One hundred and forty students on the path to earning the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing assembled in Carrington Hall, Room 15, eager for some career advice: job searching and career promotion. Job searching is not as easy now as it was a year or two ago. The great recession of 2009 was causing many nurses to delay retirement and veteran nurses who had retired were opting to return to work in order to supplement income. This forum, organized by the School of Nursing Alumni Association, was an opportunity to bring a few of the SON’s remarkable stars back into the classroom so students could benefit from their knowledge and experience and share information.
How are careers in nursing started and developed? What types of qualities does it take to become a nurse leader? What were the crucible experiences that these leaders experienced that changed and shaped them? These were some of the questions asked of panelists by SON faculty members Dr. Susan Brunssen and Dr. Shielda Rodgers.
The panel included Gwen Hightower Schultz, BSN 70, MSN 76, associate chief for nursing education at the Durham Veteran’s Administration Hospital; Bonnie Angel, a retired SON faculty member/nurse educator who developed the SON’s Master in Nursing Education and served as president of NC League of Nursing; Susan Spalt, BSN 67, who created the Carrboro-Chapel Hill public school nursing program and embedded a nurse in every school, and Amy Coghill, MSN 07, who works to improve processes, safety and quality at UNC Hospitals as a certified Clinical Nurse Leader and oncology nurse. Joining them was Lynn Farber, a pediatric nurse practitioner at UNC Hospitals and clinical leader.
Here are some highlights of the discussion:
- Be ready at all times to go forward. To not go forward is to go backward.
- Take initiative.
- Be willing to do and to step up.
- Model the way; encourage your peers; go for an advanced nursing degree.
- Develop leadership skills by joining a professional nursing association, finding a mentor, and volunteering for committees and projects.
- Rely on the people around you and ask for help if you don’t know how.
- Be part of change and believe in change.
- Be accountable.
- Trust the people on your team.
- Develop the habit of mutual appreciation.
- Empower people.
- Take a course in social marketing.
- Educate others about what a nurse can do and develop collaborations.
- Consider working for the federal government as a way to serve your country.
- Identify standards of practice.
And during the job interview:
- Demonstrate that you have experience, because people want to hire those with experience.
- Show that you are a team player, give examples.
- Make eye contact and smile.
- Say why you really want to work at XXXX organization.
- BE enthusiastic.
- There is hiring going on! Think outside the box — case management for health insurers, clinical trial studies.
- Ask your Alumni Association to match you up with an alumni mentor.
Thanks to Anne Webb, associate director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, for organizing this terrific panel, and connecting students with alumni. If you want to talk to Anne, email her at sonalum@email.unc.edu
