Let’s take a moment and go back to the day you decided to apply for nursing school. I can remember hearing from the naysayers and even some well-meaning family members reminding me how hard it was to get into nursing school. However, with my ambitious goals and high achieving belief, I submitted my application anyway. After being waitlisted at one school (I know it was a bomber), I finally was accepted into nursing school.

I can remember feeling so excited and fulfilled as the chosen one for being accepted into nursing school. Sounds familiar? Take a moment and think about your feelings when you received your acceptance letter for school…. Finally, your dream career came true right? Now fast forward to your 1st day of school. You were overjoyed with your school supplies in hand and eager attitude within. I can still see my huge smile and phone call to my parents upon arriving to school on my first day.  I know I wasn’t the only one.

Then nursing school really hit hard around my medical surgical class, like school got REAL! I couldn’t get my studying habits down; I barely passed my exams and there wasn’t enough time in the day to keep up with the demand of each class. Yet, I graduated and went back two more times for advance degrees to do it all over again.

I started with the reminders of being accepted into nursing school and being a nursing student for a reason, it was tough and overwhelming at times, however we had a plan and that plan was to finish strong and become a nurse. All the blood (literally), sweat and tears were worth it on graduation day when all of your loved ones saw you celebrate your major accomplishment of becoming a nurse.

Now that we have achieved our goal and in or nursing career, how can we recreate that same feeling of excitement about being a nurse in our respected areas? The answer is with a mindset shift.

Mindset shift is defined as a person’s set beliefs and foundation of thinking. Sis, it is time to completely change your nursing career with a mindset shift. Instead of complaining about your current circumstances, you could be grateful. Gratitude is the best method to combating nurse burnout. We can be honest about our nursing career at this moment and strategize a plan to change the next season of our nursing career. 

We chose to be a nurse or as I love to put it, nursing chose us. We possess the power to change our nursing career with a mindset shift. We are nurses for a rewarding reason and we can win in our nursing career again by a complete mindset shift.