in one flexible space. You can see patterns without being locked into a format.
- Insight-focused journals: Guided options like Reflect Journal MindPanda prompt short bursts of clarity, reflection, and small steps.
The notebook or method you use doesn’t matter nearly as much as the honesty. The goal isn’t to be profound — it’s to be real with yourself.
If you feel stalled, start here
You don’t need to overhaul your career overnight. But you can take one grounded step toward what’s next. Try this:
- Write down three things you’re tired of doing.
- Write down three things you wish you did more of.
- Circle one from each list. Ask: How can I shift just 1% in the right direction?
That’s how real change starts. Not with a leap — but with a nudge.
Career change for nurses is possible
You’ve done enough surviving. If there’s a part of you whispering “I need something different,” that’s a voice you should probably listen to. You don’t need the perfect plan. You just need one honest moment — and a small step forward.
If you want help with that? Stick around. I’ve got tools, support, and a structured path to help you move from stalled to thriving — without throwing everything away.
I’ve got a free webinar coming soon for career changes for nurses. It’s called “Beyond the Bedside,” and it walks you through what to do before you make a move. We’ll talk through your options, what makes a career pivot successful, and how to avoid jumping from one draining job to another.
Drop a comment or DM me if you want early access. Space is limited.
Let’s build your next chapter — on purpose, with heart.
This post was first published on my Medium blog—follow me there for the most up-to-date entries!
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
References
Pennebaker, J.W. & Beall, S.K. (1986). Confronting a traumatic event through writing improves both physical and psychological health.
King, L.A. (2001). Writing about life goals enhances personal growth and helps people clarify their future direction.
Ullrich & Lutgendorf (2002). Narrative expressive writing boosts clarity more effectively than simply writing about emotions.