Helpful Tips for Experiencing a Joyful Career: What I’ve Learned

I have been in the profession of nursing for more than 45 years. As I reflect on my career, I recall how many joyful moments have occurred and how fortunate I have been through the years.

Reflections on a Lifelong Nursing Career

For one, the career I have chosen gives me purpose. That is not a sentiment everyone shares regarding their work, unfortunately. According to the most recent UKG global study, with perspectives from nearly 13,000 frontline employees and managers, just 41% of frontline employees in healthcare roles—and 44% of employees across the frontline—say their job is their passion and not just a way to make money.

Do not get me wrong: my career has not been without stress or easy by any means. The career of nursing has never been stagnant, and I had to learn, develop, and change as the industry of healthcare has demanded. Over time, I realized to view these lessons as opportunities, and practice for perfecting the art of remaining agile.

I also have not navigated my career alone. The individuals who I worked alongside have coached me and mentored me through the most challenging times. I am grateful for the individuals who have taken the time to help and support me over the years.

The career I have chosen arms me in my work and personal life. While nursing is a unique and complex profession, there are myriad lessons that I believe everyone can glean from my career. After all, even if you are not looking for a career in healthcare, there is a niche for all of us.

Allow me to pay it forward and share some of the lessons I think we can all learn from, whether we are just beginning our career, continuously honing our craft, or reflecting on decades of experience.

Valuable Lessons I’ve Learned From Work That You Can Learn From Too

At a time when the labor markets are so challenging, the fear of AI replacing the human element of work is pervasive, and personal financial health and wellness is more challenging to achieve, Gallup reports, “only 37% of U.S. employees say they have the chance to do what they do best every day—and those who do not don’t see this improving.” The UKG global study echoes this, as 55% of frontline employees say they are not satisfied with their overall employee experience.

How can we turn this tide, and how can my personal experience help? Your career and my career are essentially the professions we have chosen as our life’s work. This path is a journey of development, failures, and achievements. I have had them all, and I have not always been the most introspective individual as I meandered thru this journey.

However, the gift of age and years in my career now offer me that retrospective opportunity. So, what gave me energy to work the long hours and long years that I did? These are some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my career, and now I offer them to you.

Do what gives you purpose and stay true to that for your career. Each day on your way home from work, do you consider the impact you have had on others and situations? Do you feel that you have accomplished a good day’s effort each day?

Identify what your top strengths are and use and expand upon those at each stage. Consider your strengths and build upon those. Use the opportunity of your performance discussion or in a discussion with a mentor to consider your strengths and to identify how to best use those skills in your unique work. Practice leveraging your skills over time.

Don’t stay in a job or position that limits your growth or diminishes your potential. If you feel unfulfilled or unappreciated by your leader and/or colleagues, it is time to depart the organization. It is the team that will make your work more impactful. Healthcare is a team sport, and it is essential that to do your best work—and that you and your team get after it together.

Recognize how much your direct manager impacts your personal desire to stay in your position and in your organization. Individuals often leave a position because of their manager. The manager sets the tone for the culture of the work unit and is often responsible for recognizing the efforts of each individual. It is this individual that will impact your daily work, and, if a supportive caring manager is not in place, it is time to think about whether the organization is your right place.

Engage in new endeavors and say “yes” to unexpected opportunities. When a leader asks for your participation on a project, even a project outside your comfort zone, say yes. Most likely, the leader has identified a skill you possess that the work needs. Follow their lead, say yes to their ask, and learn from all experiences by building on your existing skills and developing new skills along the way.

Find your people—those who look forward, are centered on their own health and wellness, focus on learning and growth, and lift you up! Find those individuals with whom you work best. These individuals look forward, challenge the status quo in a positive way, and work on self-improvement. These individuals can also provide significant motivation and positive work for those around them.

Keep in touch with those colleagues who have made a special impact on you—they will continue to do so over your career. Recognize that your career is never over and continue the relationships you have nurtured. These relationships over time may morph into your home life, and I promise you that those who have been positive impacts on your work life and career will continue to guide you long after your formal work years are done. Nurture these relationships.

Finally, remember: Careers are years in the making, so enjoy each learning step along the way and absorb everything you can at each stage.