How Your Nurse License Opens Doors Beyond Healthcare

Podcast Episode

>>Listen to “How Your Nurse License Opens Doors Beyond Healthcare With Colton Lord, RN”

When you arrive on your first day of nursing school orientation, your entire identity and world shift in a matter of seconds. Your focus for the next 2-3 years is strictly nursing and obtaining the license that will grant you access to the world of healthcare. From that very first day, you are conditioned to obtain the license and find a job within the hospital that interests you the most. 

@coltonlord17 | 2018 | Northern Arizona University

Only to get that job that you always dreamed of, and find yourself 6 months or a year later, miserable and unfulfilled. This can leave you feeling lonely, isolated, and questioning if this career was the right decision for you. Maybe not everyone has these feelings, but I know that I have had these moments several times over the last 5-6 years, and I know I am not alone. 

Define your WHY

Ask yourself these questions:

• WHY do I want this job?
• WHY is this important to me?
• WHY do I feel this way?

When you start to ask yourself the question of why you are doing something, you begin to find clarity. Many of us do things to please other people or to hold a certain status in our community. A lot of us feel like we have something to prove, even if whatever we are doing does not align with our true vision or values. 

Last day working in Arizona as a staff nurse First day working as a travel nurse in Rhode Island

Overcoming An Identity Crisis

Nursing is not WHO you are–nursing is what you do.

Nursing can be a major passion of yours and also be a centerpiece of your life, but realizing who you are without the title or letters behind your name is critical to your self-worth and well-being. Identify these things:

• WHO am I?
• WHAT do I love to do?
• WHO do I love and WHO brings me joy?
• WHAT would I do if nursing was no longer an option?

This doesn’t mean that you have to quit your job. This doesn’t mean that nursing will be taken away from you. This creates awareness and clarity to best serve YOUR life. And to remember that “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” 

Your Nursing License Is a TOOL, Not a PRISON

Let me explain–you are not a prisoner of your license. You are conditioned to believe that your worth as a nurse is tied to your title. Therefore, so many of us run to critical care roles in the ICU or even the ER because we think that our worthiness lies at the gates of these specialties. While there is intense merit to these roles, they are not your only option. In fact, the hospital is not your only option. Here are just a few ways you can use your license and skills from the bedside in other roles:

• IV nurse at a med spa or holistic doctor’s office 
• Telehealth nurse working from home
• Biotech nursing jobs
• Hospice nurse 
• Home health nurse
• Outpatient infusion centers 
• Primary care offices 
• Social media: Educational, entertaining, podcasting, writing, and endless options here!

And if none of these roles above scratch your itch, branch out further! You are not stuck in healthcare. If your mental health is to a level that is no longer manageable, gather up your resources, and find a way out. There is always a way. 

Always Remember…

Something I love to remind people is that nursing does not have to be your primary job. The per diem role exists beautifully for people who are not quite ready to pull the plug and want to keep their toes wet in the hospital, but have the desire to explore other careers. 

You are the artist and life is the canvas that you are painting. You are holding the paintbrush. And nobody else has the right to make you feel like your decision is wrong because nobody else is living inside of your body and feeling what you feel each and every day. You do not need the validation to use that license however you see fit, but in case you do feel the need to be validated, then consider your permission slip signed! 

Now get out there and live your beautiful and unique life ♥️

Connect With Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonlord17, @nursedaddies
TikTok: @nursedaddies