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WHAT MIGHT YOU WANT TO

INCLUDE IN YOUR ACTION

PLAN?

Action plans are as different as the people putting them together, but
generally include some of these key career-building elements:

Exploring personal preferences. Essentially, what work might you want
to do, and how might you want to do it? Might is the operative word here
because sometimes these answers will only clarify themselves through
several years of experimenting with options and then paying close attention
to your responses.
Your action plan will help you identify things you can do to test your
reactions to work environments, types of work, and similar preferences.
Look for, or create opportunities to try out various options without having
to actually commit to them. Volunteering or temping can be especially
valuable here.

Considering career choices. Do you want to follow traditional nursing or
healthcare management paths, nontraditional options, go independent, or
some combination or sequence of them all?

Once you’ve thought about career paths of potential interest, your action
plan is the place you’ll note what activities you’ll participate in to find out
more about them. Will you shadow a practitioner, request an informational
interview, volunteer, join a professional association, and learn from fellow
members’ career stories? How will you learn more about the possible
downsides of your potential career choices? If you’re considering the
independent path, how will you find out more about the market for your
services?

Gaining visibility, creating your professional presence. What actions
will you take to gain visibility within the nursing or healthcare management
professions? To establish your professional value to colleagues and
potential employers/clients? To demonstrate expertise, or innovative
thinking, or strategic initiative? Your action plan is where you’ll set the
direction.

Building contacts. As we’ve seen, building a community of colleagues will
strengthen not only your career options, but also your ongoing enjoyment
of your career.

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4 | Transforming Healthcare Through Education