Being a nurse leader is difficult. There is a lot expected of you with very little praise at times. I’m sure some nurses are naturally good nurse leaders, but for most of us being a good nurse leader involves effort and educating ourselves with the best practice. It’s not hard to be a good nurse leader, but most cannot stumble upon greatness without some work. Instead, they need to be intentional in their leadership. Here are eight qualities of a good nurse leader.

Graduating from nursing school is a big sigh of relief for many new nurses. After I graduated from nursing school I was ready to work and enjoy the fruits of my labor!! Unfortunately, it also means our spending can go overboard a little bit... now that we finally have some money! Below are just a handful of personal finance tips for new nurses to make sure you stay on track to success.

Nursing is a profession where you can find a lot of jobs that are both salary and hourly wage. There are some differences between the two and it’s important to understand what those differences are. In Nurse Compensation: Comparing Salary vs Hourly Wage we discuss how to compare the compensation of a salary to hourly nursing job. It’s important to note that there are some advantages between the two even though my preference is for hourly nursing jobs. 

Your nurse compensation is one of the factors you should consider before accepting a job. Analyzing what your nursing compensation is before accepting a job doesn't make you a bad person or greedy, on the contrary, it makes you prudent. You worked hard to get to where you are and with being a hard worker you should make sure your compensation reflects that. Many of the jobs nurses are recruited for are not only hourly wage but are also salary. When trying to compare salary vs hourly wage the problem that many nurses run into is that they try to do an apple to orange comparison. You need to adjust to make sure you are comparing appropriately.

Starting a new nursing job can be very difficult. Even if you are eagerly looking forward to the new adventure it doesn’t change the demand of having to meet new people and learn new processes. There are right and wrong ways to transition to a new area or a new facility. Below are just a handful of important things to keep in mind prior to starting your new nurse job.

Drafting a resignation letter for your nursing job can be very difficult and many times nurses are not sure where to begin. Below is an example of a letter of resignation. As a nurse the goal of a resignation letter is to not burn bridges when you leave, but to create and maintain good will. You always want to be able to come back even if you think you never will.

Quitting your nursing job can be very difficult. I see many nurses do this the wrong way. The ideal goal is to leave in a manner where you will always be welcomed back. For some nurses reading this, you might say I’ve quit many nursing jobs that I knew I would never return to. The problem with that is that you never really know if you will return. I have worked with many nurses who have bashed their employer prior to quitting. They will say how horrible their position was only to return years, months, some only weeks later. You don't want to unnecessarily burn bridges.

If you have been a nurse for a while now then you know that your career can feel stale at times. For some the stress of working can become very great and for others just the simple act of going to work every week can become monotonous.  Don’t fret!  I’m here to tell you that there is hope to get through those feelings and jumpstart your nursing career!!