Here's how you can stay relevant in the evolving healthcare industry: develop these skills as a nurse.

Sure. Become more tech savvy. There's only going to be more tech in healthcare, not less. But I'd become more systems-based tech savvy. Be able to see beyond the tech and see it as being part of the systems/workflows in which you deliver care.

Become familiar with windows office applications for more than just email. Understand how to use excel, word, project plan for example. Take some LinkedIn courses to understand how healthcare data is captured and used.

Get on the council of technology advisors to help design future solutions. Be active in providing feedback of what does and doesn't work for your team's workflow. Your ability to evaluate and create solutions are critical skills needed to advance technology.

Good communication skills are essential to working as a nurse. From the physician's office to the ER, OR, and ICU, nurses are the ones on whose communication everyone relies. Part detective, part guidance counselor, and part puzzle solver, how and what nurses communicate affects outcomes. Nurses are called upon to answer questions that they have answered many times as well as ones out of left field. Effective communication involves accuracy, but it also hinges upon diplomacy and repetition. Focus on one or two key points. Rephrase as needed. In short, the best message is the one that gets through. Developing good communication skills takes time and practice. Few things are as rewarding as knowing your communication made a difference.

The most powerful tools of nursing is communication. One of the first things that nurses gain in the medical university is how to talk effective with people to lead them to the health situation.

Communication is a system you've unconsciously created for yourself. Use your systems-improvement skills to make your systems visible for both you and your team. Identify the critical 20% of the variables that produce 80% of good communication and improve them.

One thing I find helpful in developing good communication skill is the ability to establish, first and foremost, good relationship with people. When trust is built into a relationship, communication becomes effortless. It removes barriers that stifle open communication. When people are able to express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement or rebuke, productivity at work improves and career satisfaction is enhanced.

Real leadership must be systems-based. Otherwise, how will you know how to lead your team in solving problems or setting them up to be successful in their jobs.

Learn to create #LovingWorkflows/Loving systems. Fear/stress-based systems such as the one currently in care delivery throughout healthcare are where caring and compassion go to die and nurse burnout is created.

In my experience lifelong learning is only as good as who or what is learned, which is mostly status quo. Innovation, knowledge, and keeping pace with healthcare is difficult for most as a result. Alternative approaches for learning and being prepared for the future are required.

Sure, lifelong learning. But learning what? Make sure your learning is systems-based. That will be difficult because there's very little of this type of learning/training anywhere in healthcare. Know this. Anything that isn't systems-based is nearly impossible to implement and sustain.

Nurses, do you want to know the biggest secret of all? You already have all of these skills! If you are a nurse, whether brand-new or experienced, you already have so many skills that you aren’t giving yourself credit for, such as: ✍️ writing there are so many incredible nurse writers who are making a significant impact on the worlds of patient education, content marketing, and copywriting 👑 leadership delegation, management, and inspiring others is core to our role as a nurse. 🎓 teaching we precept, mentor, and teach our patients, clients, and peers every day. It's just part of what we do as nurses. This is just the beginning! All it takes is a little coaching and encouragement, and any nurse can find success and satisfaction.

The best way to begin to stretch into leadership is to join a committee that aims to solve a departmental problem in your unit. This is especially helpful for current nursing students who are writing papers or completing certificates or degrees. Pick a problem connected to a recent chapter (lesson) or course and Impact change where you are. We can ALL move things forward, formal title or not. 💚

Networking: Build a strong professional network by connecting with other nurses, healthcare professionals, and industry experts through conferences, online forums, and social media platforms like LinkedIn.