I have a friend that made more than one of us laugh at her Facebook post, That awkward moment when you realize that fat pants are too tight.

It made me think about things fitting and then not fitting. Our careers like our clothes, work well for a period of time and then the wear and tear of our jobs becomes uncomfortable. As soon as we have used up the all the seam allowance available we find ourselves looking for a new outfit.

As nurses, the options for finding the new outfit are unlimited. Our years of experience and knowledge provides a myriad of consultants roles. For example, there are more seniors then there are facilities to care for them, so innovation and opportunity abounds in elder care. Shifting reimbursements and facility reconfigurations are providing new opportunities for clinical documentation specialists, case managers and patient advocates. Part time, full time, on the side or hourly; the nursing profession is not a one size fits all!

Our most fashionable wardrobe happens when we effectively mix the new pieces in with the old. We don’t throw out everything, just those things that no longer fit. It is the same in nursing, we always use our experience and build on the future. The variety of what your nursing career closet contains will cloth you for a lifetime!

Since 1985 the National Nurses in Business Association (NNBA) is dedicated to advancing and promoting Nurses in Business, Nurse Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs. The NNBA is the ‘Voice of Nurse Entrepreneurship’ as a result of the active participation and contributions of its richly resourced membership.
© 2016 Michelle Podlesni RN, CEO, USN Veteran, accomplished businesswoman, author of Unconventional Nurse® and president of the National Nurses in Business Association.