Why do I want to become a second career nurse? Nursing school is a commitment so you need to ensure that you are doing it for the right reasons. Think about what is motivating you to make the change. Is it the demand for nurses, the flexibility, the variety of job opportunities or a drive to help others?

Do I have what it takes & the support to make it through nursing school? Find out and understand what the requirements of the nursing program are and make sure that you have a strong support system to get you through an accelerated nursing program. There are many study options to choose from. Good luck!

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Firstly, use a professional resume template. You can find many of these templates online.

As you are likely to have less job experience, you can also include:

• Any relevant awards or honors received. For example, an educational award or an award received during your clinical rotations.
• Volunteer, summer jobs and work experience in the healthcare field that are relevant to the job.
• Any nursing affiliations you have.

When listing your clinical rotations or senior preceptorship, you should include as many relevant details to the job you are applying to. For example, you could include the type of patients that you worked with.

Finally, being bilingual in a second language is a sought-after skill and should be included.

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Firstly, your body language can say a lot, without you saying a word. To improve your body language, try looking at yourself in front of a mirror and make sure that you are standing straight. When communicating with someone, maintain eye contact which shows interest and confidence in yourself.

Practice active listening. Active listening is the type of listening where you convey your understanding by repeating back the main points to the other person.

In nursing you will have a variety of conversations that can lead to different emotions such as anger or upset. Be aware of how your emotions may be affecting the way you communicate and train yourself to remain professional and courteous during difficult conversations.

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Firstly, look at the job description/job advertisement and ensure that the cover letter highlights in a clear and concise way, how your nursing qualifications, experience, skills and personality match the job requirements.

Show your enthusiasm for this particular nursing job and employer by explaining why you chose to apply for this job and facility.

Finally, while reading it over, ask yourself: Does this cover letter sell yourself as the best candidate for the job?

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• Communication skills are essential. Nurse managers need to be able to convey information clearly and concisely.
• Decision making and leadership skills. Nurse managers are looked up to by their team to lead and be decisive. In addition, they should act as a role model to their team.
• Team-working and team building. A nurse manager needs to work well within a team and at the same time, to build a team by encouraging collaboration and managing conflict.
• Coping effectively with change. With constant changes happening in the healthcare industry, and especially during the current pandemic, a nurse manager needs to embrace change and to adapt to it.

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Lifelong learning opens more career opportunities for nurses. For example, you may consider studying for a skills certificate, for example, in nurse leadership or for a Master’s Degree in Nursing. These qualifications will improve your chances of promotion & career advancement and increase your earning potential.

There are many online learning options available, giving you the flexibility to study in your own time. Online learning also allows you to study, despite social distancing measures and closures of learning institutions due to COVID-19.

In addition, best practices in healthcare are always developing. There is always more to learn, so nurses need to develop their knowledge & skills to ensure that they are delivering the best possible care to their patients.

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There is a great career outlook for the nursing profession. The projected growth is faster than other occupations because of the aging population and there is always a need for healthcare. There are many specialties to choose from and opportunities for growth. For example, a nurse can advance into leadership positions such as becoming a Charge Nurse or a Nurse Manager.

Nursing offers a competitive salary and many employers offer benefits such as healthcare plans, 40K/retirement plans, continuing education reimbursement etc.

Nursing provides you with the special opportunity to help and care for others and is a rewarding and meaningful career.

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There are many different job options in nursing and you may be unsure of the best direction to take your career. A recruiter will assess your skills & experience and use their expert knowledge to advise you.

Recruiters often receive exclusive nursing job openings that are not advertised, so you will have access to more jobs. Also, recruiters will search for jobs for you, saving you time sifting through job sites.

Recruiters have experience in resume writing and can ensure that your resume is tailored to the position and presented professionally. This will give you the best chance of getting your resume noticed.

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Networking is key for both developing a support network and finding a job. Keep in touch with your classmates, mentors and professors. They can provide you with advice, support and referrals for a job. LinkedIn is a great professional networking tool and should be utilized.

Your first job will not necessarily be your ideal job but you will learn a great deal. If you are unclear as to which area to specialize in, you could consider float nursing which will give you a chance to try out a variety of different specialties.

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Communication skills are vital for successful patient care. As a nurse you are continuously speaking with patients, their family and members of the team. Communication also includes non-verbal communication and active listening. Examples of non-verbal communication are maintaining eye contact and adjusting your tone of voice. Active listening is a type of listening used in order to understand the patient and not just in order to respond. These techniques will help to improve your level of patient care.

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