Traditionally, it has been thought that soft skills are learned
through social and cultural interactions. Many experts believe that soft skills can also be taught. You might have great skill in connecting with people, for example, but a course on conflict
SELF-INVENTORY: Who You Are, What You Have and What YouWant6,7
You might want to start your self-inventory by asking these questions designed for internal reflection: (From Jackie Shaffer, president of CommonGround [http://
www.commongroundpartners.com])
How do I define success? What motivates and inspires me?
What external factors are necessary for me to feel comfort- able (secure and happy) in my work?
What internal factors are necessary for me to feel comfort- able (joy-filled and peaceful) in my work? What gives life meaning and a sense of peace for me? What makes me come alive? (What do I get excited about?)
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to pin down your interest areas:
What are my clinical interests?
What are my likes and dislikes? - How much patient interaction do I like? - What age of patients do I like? - How much technology do I like?
- Do I prefer a small number of highly acutely ill patients or a broader number with whom I can provide more patient education?
- What kind of pace do I like? Some nurses thrive on the high-paced environment of a busy urban ED while others prefer a slower pace.
- What kind of work environment do I like? You might prefer a small rural hospital over a university hospital.
- How much responsibility do I want?
What are my personal needs and interests? - What priority is my career at this time in my life?
- What kind of schedule do I want?Will I accept rotating or on call?
- What are my physical limitations? - What is my best time of day? - What will be the impact of my schedule on my family? - Can I relocate? - What salary do I need to support myself and my dependents?
What are my career goals?Write down you goals for the next year and a few years into the future.
If you are stuck, consider these questions: What things do I frequently get complimented on or praised for? What do people ask me to help them with or do for them? What am I good at? What did I do for fun as a child?
34 Visit us at
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management would likely still be helpful to you. Both soft and hard skills are important for career success. Start with skills and challenges that you enjoy and are good
at.When doing something we love, we tend to lose track of time and become wholly focused on the task at hand, an experience that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi refers to as “flow.”6 Engaging in activities that offer this type of reward leads to optimal fulfillment and happiness. When you are done, rank your skills as to ability and level of
enthusiasm you have for them. It is not enough to be able to do something well. You want a position that allows you to tap into the work you do well and most enjoy. Some people struggle to identify their strengths and skills. It may help to take a survey and ask others for feedback.4,5
You
might ask colleagues or supervisors questions such as What is my greatest strength? What is my greatest weakness? What do you see as my special talent, ability or gift? What do I do naturally and effortlessly that is special? If I were on the cover of a magazine, what magazine would it be and what would the article be about?10 Among Karen’s transferable skillswere flexibility and organizing,
and the abilities to be an effective patient advocate and to juggle multiple priorities—great skills for the OR. Once you have identified your strengths and skills, consider
other factors such as: • Location. Where would you like to work? Some nurses dislike hospitals, but thrive in the community setting.11 You may prefer older patients over younger ones or a small hospital instead of a large one.
• Responsibility. How much responsibility do you want?2 Do you prefer a staff position and like being part of a team? Do you want to be the head of a team or a nurse administrator?
• Lifestyle. Ask questions such as How long a commute is acceptable to me? What kind of shifts am I willing to work? How much time am I willing to devote to my job? At some stages of life we might have to cut back on the level of commitment to our careers, for exam- ple, if you are responsible for caring for young children or elderly parents.
Karen identified her skills and lifestyle requirements. She
read about different types of specialties and selected periop- erative nursing as the field that seemed to best meet her needs and interests. To be sure you consider all options—and to help you narrow
your list of potential specialties—consider turning to a resource that summarizes multiple nursing careers. For example, each of the career listings in the book “201 Careers in Nursing” includes a basic description, educational requirements, core competencies, skills needs and related websites and professional organizations.11
“Explore Specialties” is an online, interactive
tool that compares characteristics of nursing positions, including work setting, education required, primary customer and job characteristics.12 Karen was pleased to learn that listed competencies and skills
for the perioperative nurse included “knowledge and skills needed to assist in preparing and operating the technological tools in-
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