Becoming a nurse who supports caregivers is a calling for many healthcare professionals. It’s a job you have to do if it is aligned with your passion. Being a nurse already allows you to work in a job that you are passionate about. With ambulatory care nursing, you will be able to flex your schedule a lot more. This is a great benefit and avenue for nurses who are also moms or just want more flexibility.
Going into this career option without much knowledge of what it would be like can be daunting. It’s always best to get as much information as you can beforehand. Once you understand what the job would entail, you are a lot more prepared to deal with the everyday issues. Nursing is a lucrative career choice. Many nurses still work a full-time job and do this on the side for extra income. If you are considering this as a viable option for your career, these tips should help.
1. Patience
Working with a caregiver and the patient might challenge your patience. You have to remember that the caregiver is not a nurse. She is merely here to take care of the patient and probably doing the best with the knowledge she has. Instead of becoming impatient, you can try to teach the caregiver a few tricks. It will take some time for you two to become acquainted with each other.
2. Transfer skills
You are not always going to be available in the case of an emergency. Work on a list of transferable skills. You are not only educating the caregiver, but you are also looking out for the patient’s best interest. Being a nurse means that you are always taking care of others. You transferring some of your skills is simply part of your job. It is going to make it a lot easier for you going forward.
3. Documents
Make sure you have all of your qualification documents ready. The fact that you are a qualified nurse is going to get you hired quickly. You should be able to prove this to the family. Once you have been working for a while, you might not even know where all of your documents are stored. This might be a good time to find your documents.
4. Resume
You cannot simply walk into a room with your documents and expect to be hired. Make sure you have your resume ready as well. Put your bls certification on resume to give yourself a better chance. Look at this as applying for a nursing position at a prestigious hospital. It’s better to be over prepared.
5. Availability
If you are planning to do this on the side, you might find that you don’t have enough time to balance both worlds. You are going to have to work out a system in which you are available to the caregiver. In this instance, you are her helpline in case something happens. You also need to guide her if there is a new complication she has not be trained at yet.
6. Listen
The caregiver is not a qualified nurse most of the time. This does not mean that there is no information she can share with you. Work on being a good listener. The caregiver is with the patient the majority of the time and should be given a little credit for that. When there is a report back, pay attention to what is being said. It could be crucial.
7. Create a system
When you are working with more than 1 person, it is always advisable to put a system in place. A schedule of your visits, when you are available for a phone call and at what time meds need to be administered is all part of a winning system. This is going to eliminate a lot of issues going forward.
8. Cover letter
Your resume and documents are very impersonal and just a lot of facts on paper. A cover letter can give a bit more insight into who you are as a person. A mental health nurse cover letter would usually be a good way to put the patient and the family at ease.
9. Research
Find out what the patient’s health situation is. The go ahead and do some additional research on the condition. Sure, you are a qualified healthcare professional, but there is nothing wrong with being prepared for ant scenario. Its little things like this that will help you build a stronger bond with the caregiver, the patient and the family.
10. Relax
You are qualified for this position and there are no two ways about it. Don’t allow the process of applying stress you out. With all of the experience and knowledge you have, don’t let this job create any doubt in your mind. You are capable and qualified to do a stellar job.
Final thoughts on becoming a nurse supporting family caregivers
Considering this avenue in your career is a great opportunity for you to help those in need. When a job comes from a place of passion, it is always going to benefit all parties. You can do this and it is a selfless job. Rewards come in the form of seeing the joy on your patients’ faces.
-Bobby Evans
Bobby Evans is a guest post writer and he works as a content writer. He specializes on nursing professional BLS certification on resume for ambulatory care nursing. Writing is not only his job but also his passion. His hobby is reading and traveling. His life motto is “Try to do your best and never give up!”.