When I was growing up, our neighborhood was filled with kids. We enjoyed long summer days filled with games we played outside. We had plenty of space to roam, with the homes interspersed with wooded areas where we played hide-and-seek, kickball, and rounds of tag. But, I think everyone’s favorite game was tug-of-war.

Most everyone was in grade school like me, however, we did have some older brothers and sisters that were in high school in our mix of friends. It didn’t take long to build our strategy for tug of war; you wanted to be on the team with the high school kids. They were older, stronger, and they knew how to dig in, and leverage their strength. They anchored the team, gained traction, and pulled the team to victory.

So many nurses today are experiencing an internal tug-of-war, questioning whether their current work situation is sustainable. Before the global pandemic, burnout in the nursing workforce in clinical settings was over 40%. Nurses love their patients, however, the compounded effects and stress of COVID-19, increasing red tape, and internal politics, all combine to the increasing rate of burnout and dissatisfaction. The average age of today’s nurse is between 43 and 47 and the average salary is $66,000. Nurses are contemplating different work styles that may be better suited to the life they want to lead. One with more freedom, flexibility, and financial control.

Nurses need to build a strategy, and it begins with acknowledging the tug-of-war struggle is real.

• Acknowledge what you feel, and know to be true about yourself and your work situation
• Develop a clear idea and the outcome you desire
• Create a clear plan of action
• Customize your support team – find your anchors, mentors, and role-models
• Build your networking community

This strategy works to increase job satisfaction, whether you choose to remain in your current work situation, or evaluate the multitude of options.

Confident decision making is the result of having enough information from which to base your decision. September 25-27th the Nurse Entrepreneurship and Career Alternatives Virtual Conference is coming to you with live and recorded e-sessions and 18 of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs that are sharing business insider information, best practices, and resources. From Risk to Reality: Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey is Saturday’s keynote presentation by Dr. Renee Thompson, and Grow Your Greatness: Nurse Entrepreneurs on Fire!, presented by Dr. Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio, is Sunday’s keynote address. 15 contact hours are available for our main conference, and our pre-conference workshops are worth 3 contact hours each. And the best part, you have until October 15th to view, listen, and ingest this amazing content!

Celebrating 35 years in business, the NNBA is nurse’s bridge to business. We will show you how to leverage your strengths, dig in, gain traction, and re-vitalize a fulfilling nursing career. We are nurses, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and mentors helping nurses succeed in business!