I’ll get right to the point. There are a TON of things you can do to advance your nursing career. Think about it… we’ve got

• Continuing education
• Advanced degrees
• Certificate programs
• Workshops, in-services, and webinars

The list could go on and on.

But let me ask you this- are you taking the ‘right’ steps towards career advancement? Are you happy with your professional development as you know it?

So let’s get to it. What is the number one thing you can do to advancing your nursing career? It may sound simple, yet as we know… what’s simple isn’t always easy. And why do I say that?

Well, I heard this technique myself and sometimes it can be done. Other times it can be challenging. Depending on how we feel… depending on what else is going on… depending on our competing priorities… this one simple step has the potential of becoming very, very hard. So what is it?

Take one action step. And what I was encouraged to do: take one massive action step.

Didn’t I tell you? It sounds easy, right? Or is it?

What can get in the way of your taking action (forget the ‘massive’ for a moment)? Well… to mention a few-

• Fear- ‘What if I get rejected?’
• Doubt- ‘Can I do this right?’
• Judgment- ‘Am I enough?’
• Overwhelm- ‘There’s just too many choices.’

When you feel stuck, anxious, overwhelmed or scared- the very best thing you can do is take one action step. One action step can move you forward. One action step can get you unstuck. One action step can induce progress.

And here’s the beauty of all of this- if you take the ‘wrong’ action step… you still benefit. Why? You can learn from it. If you make the ‘wrong’ choice, well at least that is over with and you can rule that option out and find the ‘right’ one.

Instead of asking yourself, ‘Why am I stuck in this state of non-doing?” you can ask- ‘What action would it take to move me forward?’ Asking that question will provide you with answers (even if you don’t know them yet) that you need.

The very best way to move your nursing career forward is to do the thing that YOU need to do as an individual. Only you knows what is best for you. Instead of feeling overwhelm, being stuck in non-action, or procrastinating any further- just take one step to move your nursing career forward.

What step will you take? Leave a comment below- even if you’re not sure if it’s the ‘right’ step. Thanks for reading and enjoy the day!