Choices In Nursing Lead To Freedom

When I feel like I am in a situation where I don’t have choice, it’s kind of like I’m in prison.  In reality, I’m not locked in some self-perceived cell.  I know that I actually have plenty of choices.  I may not like the options but, nevertheless, the choices are available.

By believing that you have a choice and you get to choose which option is the most palatable, you have freedom!

I hear from nurses all the time say that “Yes, my unit is extremely short-staffed … but I don’t have a choice.”  At other times it might be “I live in a small town and this is the only job available.”  Or the simplistic comment of “This is all that I’ve ever done; I’m stuck here.”

Any time you tell yourself that you are stuck and have no choices, you are greatly limiting yourself.  Who knows what would happen should you do go elsewhere?  Or find a job a little further away?  Or, for that matter, move?

Don’t misunderstand me; I am not saying that “the grass is greener on the other side.”  What I’m saying is that when you feel like you don’t have a choice, you’re stuck!

If you ask yourself, “I know we don’t have enough staff here, but I’m choosing to stay.”  It feels a lot better than saying, “I know we don’t have enough staff but I’m stuck here.”

When you think thoughts in the terms of choices, it gives you power as well as freedom.  If you do live in a small town, why not go online to find something that you can do.  Or you could learn to be a health and wellness coach, maybe with an insurance company?

Then you have something that you will be able to do from anywhere in the world you might be.  With the advance of technology, we are so lucky that virtual positions are available and that we can do things, even if we do live in a rural area.

Telemedicine is getting to be very big.  Nurse practitioners are even going online to do tele psychology in Wisconsin, and helping to bring care to underserved areas where mental health providers are not available.

In nursing, we have so many options and choices that to think that you are stuck is doing a disservice to yourself.  So, when you think that you’re stuck, just take a moment to think about all the choices that we have in nursing and all the different possibilities that we can do with our degree, skills and experience.

And, should you choose to stay where you are despite the concerns that you have, then be empowered by that choice.

How are you choosing to be free in your career?  I would love to read your comments below.