Recent labor studies have predicted that nursing positions will continue to grow faster than the national average for at least the next five years. Though this trend is good news for nurses on the job market, it does not diminish the fact that competition will remain tough for the most desirable nursing positions. Nurses need to pay close attention to the presentation of their credentials, as detailed in their resume, in order to ensure that they can compete in the tough medical profession.
To write a solid resume tailored specifically to the nursing profession, consider the following guidelines:
Highlight your Educational and Licensure Qualifications
In addition to including the details of your nursing degree (school name, when you graduated, your degree), you should mention any academic honors, grants, scholarships, or fellowships awarded during the course of your studies.
If you are an experienced nurse, you may wish to make reference to any completed clinical rotations in this section. This tactic is especially beneficial if one or more of these rotations is in line with your current career objective.
If you are a newer nursing graduate or have limited nursing experience, a list of related courses and clinical rotations will provide detail of your medical knowledge to prospective employers. Graduates who completed their degree with an impressive grade point average should highlight this fact by including their GPA in the Educational section of their resume.
All nurses who have completed the process to get licensed will need to provide details of their license(s) in this section. Include the state(s) in which you are licensed and the date that your license went in effect. Since your employer will ask for a copy of your license once you are made an offer, you do not include your licensing number on your resume.
Emphasize your Nursing Expertise and Key Skills
A quick 10-second scan of your resume should reveal important keywords that summarize your nursing experience and give managers an overview of your qualifications. The most effective way to do this is to incorporate a section of your resume dedicated to nursing expertise and key skills. Include a bulleted list of your nursing specializations (such as pediatrics, cardiology, oncology) and any pertinent nursing skills, such as JCAHO standards/compliance or medication administration, that will enhance your resume presentation.
If you have several years of nursing experience, it may beneficial to list your years of experience in each area.
Entry-level nurses and nurses with limited experience should also include this section in their resume, highlighting those areas and schools acquired from schooling, clinical rotations, and nursing mentorships.
Detail Your Nursing Experience
Since most manager hire nurses based on their previous experience in (or knowledge of if you are a new nurse) a particular area of nursing, employers need to know the details of your nursing experience.
If you are an experienced nurse, you should detail your specialization, the type of facility you work in (acute care, outpatient, rehabilitation), and your average caseload for each of your previous employers.
If you are an entry-level nurse just out of school or a nurse with limited work experience, you should detail any clinical rotations, mentorships, or other unpaid work you were involved in during your schooling.
Demonstrate You’re a Top Performer
Employers love to hire top performers. Your resume will be more memorable and better received if you can detail specific contributions you made to each of your previous employers. What have you done that was above and beyond your basic responsibilities? How have you helped make a positive impact on your patients and their families, your co-workers, your employer, or even your community?
Consider your possible involvement in:
o Committees or review boards
o Patient or family health education
o Mentorship programs
o Training of coworkers on advanced topics of interest to nursing
o The launch of a new facility or program
o Community health screens
o Outside education
The more details you can provide about your involvement in the medical community and your accomplishments, the better job you will do at impressing your value as a team member to potential employers.
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Laura Adams
Friday, March 14, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Travel Safety Tips
Traveling to unfamiliar destinations can bring to you the sort of troubles you do not want to experience while on the road namely: robbery, rape, or murder. Tourists often fall prey to perpetrators because they do not prepare properly before embarking on a trip. Let's examine some things you should do to prevent your travels from becoming a tragedy:
1. Never list your home address on the luggage tag. If on business, put the company's address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address. Use covered luggage tags as well.
2. Stay with your luggage until the luggage is checked. If you must put your bag down, keep one foot on the handle.
3. Carry important papers with you; NEVER check anything that you simply cannot afford to lose. Photocopy your passport, driver's license and credit cards.
4. Bring a small flashlight. You never know when you'll suddenly be "in the dark" and find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. At night, keep your flashlight by your bed.
5. Make sure that your prescription medicines are filled properly and labeled accurately. In some countries certain prescription medicines are forbidden.
6. Never wear anything that projects affluence. No gold chains, expensive watches and rings, luggage, or other paraphernalia should be in easy view. Better yet: leave your jewelry at home.
7. If possible travel with only one or two credit cards.
8. Women particularly should never accept a drink from a stranger. Keep an eye on your drink at all times.
9. Vary your schedule; try not to come and go at the same time everyday.
10. Only stay in a hotel that uses cards to open room doors and make sure your room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock. Secure the chain and secure the door by pushing a rubber stop under it.
11. Stay in a room near a stairwell. Never take the elevator if a fire or smoke is detected. Always stay in a hotel where the doors enter the hallway and not directly from the outside.
12. Do not wear name tags in public.
13. Do not use unmarked taxi cabs.
14. Sit behind the driver so you can see him, but he cannot see you.
15. Pay the driver upon arriving at your destination and while you are still sitting in the vehicle.
16. If you must rent a car, rent only from a reputable company. Any operating problems that occur could signal sabotage.
17. Be aware of 'staged' car accidents meant to catch you off card.
18. Back into your parking spaces to facilitate a quick exit.
19. Park only in well lit and well traveled areas.
20. If your cell phone does not work outside of the country, consider renting one that does for the duration of your trip.
21. If detained for whatever reason by an official, ask for identification. If in doubt, tell them that you want to see his superior. Keep your emotions in check.
22. If traveling with children, bring along an updated photograph of each child in the event that you become separated from them.
23. Write your child's name and your hotel number on each card; include a close friend's or relative's contact information on the card. Give a card to each child which they will carry with them as long as you are away. Destroy once home.
24. Discuss with your family what they would do in event of an emergency while away from home, e.g. whom to call, how to contact emergency personnel, etc.
25. Do not discuss travel plans, your room number or any other personal information in public within earshot of strangers.
26. Bring along a basic first aid kit with bandages, iodine, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, alcohol packets, dramamine, pepto bismol, diarrhea medicine, etc.
27. Familiarize yourself with train and bus schedules before traveling. Have an alternate plan in place in the event your transportation plans change.
28. Do not flash your passport in public. Discreetly show important documents to officials only.
29. Consider purchasing portable alarms that emit a loud sound.
30. Watch for scams on the street. Children working with adults are notorious as pickpockets.
31. Never flash your money in public. Exchange funds with reputable and recognized exchangers only.
32. Have tips ready in advance for service personnel.
33. Consider renting an escort [security] service if traveling in areas where crime is high.
The key to safe traveling in any area is situational awareness. Distractions because of luggage, children, hotel personnel, strangers, etc. can put you at risk. Know your surroundings and stay in control of every situation.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
